Oof, yesterday. I tried to keep my spirits up but I was beaten down. Searching my aresenal for comfort, I tried letting the F-bombs fly in a phone call with a friend, music, a nap (sleep never came), a disgusting amount of pizza, half a 22oz bottle of double IPA. Nothing worked. Bring in the shou — a freebie from Yunnan Sourcing.
First time with cha tou, or ripe puerh tea nuggets, or what’s left at the bottom of the fermentation pile, or trickle down tea.
Dry leaf smells nice — malty, damp sweet earth, vanilla cola. Some camphor comes out when warmed, baked bread, cola impression. Long rinse (because tea mountain dregs) yields baked bread, forest floor, camphor, almond.
I used only 8g in a 190mL pot expecting a beast of tea. The tea is warm and spicy, earthy and oxalic acid tart, Togo mentions sorrel. Rather light flavors of forest floor, baked bread, nutritional yeast, camphor. It’s drying early and catches strongly in the throat. Later it’s dusty, nutty and woody cedar. Light bodied no matter how much I push it.
Overall, it was an okay first foray into cha tou. I was expecting something a bit heavier with fuller flavors and bigger body. I’m not sure why. I wonder if more years of storage will smooth out the prominent sourness. In its current state, nothing about it makes me want to recommend it to others. However, it did bring some comfort. Hail Tea.
Now if I can embrace what made me so happy earlier this week, everything will work out.
Flavors: Bread, Camphor, Cedar, Drying, Dust, Forest Floor, Mineral, Nutty, Sour, Spicy, Wet Earth, Yeast
Preparation
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i notice it says Not Recommended, but your review was fairly positive toward the tea.
As for the day, hope you have better ones soon. I have been a bit up and down as well. I am hoping a Bao Zhong session is going to make things sunnier.
Thank you. I hope your session brings what you need today.
Not Recommended — because the body is thin and flavor quite sour. The throat catch is not the most pleasant. There are better shou out there.
Gotcha. I don’t know puerh as well as I wish. I thought it odd that this shu has sheng in its name. I haven’t run into a sour shu yet. I do have one that I absolutely can not drink after 2 or 3pm because I will be UP ALL NIGHT.
It’s sad it is thin, because if the flavours were more present, it looks as a nice tea!
I should drink some pu-erh again…but I feel so rushed!
I hope you feel better, derk.
ashmanra, to be fair, it’s not a bad tea. There’s no fishiness or fermentation funk. I did brew the last 2 grams western this morning. It was better that way! A bit thicker and nuttier, less sour. As far as ‘sheng yun,’ YS translated it as ‘Sage Verse.’ Seems like it has nothing to do with sheng pu. And yeah, I can totally get wired from some shou!
Martin, maybe it would help you slow down?
tea-sipper, thanks. I’m good just needed a full day’s rest in bed followed by some sunshine and chainsaw action today.
derk: I would like to, but unfortunately I can’t. There are too much duties to do, I have to take care of my family a bit as well (every mornings — I have to cook lunches and doing the shopping). And indeed there are many stuff I have to read at least. Hopefully it will settle down soon.
i notice it says Not Recommended, but your review was fairly positive toward the tea.
As for the day, hope you have better ones soon. I have been a bit up and down as well. I am hoping a Bao Zhong session is going to make things sunnier.
Thank you. I hope your session brings what you need today.
Not Recommended — because the body is thin and flavor quite sour. The throat catch is not the most pleasant. There are better shou out there.
Gotcha. I don’t know puerh as well as I wish. I thought it odd that this shu has sheng in its name. I haven’t run into a sour shu yet. I do have one that I absolutely can not drink after 2 or 3pm because I will be UP ALL NIGHT.
It’s sad it is thin, because if the flavours were more present, it looks as a nice tea!
I should drink some pu-erh again…but I feel so rushed!
I hope you feel better, derk.
ashmanra, to be fair, it’s not a bad tea. There’s no fishiness or fermentation funk. I did brew the last 2 grams western this morning. It was better that way! A bit thicker and nuttier, less sour. As far as ‘sheng yun,’ YS translated it as ‘Sage Verse.’ Seems like it has nothing to do with sheng pu. And yeah, I can totally get wired from some shou!
Martin, maybe it would help you slow down?
tea-sipper, thanks. I’m good just needed a full day’s rest in bed followed by some sunshine and chainsaw action today.
derk: I would like to, but unfortunately I can’t. There are too much duties to do, I have to take care of my family a bit as well (every mornings — I have to cook lunches and doing the shopping). And indeed there are many stuff I have to read at least. Hopefully it will settle down soon.