Charles Thomas Draper

Last night Angel messaged me and said to use the Gaiwan. I listened and I am truly enjoying this beautiful tea. Yes the dried leaves have an intoxicating aroma and the liquor is all and more that I would expect from a Keemun. I was totally enjoying the first cup which I followed the direction of 2 to 3 minutes. The second cup I let steep for a bit longer and the liquor is sweeter and far more flavorful. I cannot wait to do the Ballin GongFu in the Gaiwan. Thank you again Angel for the teas and the advice. It is apparent that you care about your product….

This is my second experience with Bai MuDan. I had a 200 gram container from Prince of Peace that I mostly used for cold tea. This one is far superior. I brewed in the Gaiwan for 2 minutes with half of the pouch. I immediately picked up on the cucumber sensation. The tea is incredibly calming in the same realm as last nights very relaxing Yunnan Jasmine from Verdant. A very fine tea….

Thank you Angel for the generous samples. Now to this lovely tea. When I opened the tiny sample bag and smelled the aroma of soft cocoa I knew that I would be in for a treat. So rich and full of flavor. I am getting flavors similar to the Zhi Gung Fu. I saw this was noted by another reviewer also. I only used half of the sample bag for the first cup. For cup 2 I am using the rest of the bag. I will give it a shorter steep time and see what happens. This such a fine tea. One sip and you are in tea heaven. I am brewing this basket style and quite frankly I am saving some for later. It is very uplifting and one of the finest black teas I have had the pleasure to sip. Now I see what my fellow Steepsterites have been gushing about. Again, thank you Angel….

I have to admit I knew I was in love from the first sip. There was this feeling of incredible calm. The jasmine is blended perfectly with the white Yunnan. My GF who is not a tea drinker lit up when she tried it. She has had all of my teas and her reaction to this one was the best so far. This includes some of the highest rated teas on steepster. I will go so far as to say this is one of the best new teas I have had lately. Absolutely superb when brewed in the Gaiwan with less than boiling water and steeped for just a few minutes. This is a must-have….

I was very generous with the leaves and I brewed it backet-style. The brew is spicy with hints of cocoa and very earth. A nice way to begin your day….

My friend Carey give me this tea months ago. I do not think he was a big fan of Pu-Erhs. He said they upset his stomach. I really think he may have steeped his way too long. Anyway, it took maybe a minute before the liquor went from clear to red and the mini cake was still intact. I was getting a nice numbing sensation and a firm, strong brew. Cup 2 is utterly stimulating after I broke up the cake and steeped it for maybe 30 seconds. Cup 3 is the winner. I steeped it for maybe 2 minutes and I am getting a slight carbonation with a true eye opening flavor. This is a very convienient way to enjoy Pu-Erh on the go. A very nice tea. Now I have to get him to join Steepster….

I cold brewed this is the result is a sensory delight. It is like revisting a spring day on a cold and dreary January day. The color is this light green hue and the aroma is heavenly. The flavor is superb. This is not exactly a morning tea. It is a calming tea. A lovely liquor beyond description. Words cannot do it justice. This was the end of one bag of the spring picking. I have had the other bag in the freezer. Any suggestions for removing it from the freezer? I do not want to do anything to harm the precious leaves.

This tea is for sale on Amazon for $25.00. I bought it at the local Asian market for $7.99. I guess it pays to shop. Brewed in the Yixing it has a dark Reddish brown liquor with a light aroma. None of the unpleasant flavors or aromas one may expect with a young Shu. All in all so far I am quite content with this. Cup #2 is far better. An almost purple liquor with a slight camphor sensation. Out of the 2 teas I got at the Asian Market this is far superior. This is a fantastick everyday Pu-Erh. I am getting that warm glow. I am very happy with this one….

I received this as a sample with my order. I was not bashful with the steep times and the result was very good. Dense fruit and very flavorful. Truly a very enjoyable tea. I was getting a burnt orange cinnamon spice flavor. A lovely aroma. The taste lingers in my mouth….

My TCM doctor gave me this maybe 10 years ago. He has since died so the tea is a treasure to me. Even though his English and my Mandarin are limited, we would sit and drink tea after my treatment. And in the silence there were smiles because we were sharing tea like two monks in a monastery. I am using this tea sparingly. What little I am using is bringing back memories of a man who was a respected doctor in China and was now busperson in a restaurant because of his limited English. The tea is relaxing and God knows I need it after drinking an unknown ginseng oolong last night which kept me up till 4am. I love the dark fruits and the subtle complexities of my aged oolong. I will buy this from the Puerh Shop but I will not drink this again for another 10 years. I will never forget Dr. Wu. Wo Ai Ni….

I have to admit I always start the day with fresh ground coffee. I also have to admit I am not myself until the first sip of tea. Tea touches your soul. The better the tea, the better the touch. For a young Sheng this tea not only touches you it massages you lovingly. It has one of the best aromas I have yet to encounter and the flavor is beyond good. The intoxication factor is high. This is not a tea for laying around and avoiding. A truly dynamite younger Sheng….

I found this today while rearranging my teas. This was the first tea I ever reviewed on Steepster. I brewed it in the Gaiwan and the result was a splendid orange liquor with a complex flavor and aroma. My empty cup smells like an evergreen forest. The tea is nothing short of superb and sure to satisfy all of my friends here. It was infinitely better this time. Maybe my skills are improving….

This tea has incredible staying power. The same tea that I reviewed 2 days ago is still in the Yixing and still putting out. I have literally lost count how many times I steeped this. Although it is much weaker it still commands respect.

I just received the 200 gram tin in the mail and even though I reviewed this just recently I figured why not. This brews up very quickly. Just hit it with the water and it’s dark within seconds. I personally love what Xingyang has to offer. It is nice and smooth without being too earthy. I am hoping that this will age as nicely as the ‘98. I would have to say it’s a good chance that it will.

I drank this on Christmas Day and I thought at first that they mislabeled this. I could of swore it was a Shu. Today I am revisiting this beauty knowing full well that is a Sheng. The first cup has this lovely sweet mustiness. This tea is a true luxury. Dark and seductive. Truly one of those teas that every tea connoisseur must have at least once. I personally put it on my must have list after reading Amy ohs glowing review that rings true. This is the true beauty of Steepster and the internet. A lady on the other side of the USA can tell us all about this lovely Sheng that comes from a shoppe in San Francisco. I ordered almost immediately. Talk about conquering haste! My second cup was steeped for much longer than I would normally do. The result is nothing short of superb. This is without a doubt the finest Sheng I have had the pleasure to imbibe. It is making me glow. I am also relaxed beyond belief. It definitely is a tea for quiet contemplation.

This is the first Pu-erh I ever purchased. It was bought at least 1o years ago at the local Asian market. I had read about the health benefits and I was curious. I knew from my readings that it had an odor and a very strong flavor. The six ounce tin is probably 95% full. At first I thought it smelled like bad body odor. The taste was strong and very fishy. Fast forward to now, the tea has definitely improved nicely. As I am sure it was not a higher quality tea to be begin with it has improved with age considerably. The bad odor is gone and the tea is very drinkable. I will probably nurse it for another 10 years just to see what happens. I brewed this in my Yixing. The first cup was full bodied and smooth. The second cup, as always it seems, is much better. It feels more alive. There is slight numbing sensation. I have literally seen this tea improve over the years. I am getting a slight mustiness where once there was offensive odors. Pu-erhs, you have to love them. This tea is also very invigorating. There is more of this tea if anyone is interested. I visit the Asian market weekly and I am always checking the tea inventory….

I purchased this at the local Asian market. I passed by it in the huge tea aisle many times. My GF told me that it is no good. She is Chinese and does not drink tea. I figured with a price tag in the single digits I would take a chance. The tea comes in a nice package that is copper colored and the inside has this yellow silk-like fabric. The tea actually is quite good. I brewed this up basket style. The first steep for maybe a minute or so. It has a nice smooth flavor. No funkiness or off tastes. It is a very nice tea for under ten dollars. I saw it on Ebay for twenty. As I delve into cup #2 I realize I have made a very wise purchase. The tea is still smooth but now it has that carbonation in my mouth with under a minute of steepage. I will mail this tea for anyone who is interested. I have no idea how old it is. Hmm. I may have seen it in the store for maybe over 2 years or close to it. It is 357 grams and it was $8.99. There is also another one that I bought that is smaller that I will review later. As I sip further, the tea is numbing. It is very energizing without the jittery feelings. I made have to think in a few years it may be awesome. It is very good now….

Happy and Healthy New Year to my friends. This tea is nothing short of fabulous. After the weak first steep the tea soars on the second steep. A very deep and complex brew. My brow is getting moist and I am only on my second cup. It seems to open your pores and I do believe my breathing is improved. These Pu-erhs change each time you indulge. I don’t know if it’s a combination of how I am feeling when I imbibe and the overall changing of a tea that is essentially alive. Nothing makes my body and mind and soul feel more alive than when I am sipping this liquid life….

Something told me to drink this today. It is quite energizing to say the least. I brewed it basket style with a small teaspoon of leaf because the leaves are so tiny. I am getting a flavor of light fruit as in grape with a hint of smoke. As my journey continues I am getting hints of cocoa. This tea is as smooth as silk. There is a reason this is one of Chinas Top 10 Teas. Prim and proper….

I have to confess when I smelled the dry leaves I will swear I smelled chocolate. A mild chocolate. Weird? I noticed another taster got this same aroma but I think it was from the liquor. Anyway, this tea is so very nice. I just found out my GFs roommate is from Laoshan. Her sister gave me a tin of a very similar tea that to this day is one of the best teas I have ever had. This one is right there with it. The flavor and aroma are nothing short of superb. There must be something in the air or soil or the water or a combination of all three that make a tea such as this. It was just tonight that I told my GF that it’s from Laoshan. Her response was “Ali city”. I only had a sample of this unfortunately and my gift from Alis sister is long gone. If you are new to green tea this is a great place to start. If you are a connoisseur, you will appreciate this to say the least. This is a gorgeous tea….

This is real nice and smooth. I made this with plentiful leaf in the Yixing and steeped it for close to a minute. It is strong and full of flavor. I love how it is perking me up. It’s cool when you have a break between teas to better gauge them instead of constantly drinking all day. The liquor is a dark brownish-purple. Remember, I made this strong. Cup #2 is wonderful with more life. I did not rinse this. I personally love the very strong first cup. This tea has improved from my last tasting. Was it from not having tea since this morning? Or my heavy hand with the leaf or just the fact that Pu-erhs get better with age? This tea is so dark you definitely have to brush your teeth when you are done….

I cold brewed this one again. I am using the Pur water filter. The difference in my water is night and day. I left this to steep for 3 days in the fridge and the result is a refreshing and very flavorful brew. It is very uplifting and has given me renewed vigor after a surf in the cold Atlantic….

I cannot think of a better tea on a rainy day with the exception of a fine Shu. Smoky and wild. Perfect for lifting your spirits on a dismal day. I know this tea is not for everyone. Those who love it adore it. I brewed it western style and the results are glorious. Happy Holidays To All….

This tea has a lovely light aroma. It is very uplifting as well. The flavor is a bit thin although I may have had a light hand with the leaves. I am enjoying it. I have to retract my statement about the light hand. As I peered in the Gaiwan it appeared to be just right. So I am going to give this one a deeper steep. The tea has what I would call spirit. The longer steep has improved the quality. It is still mellow. This tea truly has the “feel good” quality. Very drinkable. A good everyday tea. Maybe in a few years it may evolve into a special occasion tea.