JC

I keep coming back to this tea. It definitely isn’t a bad tea, its just so DIFFERENT from all the others I usually drink. I’ve had ‘bad’ tea and I can really drink it more than two or three times. I’m starting to think this tea had the same impact my first few Puerhs had with me. My brain just said ’can’t identify’ and I rejected it.

I keep drinking it, the first steep is the strongest one, Smoky/broth-like soup with the faintest hint of sweetness but the body is incredibly savory and so is the aftertaste (I think this is what caught me by surprise).

The second steep is less smoky but still present, the sweetness is slightly more appreciable before it turns savory and broth-like as it washes down. The aftertaste has a strong savory base with hints of sweetness. The savory notes linger in the mouth and back of the throat.

The third steep is savory and brothy up front and allows a sweetness to take over for a moment. As it washes down the ‘cycle’ repeats itself but this time the sweetness lasts much longer. While the sweetness comes up front the savory doesn’t disappear it takes the background and at least to me seems to serve as a base for he sweetness, making it that much more enjoyable.

Final Notes
I made 6 steeps with this tea, up to the 5th the tea continued to get sweeter but it still kept its savory and smoky character, after that it was weak. I’m not a fan of Lapsang Souchong but that might be slowly changing. I still enjoy past the second steeps the most but I’m starting to enjoy that brothy/smoky/meaty ones. Maybe is the cold weather and smokiness give me ‘warmth’.

Quick Notes Thank you Mark for another sample from Zhi Zheng Tea.

Dry Leaf – Honey sweetness, slight fruitiness.
Wet Leaf – Strong honey sweetness, floral, fruity.

Gong fu in glass thermos 6-7oz/6g

1st 15secs – Very apparent honey sweetness that is somewhat floral and thick in the mouth. As it washes down it retains its sweetness and the taste is slightly fruity. The aftertaste is sweet with hints of vegetal notes, slightly refreshing.

2nd 15secs – Sweet honey thick taste up front. As it washes down it keeps its sweetness but the vegetal note is more apparent/present as well as some floral notes and slight bitterness. The aftertaste is sweeter, reminiscent of cantaloupe melon and lingers with freshness. The freshness is very faint in the mouth, present in the throat and very present (to me) in my chest as I breathe.

3rd 20secs – Honey sweet and smooth with slight vegetal notes up front. As it washes down it becomes floral and vegetal while keeping its sweetness, at this point smoky/tobacco like notes seem to appear in the back. The aftertaste is sweet, fruity/floral and refreshing.

4th 35secs – Floral, fruity and sweet up front. As it washes down it is briefly ‘cleaner’ before turning sweet, fruity, slightly vegetal and floral with slight astringency. The aftertaste is sweet and refreshing that wears a slight smoky/tobacco hint.

5th 1min – Cleaner steep that quickly becomes sweet like honey again. As it washes down there’s apparent fruity and vegetal notes with some astringency. The aftertaste is sweet, but not so much like honey but rather fruity, like ripe melon. Still very refreshing.

Final Notes
I did six steeps of this tea and it help up pretty well. Mind that I’m at work using a double walled glass tumbler, The steeps are longer that I usually make them and the amount of water is also higher than usual. But based on these steeps I can tell that using a Gaiwan you would easily get 8-14(maybe more) steeps depending on water/tea ratio and using short steeps.

Overall, I like this tea, both samples are sweet and fragrant this one is on the sweeter side, the Bulang is more ‘balanced’ between sweet and bitter with floral. This one is a really easy Sheng to drink, specially for a younger Sheng. I’m honestly surprised and pleased at how accurate the tea description on the web page is. Mostly honey sweet, it has floral and fruit notes and smokiness if you push the steeps. There was some astringency at the end but it wasn’t unpleasant at all. Thanks again Mark.

Wow I can’t believe I still had this and that I had not logged it in. I found a stash so I’m sharing with a friend at work. Even though this is a white tea this tea seems to cross the line between green and white tea, I’m sure it will be enjoyed.

I’m having this today because I felt like its been a while since I’ve just had some white/green and this one is easy to drink, sweetness that is not overwhelming with strong vegetal notes that always remind me of parsley for some reason.

First steep is sweet and slowly turns smooth, buttery and vegetal. What I like the most is how pale it is, tricks you into thinking it will be extremely subtle, it certainly isn’t bold but the flavors don’t hide either.

The second steep was still sweet and buttery but not as the first one. This one does wear taste that resemble Edamame when steamed. It turns sweeter and refreshing one it has gone down.

I feel like sometimes white/green teas are like a ‘cleanser’ of the mind. A purity about them that just relaxes you.

Quick Notes Finally logging this one. I’ve been drinking it none end and now that I’m almost out of it I finally decided to log it.

Dry Leaf – Raw Sugar, vanilla, malty-bitterness, citrusy and plummy.
Wet Leaf – Sweet and malty, warm sugar some citrus notes.

Gong fu Style – Porcelain Gaiwan 5oz/5-6g

1st – 1sec – Very clean and citrusy at the front that has a slightly ‘savory’ maltiness that lingers before it becomes clean and sweet again.

2nd – 1sec – The lid smells like vanilla infused sugar. The liquor is clean, sweet(like warm water with sugar) and refreshing on front. As it washes down it has a savory malitiness that linger a bit. The citrus notes is a bit more apparent and it feel refreshing.

3rd – 2secs – The lid smells like raw sugar, vanilla and maybe (almond?). Citrusy up front and immediately sweet. The body seems savory while maintaining its sweetness(good balance) as it washes down. It has a light body not ‘heavy’/‘creamy’, it feels refreshing, smooth and clean.

4th – 2secs – The lid smells like vanilla, almond and sugar. Citrusy up front and turns sweet, slightly ‘cleaner’ than previously. The malty notes are not as strong although it is still present as it washes down.

5th – 4secs – The lid smells sugary, vanilla and some faint almond. Sweet with citrus notes. It turns slightly savory and malty as it washes down. It has a cleaner aftertaste, very refreshing.

6th – 5secs – The lid smells slightly malty, sugary, vanilla and faintly like almonds. Cleaner start, not as citrusy, but very sweet. The body maintains its malty and almost savory characteristics. The aftertaste is malty and sweet with freshness.

Final Notes
Using a small Gaiwan, I’m able to get past 11 steeps with this one. I love it western cup as well with 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 seconds and 1min steeps. I feel like this tea doesn’t change as much as most black teas do with a ‘flavor peak’ although the 2nd and 3rd steeps can be the most easily noticeable in taste.

The tea is very forgiving in the sense that if you do over-steep(bitter) you can still get a good steep on the next one, it doesn’t seem to retain the bitterness in the leaf. I would compare it to Imperial Golden Buds(Yunnan), Golden Bi Luo, and even nicked named it ‘Golden fleece’s dirty sister’ (Golden fleece from verdant). I call it ‘dirty’ because verdant’s version was very complex BUT very subtle, this one seems bolder.
EDIT
Bolder vs Subtle doesn’t mean good vs better it is just what it is. Bolder vs Subtle, depends on your preference which one is ‘better’.

Quick Notes A nice sample thanks to Mark from the Zhi Zhen Tea Shop
Dry Leaf – Sweet, fruity, floral.
Wet Leaf – Apricot, honey, strong orchid scent with bitterness.
Liquor – slightly pale Golden/Yellow

Gong Fu – Porcelain gaiwan 5oz/8g

1st – 15secs Sweet, subtle floral notes at the front that become more apparent and fruity as it washes down. The aftertaste is very sweet and lasting.

2nd – 30secs Sweet with slight floral bitterness that is more apparent that previously. The body is smooth with enough astringency/roughness to wake up the tongue and let you enjoy the fruity sweetness that overtakes it. It has a very sweet honey/apricot aftertaste.

3rd – 45secs Floral bitterness with some astringency that makes once again seems to wake up the tongue for the coming notes. As it washes down the liquid becomes smooth, mellow and very sweet maintaining some bitterness. The aftertaste is very sweet and fruity and long lasting.

4th – 1min Sweet with strong floral bitterness and slightly pungency that can be ‘tobacco’ like or slightly perfumy in the mouth. As it washes down it maintains its floral notes and some astringency but slowly smooths out and becomes sweeter and fruity. The after taste is stronger fruitier and sweeter.

Final Notes
I did around 9-11 steeps (lowered the steep times to 45 seconds for a few and then added 15 seconds per steep). I love Bulang Puerh (when is the real deal) because it seems to let you ‘choose’. It can be extremely floral, bitter, pungent and astringent (while still being pleasant) or it can be all the other way around subtle, sweet, fruity and smooth (with shorter steeps).

It is very forgiving, you may be able to make any tea bitter and overly floral by steeping for a long time but you will not be able to cut back time and avoid the bitterness if you choose. Bulang usually lets you play and explore. And the sweetness, just wow. This is to me like a Younger version of the “Ming Qian Chun Jian” I have. Very good, worthy of drinking now or storage.

I started my morning with this one today. I was up early and decided to have a cup or two before heading off to work. I ended up having four cups.

I decided to go for short infusions with more leaf to make stronger cups. I didn’t made it to work as early as I hoped but it was well worth it, there’s nothing like being able to relax your way to work in the morning. I need to restock this tea!

Quick Notes Thanks again to Amy Oh for sharing with me :)
Dry Leaf- slightly sweet and grassy (hard to smell sample sizes)
Wet Leaf- Bittersweet, floral, fruity(apricot?)

Gong Fu Done at work using a Fuguang (which makes it harder to smell the wet leaf, but makes a great out of the house gong fu method).

1st 30 seconds – Sweet and delicate in the front with floral, vegetal, green/grass notes as it washes down. The taste becomes slightly savory before turning sweet and fruity again. Slightly refreshing.

2nd 40 seconds – Floral bitterness in the front with more apparent grassiness and slightly vegetal taste that slowly becomes sweeter and mellow with somewhat fruity hints while still maintaining its grassy notes.

Final Notes
At first I thought there was not aftertaste to it but I was wrong. The after taste linger quite a bit, but it starts very subtle (mostly sweet), but as the sweetness subsides you can appreciate a more floral and grassy taste.

I had a Puerh heavy day yesterday including a really late session. Even got to ‘meet’ very nice people (Garret from Mandala Tea) and others. Today I started with some puerh but felt like having some Oolong.

I’ve already made tasting notes on this one so I just want to add something. I usually make this tea making 2-3(maybe 4) steeps. Then I use the remaining leaves to cold brew them over night. I love the taste of a roasty Oolong when cold, it is somehow refreshing and slightly filling at the same time.

To me this one was more than a let down. It isn’t a ‘meh’ is more of a ‘AGGGHHHHHhhhh’ experience in my opinion. I’ve had great experiences with Yunnan Sourcing’s mini tuos… this is not one of them.

If I were to describe the taste of an not yet ‘aged’ ripe would normally be ‘like clean earth’. This one however (in my opinion, try and judge yourself), taste like unclean earthy. Like when you are eating mushrooms that were not properly cleaned… that ‘extra’ and unwanted earthy taste.

Final Notes
I’m REALLY glad I didn’t buy this one, my friend Roberto gave me around 5 to try more than a few months ago and I haven’t and probably won’t get myself through them. As always try things yourself, also remember that Puerh ages and the earthiness MAY… just MAY, get pleasant, I wont risk it.

Not really a tasting note. Rather a comment and clarification.

I have to bump this one up a bit. I love it, I got the 250g cake and in less than a month I’m half way through it. I drink it at home and in the office. The part that made me realize how good it is… is finding myself at home contemplating the idea of having tea and browsing my ‘stash’ and ending up having this Puerh. Honestly, once I wasn’t sure what to drink and I literally told myself ‘Let me think about over some Tibetan Puerh’. If that is not an excuse to drink it, I don’t know what is. :P

Anyway UPgraded its score, more than well deserved.

Quick Note Thanks again to Amy Oh for sharing with me. I’m slowly but surely going through the samples :)

Dry Leaf Slight Sweet and bitter scent
Wet Leaf Sweet, fruity, bitter, floral.

1st 3secs Sweet and slightly bitter that turns savory and tangy. The sweetness is fruity and subtle, the aftertaste reminds me of a flavorful green tea.

2nd 5secs Sweet, fruity, bitter, slightly floral. The taste becomes savory and really tangy in the mouth but it retains the floral notes.

3rd 10secs Sweet and fruity, some bitterness/tangy that fills the mouth. There are floral notes and slight vegetal/savory notes that linger. The aftertaste becomes sweet in the mouth after a while.

Final Notes
I made about 7 steeps. It held up its taste through the steeps. I was incredibly happy when I finished drinking and decided to look up the tea here. While I was drinking I was thinking “Hmmm I know where this is from… This tastes like Lincang Sheng.” When I saw the description I felt like I aced a Pop Quiz!

I’m not a big fan of Lincang Sheng, for some reason I prefer it as a ripe, it retains some of it’s juicy/tangy properties with the ‘heavy’ properties of a ripe, but still this might be a good one to age at home (even when it says ‘vintage’ it is a REALLY young Sheng).

I’ve had mine for about a year now. I’ve been through 3 kettles prior to this one… no contest Zojirushi. Granted it takes longer to hit up the water, so it isn’t a ‘Now-for-NOW’ thing. I mostly ‘plan’ my tea drinking so I’m more than OK with it. Keeps water up to temperature as long as needed and has a timer setting which I use for the mornings.

To be honest, right now my favorite ‘feature’ is the cleaning. I live in DC and the water is HEAVY. Damages most kettles fairly easily and most say you can clean them but really residue always stays behind and water tastes awful. This one on the other hand hasn’t.

Quick Notes I bought a sample from Yunnan Sourcing of this tea, so even though the infusions are ‘traditional’, they are slightly shorter because most of the sample came loose so there was no need to wait for the cake to open.

Dry Leaf Smooth earthy sweet, slightly fruity.
Wet Leaf Sweeter, mellow, slightly fruitier, some complex scent.
Liquor Red/Burgundy and clean.

1st 20secs The pitcher smells incredibly sweet and fruity. The liquor is sweet, fruity almost ‘juicy’ with some tanguiness that opens for a roasty/chocolate finish when it washes down. The aftertaste is somewhat like fruity tasting chocolate.

2nd 20secs The pitcher smells sweet and fruity with tangy notes. The liquor is sweet, fruity, juicy and tangy that becomes heavy as it washes down. This heavy taste has hints of chocolate with fruity/tangy notes. The aftertaste is fruity with chocolate and camphor.

3rd 20secs The pitcher smells sweet, fruity and creamy. The liquor is sweet, creamy, fruity and tangy tha becomes heavier roasty/chocolate tasting as it washes down. The aftertaste is smooth roasty and fruity/juicy/tangy notes with refreshing camphor.

4th 30secs The pitcher smells sweet, fruity and creamy. The liquor is creamy, sweet, fruity and chocolate/roasty with some tangy notes. As it washes down it is cleaner before the sweet, juicy and camphor aftertaste sets in.

5th 40secs The pitcher smells sweet, fruity, creamy and slightly tangy. The liquor is creamy, fruity/juicy and slightly sweet. The roasty/chocolate notes are faded and the juiciness is more apparent. The aftertaste is fruity with some chocolate notes and refreshing camphor.

Final Notes
I made two more steeps with this tea. The 6th 1 min was juicy and sweet an refreshing and slightly faded. The 7th 1:30 mins was faded and weak, I used it to ‘clean’ my pot.

Overall, I liked this tea. It is sweet mellow and has some slight complexity to it. The description in Y.S. refers to ‘Persimmons’. I didn’t use this because I feel it depends on your experience with the fruit. But I agree that it has ‘traits’ rather than the taste. It is fruity/juicy sweet with some tangy notes that are almost acidic in a good way. All that can resemble a Persimmon but I don’t think it tastes like it, rather reminisent of it.

I’m WAYYY behind in my Notes ‘quota’ :P I have several teas I have to add to steepster and add notes. Work, Holidays and work (no error here) has been on my way. I have to catch up to you guys! To the tea!

Gong Fu – Porcelain Gaiwan 5oz / 6g
Dry Leaf Plummy, sweet, rock
Wet Leaf Wet rock, Plum, Honey, Orchid floral, refreshing
Liquor Pale and somehow golden yellow

1st 2secs Lid smells of honey, rock, plum and spicy. The liquor has a ‘wet rock’taste with apparent Orchid floral that is sweet and slowly gives hints of apricot/plum that also has some honey sweetness. The aftertaste is mostly plummy and floral that lingers in the mouth but specially on the throat.

2nd 2secs Lid smells of rocks and then turns honey sweet with floral plummy notes. The Liquor has a very apparent ‘wet rock’ taste that lasts long before turning plummy/apricot like. The tea is very complex and different notes appear with each slurp. The aftertaste is rock like with plum/apricot notes that lasts as it turns honey sweet. The Floral and plummy notes linger in the throat.

3rd 3secs Lid smells honey sweet, wet rock, plummy and floral. The liquor is plummy, ‘wet rock’ with honey sweetness. As it washes down there’s a floral, honey and plum taste that lingers before the honey and ‘rock’ taste reappears. The aftertaste is sweeter but equally floral and plummy and lingering.

4th 4secs Lid smells like wet rock, plummy/apricot and honey sweet. The liquor has notes of ‘rock’ that linger before the plummy/apricot and honey sweetness set in. As it washes down it has a stronger floral presence. The aftertaste is long lasting; it starts plummy floral with sweetness and becomes mostly sweet in the mouth but very plummy in the throat.

5th 6secs Lid smells honey sweet with hints of wet rock and apricot/plummy notes. The liquor has a ‘wet rock’ taste with apricot/plum notes, the sweetness takes a bit longer to set in, which allows to appreciate the Orchid floral notes. The aftertaste is of ‘wet rock’ and plums and lingers in the mouth but specially in the back of the throat.

6th 8secs Lid smells like wet rock and then honey sweet with hints of plum. The liquor is plummy and floral with some hints of ‘wet rock’ but weaker than previously. As it washes down it becomes floral and fragrant. The aftertaste is floral plummy and later turns sweet in the mouth but the floral plummy notes linger in the back of the throat.

7th 12secs Lid smells plummy and floral and becomes very honey sweet. The liquor has an apparent ‘wet rock’ taste with honey sweetness and some apricot/plum notes. As it washes down it seems cleaner with ‘wet rock’ notes before it becomes floral and plummy. The aftertaste is plummy sweet in the mouth and floral plummy in the throat.

8th 20secs The lid smells like wet rock and honey sweet with faint plum/apricot hints. The liquor has ‘wet rock’ notes, floral plummy notes that becomes sweet as it washes down. The aftertaste is floral and plummy and it lingers in the mouth and throat.

Final Notes
I love this Mi Lan Xiang! I find it incredible that is perfectly balanced, nothing is overwhelming about this tea. I’ve had other Mi Lan Xiangs that either over do it in sweetness(by high firing) and kill the floral notes. Or are excessively floral by (slowly firing) and bury all other notes.

Last thing. I quoted all the WET ROCK taste references but not the scent ones. Mostly because you can smell wet rock.. but well I haven’t gone around picking up wet rocks and tasting them. But somehow ‘wet rock’ makes sense. The only thing I would compare it to, is drinking river water that is running down a rock.

Quick Notes at Work
Thanks again to Amy Oh for sharing with me , I really appreciate it :)

The leaves smell faintly sweet but after a quick wash you can smell the sweetness and some of that slight raw puerh bitterness that is floral. I love Silver Bud Puerhs because it has all the characteristics of a Sheng in the most subtle of ways. Its complex simplicity if that makes sense.

The liquor is darker than I expected, specially for a younger puerh. It has an orange hue with slightly lively still. It smells sweet and slightly floral. It tastes sweet, mellow and smooth. I notice the slightest bit of astringency as it washes down but it may be because of the hairs in the bud (need a fine filter for work I guess).

The after taste is sweet and slightly floral, a little bit ‘juicy’ but also taste ‘greener’ like a Yunnan Silver Needle would taste like. Reminds me of Yunnan’s Sourcing’s ‘Jing Gu “White Pekoe Silver Needles” White Tea’ I bought once.

Overall a good Puerh, If you don’t mind younger Puerh or are too afraid to start with them I would try this one. I feel like it needs more aging, it still has some of its greener taste to it. I would Buy and store it ;)

Thanks to Amy Oh for this one!

Dry Leaf – Sweet and roasty
Wet Leaf – Tobacco, roasty, sweet

I like this Oolong. Thank you again Amy. I’ve had TONS of ‘Red Robe’, 95% of then have been pretty much ‘crap’. I feel this is a good Oolong, I can enjoy. Most Red Robes taste like they had too much low quality Mi Lan Xiang and decided to burn it and call it Red Robe. Very few people know what the real Red Robe tastes like and I’m not one of them, but if I’m going for a different tea I want to find differences, not just almost burnt tea. Sorry for the rant.

The tea is Roasty, smoky and tobacco-like that then turns sweet. The liquid is smooth and warming as it goes down and the after taste is tobacco-like with sweetness that is very pleasant and filling. I like this one after lunch or a dinner.

It is very pleasant and warming. :)

I’m glad I kept this one around to try again. I’m not saying it became a favorite but I can respect it better. The Tea definitely has that ‘Taiwan’ essence.

The best part about this tea is smelling the ‘tea caramel’, that drying liquid that thickens in the pitcher, it resembles honey and warm sugar with fruitiness, truly pleasant. The first steep is true of its scent, very sweet, mellow and fruity .The following ones resemble Oolong, slightly sweet, floral-bitterness and slight astringency. I think if you are looking for a different view on a green tea this is one to try. But it is a love OR hate situation so go for the samples at first. ;)

Quick Note Thanks Amy oh for sharing with me :) This notes are from my steeps at work (more traditional longer steeps than I usually do in gaiwan).

1st – 30secs Earthy with apparent sweetness, and VERY smooth, I would describe it as an ‘oily’/buttery feeling that coats your tongue. As it washes down it continues to be mellow and smooth and offers hints of toasty coffee and/or cocoa. There’s a slight bitterness that might be attributed to the cocoa/coffee or even slight leather taste to it that is pleasant. The aftertaste is sweet and smooth.

2nd – 35secs More toasty and cocoa-like taste that smooths into a mellow sweetness with cocoa notes. The coating of the tongue is present before it washes down and becomes slightly cleaner. The aftertaste is sweet and just slightly refreshing.

Final Notes
I made 2 other steeps with this one adding around 15-20secs to each. They were both good just a bit of astringency that may be due to the breaking of the cake in half (the coin shape) than the actual tea.

This is a great option for an every day puerh, it is easy to prepare and enjoy and it is surprisingly smooth for its age. At work is was pretty satisfying but if you want to explore its ‘notes’ I’d recommend using a gaiwan at home. It was easier for me that way.

Quick Note Longer steep times!
Dry Leaf Sweet, slightly earthy.
Wet Leaf Earthy, sweet, creamy and refreshing
Liquor Dark bronze color with thin malty layers on top.

Gong Fu in Porcelain Gaiwan 5oz/5-6g

1st – 30secs Sweet and smooth with some creamy earthiness, initially has hints of bittersweet chocolate as I slurp but quickly fade. As it washes down it is fairly clean and sweet. There’s a slight savory note that is pleasant, the aftertaste is sweet, earthy and refreshing.

2nd – 30secs Earthy, thick and creamy with bittersweet chocolate notes that turns very sweet. As it washes down it becomes slightly savory with earthiness, it slowly turns sweeter and smoother; this lasts through the aftertaste which is also very refreshing.

3rd – 25secs (leaves opened) Thick, full bodied and creamy. It is also very sweet with bittersweet chocolate notes and hints of earthiness. As it washes down it is cleaner and sweeter. The aftertaste is sweet, smooth and very refreshing.

4th – 30secs Less thick than the last steep but still full bodied and creamy. This steep is slightly sweeter and the bittersweet chocolate note is still very present initially but it fades as you drink. As it washes down is smooth and refreshing. The aftertaste is sweet, slightly earthy and very refreshing.

5th – 40secs Smooth, sweet and earthy with faint chocolate notes. As it washes down is more subtle but maintains sweetness and smooth earthy hints. The aftertaste is smooth, sweet and refreshing.

Final Notes
I did two other steeps one of 1 minute and the other 1 1/2 minutes. These steeps were very pleasant but weaker in taste. It could resemble a slighly earthy black tea with very refreshing aftertaste. I usually prefer Sheng Puerh but there’s something about Shu/Shou/Ripe that is better for me specially now in colder weather.

Dry Leaf Sweet with floral bitterness.
Wet Leaf Floral bitterness with smoky presence that becomes sweeter and mellow as you smell it.
Liquor golden-yellow that is not bright

Gong Fu in Porcelain Gaiwan 5oz/5g

1st – 2secs Lid smells bittersweet floral with raw sugar sweetness under a thick smoky scent. Liquor, is sweet and smooth with a smoky hint that is very pleasant. A very sweet aftertaste that is also refreshing.

2nd – 2secs Lid smells bittersweet floral with smoky notes that turn sweet. The steep is smoky, sweet and floral with the slightest hint of ‘green’ that is somewhat herbaceous and smooth. As it washes down it is very floral and slightly bitter with some astringency that smooths down as the very sweet aftertaste takes over.

3rd – 3secs Lid is smoky, floral, slightly bitter and sweet. The liquor is bittersweet floral with apparent smokiness. As it washes down it is very floral and slightly herbaceous with some astringency that quickly smooths out. The aftertaste is floral and slowly becomes very sweet and refreshing.

4th – 5secs Lid smells bittersweet floral and strongly smoky that becomes sweeter. The liquor is bittersweet floral with strong smokiness that wears astringency and some bitterness. As it washes down the astringency smooths down and becomes floral in taste. The aftertaste is floral and sweet and becomes sweeter and refreshing.

5th – 7secs Lid smells sweet, smoky and floral with some bitterness. The liquor, is bittersweet floral with apparent smokiness that wears some astringency but quickly becomes smoother. The aftertaste is very floral and lingers longer before becoming very sweet and refreshing.

6th – 9secs Lid smells slightly cleaner and sweet with smoky and floral notes. The liquor is smoky, slightly less floral/bitter with some astringency. As it washes down it becomes smoother with floral and sweet notes. The aftertaste is lingering floral and smoky but becomes very sweet over time.

7th – 13secs Lid smells sweet and smoky with some floral notes. The liquor is bittersweet floral, smoky ans sweet with some astringency. As it washes down it becomes smooth once again but becomes sweeter rather than floral, although floral notes are still present. The aftertaste is very sweet and refreshing.

8th – 16secs Lid smells sweet, almost fruity with some smoky and floral notes. The liquor is cleaner at first and quickly turns sweet and smoky with subtle floral notes. As it washes down is more floral than initially and maintains its sweetness. The aftertaste is very sweet and very refreshing.

Final Notes
I did 12 steeps of this tea which I enjoyed very much. I was told must people do 6-8 and I think I know why. That is the range where the floral bitterness and smokiness start to fade. I’m not sure this is a good reason for me to stop steeping specially since it maintains its sweetness and I can’t explain how refreshing this tea is. I love it, I already took a layer off the cake to keep at work, the rest is strictly gong-fu at home.

Well, not everything can be great lol. This is a very savory black tea that is also extremely smoky, yet somehow not ‘burnt’ taste to it. I can respect it and appreciate it from time to time at work and have found myself ‘craving’ it specially in a cold office day. I guess its savory and smoky taste is warming to me.

Other than that, it isn’t a great tea. I’ll probably never restock it even though it is extremely cheap.

Quick Notes
1st – 30-40 seconds – VERY smoky, it is savory and the smokiness is somewhat overwhelming for me. I can drink it at work but is just a ‘something to wake up tea’ better than a teabag anyway.

2nd – 30-50 seconds – Not so much smoky, still savory with the slightest sweet taste in the background as it washes down. I think this is pretty much the steep I can enjoy. To me is somewhat like having a smoky soup in the morning to warm up and start the day.

I find this tea to be a very cheap option for the office but I still won’t restock. David’s collections has other cheap ‘better’(for me) black teas.

Dry Leaf Sweet, floral, plummy/apricot, fresh.
Wet Leaf Vanilla, creamy, sweet potato/taro, apricot.
Liquor Pale greenish-yellow

Gong Fu in Yixing Gaiwan 6oz/5-6g

1st – 2secs The lid and leaves smell extremely sweet, fruity and creamy with citrus notes. Floral and fruity with strong citrus notes like orange peel that is subtly in its lingering presence. As it washes down it becomes sweet with hints of vanilla. The aftertaste is subtly sweet, floral and citrusy.

2nd – 2secs Lid and leaves smell extremely sweet and citrusy with apricot and vanilla notes. Sweet and floral with citrus and vanilla notes that slowly fade into floral sweetness that lingers through the aftertaste with is very refreshing.

3rd – 4secs Lid and leaves smell sweeter and floral with slightly less citrus and apricot notes. The liquor is very floral and it becomes plummy/apricot like with strong citrus notes. As it washes down the strong floral slightly fades and lingers with vanilla notes. The aftertaste is sweet and refreshing.

4th – 6secs Lid and leaves smell sweet, floral vanilla with apricot and citrus notes. The liquor is Citrusy and sweet, vanilla floral with apricot notes. As it washes down it is very sweet and refreshing with apricot notes. The aftertaste is sweet and pleasantly refreshing.

5th – 8secs Lid and leaves smell sweet and strong apricot with citrus notes. Floral citrusy with apricot and vanilla notes. As it washes down it remains floral and the aftertaste is refreshing and lasting.

6th – 12secs Lid and leaves smell more apricot and citrusy with some sweetness. The liquor is very citrusy and apricot/plummy like with floral vanilla notes. As it washes down it becomes rather sweet and floral, this lasts through the aftertaste.

Final Notes
I got a good 9 steeps out of this one. This one has some subtle notes but it is complex in the many notes that it bears but they are fairly straight forward and enjoyable with little effort. I love it. This is the lightest roast version of this tea I had and by far the most ‘plummy/apricot’ like, very good. EDIT!!! I’ve been going through all my Oolongs again. this needed a ‘grading’ update. So does Gong Xian!!!

Dry Leaf Sweet, slightly earthy.
Wet Leaf Earthy, sweet and refreshing
Liquor Dark bronze color with thin malty layers on top.

Gong Fu in Porcelain Gaiwan 5oz/5-6g

1st – 10secs Sweet and refreshing with slight earthy notes. As it goes down it feels slightly creamy and very smooth. The aftertaste is sweet and very refreshing.

2nd – 10secs Sweet and smooth that becomes creamy and very refreshing with hints of earthy notes. The aftertaste is sweet, malty, and very refreshing. After a bit of time the earthy note gives hints of what could be a dark/bittersweet chocolate? :)

3rd – 10secs Thicker, creamier and smoother and sweet that slowly becomes refreshing as it washes down. The liquor is smooth and there’s a faint roasty/earthy taste. The aftertaste is sweet and refreshing.

4th – 10secs Sweet, smooth and creamy that is very refreshing. The freshness is very present and everlasting. The aftertaste is still very sweet and refreshing.

5th – 15secs Sweet and smooth with some maltiness and creamy full body that is very pleasant and almost filling. It continues to be refreshing and sweet as it washes down and continues through the aftertaste.

6th – 20secs Sweet and creamy that is very smooth and has some maltiness. It somehow manages to be full bodied, creamy and refreshing at the same time. Sweet and refreshing aftertaste.

7th – 20secs Sweet and creamy that is very smooth with some creaminess and some maltiness. As it washes down it becomes cleaner and very refreshing. The aftertaste is cleaner but still sweet and very refreshing.

Final Notes
I love this Puerh! It is simple and VERY enjoyable. It resembles a few other more expensive Puerhs for half the price! I have to say I’m impressed by the leaf/bud distribution on this one since I’ve seen Tibetan Puerhs that look like someone compressed the leaves from their backyard in Autumn (they are still really good, they just look ‘rough’). I’m going keep re-stocking this one.

Dry Leaf Honey sweet, orchid and fruity(candy like).
Wet Leaf Plummy, fruity, floral, Orchid floral, honey, fresh.

Gong fu in Yixing Gaiwan 6oz/6-7g

1st-2secs Clean and sweet with very subtle orchid floral notes. The sweetness is honey like and lasting. The liquor is very refreshing and clean, as it washes down the aftertaste is sweet and very subtle floral.

2nd-4secs Clean and VERY sweet with subtle floral notes. Honey sweetness is very present with a slight fruity hint. This Oolong has a refreshing character that is very note worthy. Its aftertaste is sweet and subtle with floral notes.

3rd-6secs Sweeter and slightly less clean, with some floral hints being present in the front. This floral sweetness lasts as it washes down and becomes refreshing and through the aftertaste that is still very sweet and slightly floral.

4th-10secs Sweet with orchid floral notes that wears the slightest bitterness that fades quickly into sweetness. As it washes down it remains sweet and refreshing; there a faint herbaceous note that is pleasant. The aftertaste is sweet with subtle floral notes.

5th-15secs Very sweet with orchid floral notes and slight fruity hints. The taste becomes slightly floral and then fades into sweetness. The aftertaste remains unchanged.

6th-20secs Slightly less sweet that previously. The liquor still has subtle floral and fruity notes that lingers very subtly as you continue to drink. As it washes down it becomes sweet and the aftertaste is sweet and slightly more floral.

Final Notes:
This Oolong is very good, it is very sweet and takes several infussions well. The thing is that is very subtle and after having tried the ‘Ba Xian’ Oolong this one will remain in its shadow for me. But it is still a great Oolong that is easy to enjoy if you are looking for simple sweetness and enjoyable is you like the challenge of subtle complexity. EDIT going through all my Oolongs I felt I didn’t do this Oolong justice Bumping up its score!