JC

Decided to go in a light roast/oxidation Oolong adventure and ordered a sampler of Phoenix Mountain Oolongs. Not disappointed.

Gong Fu in Yixing Gaiwan 6oz/5-6g
Dry Leaf – Honey sweet, fruity and peach/plum scent.
Wet Leaf – Extremely sweet and fruity, sweet potato, peach/plum with citrus hints.
Liquor – Pale yellow and green color that still lively.

1st – 4secs Lid smells incredibly sweet and fruity like peach or plum and somewhat citrus. Sweet and fruity but with an apparent floral note that then turns bittersweet floral that is reminiscent of a very fruity and extremely floral Tie Guan Yin. The aftertaste has a hint of vanilla sweetness and floral.

2nd – 4secs Lid smells sweet and fruity with citrus notes and a apparent peach/plum. Extremely floral and fruity that wear some bitterness but very pleasant. As the bitterness diminishes the sweetness becomes apparent and balanced once again reminiscent of a TGY with added fruitiness. The aftertaste is sweet and very floral and long lasting.

3rd – 5secs Lid smells sweet and fruity with citrus notes, peach/plum notes and more floral. Bittersweet floral taste that is very apparent and pleasant, as it washes down it balances and again resembles a TGY. The liquor remains very fruity and floral and the aftertaste is lasting in the palate and the back of the throat.

4th – 6secs Lid is still very sweet and fruity in scent; the citrus notes is still very apparent and so is the plummy/peach but the floral notes are slightly less apparent. Floral bitterness and fruity at the start and once again balances out with it’s sweetness that is honey like. The aftertaste is very sweet and floral and seems to last forever.

5th – 10secs Lid smells sweet and fruity with apparent citrus and peach/plum notes. Sweet and floral with some bitterness (not as strong as previous) that turns sweeter as it washes down. The sweetness lasts through the aftertaste with floral notes that are very pleasant.

6th – 20secs Lid still wears apparent sweetness and fruitiness, this time the peach scent is more defined and the floral is Orchid like. The liquor is very floral and again slightly bitter but slowly turns sweeter, once again reaching that bittersweet balance that is very pleasant and that lingers through the aftertaste.

Final Notes
A very very pleasant Oolong! That is also very complex is taste and scents. I feel like I would continue to buy this tea but not make it an every day tea. I feel its complexity requires you to slurp the liquor to truly enjoy it as its fragrance is surely part of the whole experience. I might start getting more into lighter Oolongs after all. I made several other steeps, if I felt the floral notes were weak I just cranked up the time, it never really turned astringent and its bitterness was very pleasant.

NOTE This is another sample thanks to my friend Roberto. This was at work, so I might add another note at another time.

Dry Leaf – Faint black tea sweetness, Oolong/Liu-An scent
Wet Leaf – Roasty sweetness, some black tea scent, hints of caramel/malt/chocolate like a roasted Oolong, slightly fruity.

I did a mega quick wash.

1st Steep – 15secs Clean and sweet, yet not so clean. There is an ‘aged’ characteristic that so far I can only compare to a Liu-An tea. It has a slightly herbaceous scent. There’s a lingering taste that is very pleasant, like a roasted/charcoal Oolong; maybe an extremely well aged ripe puerh.

2nd Steep – 30secs Again, a mixture of clean/yet very unique taste to it with sweetness. The ‘aged’ taste and ‘toasty’ taste is more tobacco/chocolate like (very pleasant not like someone smoking right next to you :P) almost like a charcoal roasted Oolong. The sweetness can also be compared to that of a charcoal oolong, which is very present but unique to the roasting process. The aftertaste is lingering and sweet, seems to outlast most black teas I’ve had (except a purple varietal).

3rd Steep – 45secs Not as ‘clean’, more roast/charcoal Oolong like with apparent sweetness as it washes down. The body is a lot lighter in this steep but still present. Yet this steep to me seems sweeter than previously. It has a very nice and lasting sweetness.

FINAL NOTES
A very different black tea, almost not a black tea at all. If you only like strong black teas, this one I’d stand clear from. BUT! if you like subtle and more complex teas then go for it. I’m glad I didn’t read the description of the tea on the page before trying it. Once I had tasted it and checked it out I found myself saying “ahhhh! that’s why it resembles an Oolong..” and “Now it makes sense why the aftertaste lingers so well”.

I don’t think it is an every day tea, but it is a very special experience that can be appreciated. The sweetness lingers!

Another quick note. And also, thanks to Scott from Yunnan Sourcing for the nice sample.

I love Maocha. The Sweetness that is hidden behind floral perfume notes and hints of smokiness. This was no exception, it is really good and pleasing, it still has some strong bitterness that I’m sure will mellow as it ages. BUT that doesn’t mean that this bitterness is unpleasant, in fact is its pretty pleasant and satisfying. Recommend if you like Maocha or just raw puerh with some personality.

Quick lazy review!

I’ve had this for a while but just been lazy. I bought it as a ‘let me drink it as it ages’ puerh. I really like it. I feel it is really good, especially for the price. Two 250g cake for that price is crazy.

The tea is has a full/heavy body and it is pretty smooth. It is pretty earth (not that aged) but not as a cheap/low quality puerh would be. If you are trying puerhs and are still learning how to choose this is one to pick up. If you like ripe puerhs then I consider this tea an inexpensive pleasure.

Quick Notes Longer steeping times for contrast with the short steeping tasting notes.

Gong Fu style 5-6g tea 5oz gaiwan Initial wash of 20 seconds

1st – 30secs – The liquor is light bronze color. Sweet and creamy body that is very smooth and pleasant. It then turns savory with subtle earthy notes. Really smooth and mellow with some camphor freshness that lingers through the aftertaste which is also sweet.

2nd – 20secs – The liquid is a dark bronze color with light malt layers. Sweet and creamy, it is a full bodied tea. Very smooth and pleasant with only hints of earthy notes. The creamy sensation covers my tongue; it feels like slightly swells my tongue. The savory notes are more brothy and apparent with hints of wood. Very refreshing and sweet aftertaste.

3rd – 20secs – Leaves are loosening up and the liquor is a dark bronze color. The liquor is creamer, smoother and sweeter then turning savory for several seconds which allows an earthy/woody notes to be appreciated as part of its brothiness. The aftertaste is slightly brothy/soup like before turning sweet and very refreshing.

4th – 20secs – Leaves smell very creamy, sweet and earthy. The liquor is sweet, almost fruity before becoming creamy/buttery and covering the tongue. Only a slight savory taste with faint earthy note. As it washes down the creaminess cover and turns very sweet and refreshing in the aftertaste.

5th – 30sces – Sweet and refreshing, then slowly turn creamy and goes down very smoothly. The savory notes are barely present and the earthy notes that were already subtle seem even more hidden. A very sweet and refreshing aftertaste.

6th – 30secs – Very sweet adn smooth the creaminess is present but decreased in ‘speed’ to set in, the camphor freshness seems to take its place before it sets in. The earthiness is only present when initially ‘slurping’ your tea, then disappears in sweetness and freshness.

7th – 35secs – Sweet and only slightly more creamy than previous than the previous steep. There’s a faint/subtle earthiness to it. The aftertaste is refreshing and sweet. From this steep and on the tea seems more like a black tea in its sweetness and creamy body, the earthiness very subtle.

NOTE
I made several other steeps adding about 5-10 seconds as I saw fit.

This tea is very good and ‘weird’ at the same time. When opening the wooden box I got a strong camphor scent and earthiness that reminded me compacted compost (in the greatest way possible).

Dry Leaf – Honey, malt, chocolate scents.
Wet Leaf – Honey, extremely malty and chocolaty with floral plum/peach scents.

1st – 1sec – Golden yellowish color. Very clean and sweet taste that then becomes malty and chocolaty. The maltiness gives it a medium to full body with smooth feeling.

2nd – 1sec – Golden bronze liquid with thin malt coating. The liquor is really malty and the chocolaty taste has a fruity bitterness to it(like a darker fruity chocolate). The aftertaste is bittersweet chocolaty and malty with apparent sweetness.

3rd – 1sec – The lid of the gaiwan smells like raw sugar and honey orchid. Slightly sweeter with a smooth malty full body that gives it presence in the mouth. The aftertaste is mostly malty and sweet.

4th – 2secs – Sweet and malty with a bittersweet chocolaty maltiness. The chocolate taste is not as apparent is this steep but still present. The taste is slightly more plummy/peachy/flowery and sweet. The aftertaste is malty and sweet.

5th – 3secs – Cleaner at first then it turn malty and chocolately. The floral note is very subtle. The steeps is not so much bittersweet, it is more sweet than previously. The aftertaste is sweet and slightly more malty.

6th – 6secs – Cleaner and sweet, almost no chocolate taste to it. Even though the chocolate notes are a lot more subtle, the liquor is still malty and smooth. The aftertaste is still very sweet.

7th – 10secs – Slightly more sweet and malty. The extra seconds slightly ‘revived’ its chocolaty and malty notes. The liquor is not as full bodied as previously is has decreased in its creamy/maltiness. Still very sweet aftertaste.

NOTES
I made several other steeps. This tea later becomes very sweet and clean. Like a imperial golden bud, very sweet and subtle maltiness. I love this tea. However, this tea is not as forgiving as others, you have to experiment with it, it is fairly easy to use too much tea and make a bitter tea by thinking it looks very thin and fragile. Otherwise, its just amazing.

Dry Leaf – Sweet,vegetal, nutty and plummy scent.
Wet Leaf – Sweet,nutty,fruity and vegetal.
After the leaves the water they look ‘alive’ and bright. Very pleasant it almost begs to be prepared in a glass tumbler or glass gaiwan.

Gong Fu Style – 5g leaves 5oz Gaiwan

1st – 2 secs – Very fruity sweet, almost plummy. In contrast is nutty and vegetal. It seems clean and sweet during and after drinking, the aftertaste is vegetal in aftertaste.

2nd – 2 secs – Light green color in the liquor. Very nutty and vegetal, the nuttiness stays but becomes more sweet as it washes down. There is a slight plummy taste that is very pleasant, even if you are not fond of floral notes.

3rd – 3 secs – The lid of the gaiwan smells sweet and nutty; the leaves smell nutty and sweet and very vegetal with a very bright green color.
The liquor is very nutty and vegetal with subtle plummy notes. This steep is a perfect mellow balance with pleasant sweetness that lingers.

4th – 4 secs – Sweet, nutty and vegetal. As it washes down the nuttiness becomes very apparent. The plummy taste is very subtle but doesn’t seem to faint away, rather it lingers through the sweet and nutty aftertaste.

5th – 4 secs – Sweet and nutty. Its vegetal notes mix with lingering plummy taste, it seems very well balanced. As it washes down, the nuttiness is more apparent and stays during the aftertaste.

6th – 6 secs – The lid of the gaiwan is still very sweet and nutty, while the leaves are more vegetal and sweet. The liquor is sweet and nutty, the vegetal notes is more apparent and more nutty. The plummy taste is almost gone but the aftertaste is just as sweet and nutty.

7th – 8 secs – Sweeter and more vegetal than previoius steeps. The nuttiness very present while initially slurping the liquor and then again while it washes down. The after taste is sweet and vegetal while still maintaining the nutty taste.

8th – 10 secs – Sweet and nutty, the vegetal note is slightly ‘revived’ and then cleans into sweetness that lingers into the aftertaste. At this point the tea tastes more like a Silver Needle tea with nuttiness added to it.

9th – 20 secs – Sweet almost fruity. There is barely any vegetal notes in the liquor. It once again reminds me of a nutty Bai Hao Silver Needle.

10th – 30 secs – Sweet and fruity. The nuttiness is reminiscent or a nutty rice or oats, very pleasant. At this point there’s a slight astringency.

Notes:
Very pleasant tea. I’m not the biggest green tea enthusiast and is love this tea. I recommend using the hottest water possible below boiling temperature with short steeps. Although longer steeps are really good and I do them at work, specially because it is a very forgiving tea that I haven’t been able to really over steep.

QUICK NOTES
-I didn’t buy this tea myself, a friend asked me to purchase it for him and
I guess deemed me worthy of a generous ‘sample’. So I thank your Roberto, greatly appreciated!
-I’ve tried the tea 3 times now and this time around I used very short steeps. I really wanted to taste the leaves as they opened. So I guess that even with the initial ‘washing’ the first steeps may be considered too light for some.

Gong Fu with 5oz gaiwan – 5-6gm of tea

Dry Leaves – EXTREMELY refreshing and camphor scent with a very present earthy/dry compost scent.
Wet Leaves – Mostly sweet and earthy scent with muskiness and very present freshness.

1st – 1sec – Very light bronze color; light and refreshing with almost hidden sweetness and subtly savory notes. It feels very refreshing and clean. The aftertaste is purely sweet.

2nd – 2secs – Clean and refreshing with more sweetness than the previous steep but there’s some noticeable savory hint to it. There’s a very slight earthiness to it and even though is mostly ‘clean’ it has a good body that seems to ‘coat’ my tongue almost buttery or creamy.

3rd – 1sec – A darker bronze color; Sweet scent and creamy scent from the lid. The liquid is very sweet and mellow, once again feels like it is coating my tongue in a creamy/buttery sensation. Very sweet aftertaste.

4th – 1sec – The leave in the gaiwan start to separate; the scent is more earthy than previously. The liquid is VERY sweet, smooth and almost ‘heavy’ in its creamy sensation. There’s a slight increase int he earthy notes but it is still very subtle. The camphor freshness is incredible and present from the start through the aftertaste.

5th – 1sec – Sweet, refreshing and creamy. The tea is almost about to loosen completely, giving it another sweetness ‘jolt’ to the steep. The tea has proven to be ‘filling’, the creaminess of its body stays in my tongue even long after the liquid has washed down.

6th – 1sec – The leaves are fully loose now; its scent is very sweet and creamy while still sustaining its earthy and refreshing scent. The liquid is sweet and very smooth and slightly more ‘creamy’ than before. A ‘hidden’ note that has been evading my recognition is identifiable as a ‘woody’ note, as if you could taste the roasting basket used to process the tea(in a GREAT way).

7th – 2secs – The scent from the leaves is slightly more earthy, sweet and creamy and it sustains its freshness. The liquid is Sweet(lasting longer now), smooth and the creaminess took longer to set… or the sweetness simply captured my attention for too long. At this point it feels like I’m ‘eating’ the tea rather than drinking, is filling like a light chowder soup.

8th – 2secs – The scent from the leaves is mostly creamy and sweet, the earthiness follows and then seems refreshing. The liquid is Smooth and sweet, slightly earthy but overtaken by the creamy sensation and the the sweet and refreshing aftertaste.

9th – 3secs – The scent from the leaves is unchanged but I just noticed the lid of the gaiwan smells extremely creamy and sweet like a well made cream of wheat in the morning (great now I’m hungry for it). The liquid is Sweet and smoother, there’s a ‘clean’ feeling before the creaminess sets in. At this point its creaminess and sweetness remind me of drinking a very good and creamy black tea on its 3-4 steep (gong-fu-style).

10th – 3secs – The scent changed slightly, its already subtle earthiness seems to be more faded. The liquid is very Sweet and smooth, clean and then refreshing, taking longer to become creamy and allowing more time for its savory notes to briefly make an appearance before the sweet aftertaste.

11th – 4secs – The scent is very sweet, refreshing and creamy, the earthiness is very subtle. The liquid is Smooth and clean and then sweet and refreshing, not as creamy anymore. It seems to turn cleaner and sweeter faster.

12th – 5secs – The scent again is very creamy, specially from the lid. The liquid revived its sweetness and its smoothness, refreshing with just a faint not of earthy.

13th – 6secs – The scent more subtle but maintains its proportions of sweetness,creamy, camphor and earthy. The liquid is Sweet but cleaner for a longer time before some of the creamy sensation takes place. Sweet and refreshing aftertaste.

Final Notes
-Sorry for the extremely long tasting note. I just wanted to make the tea justice and be able to express this:
I noted that using gongfu style during the 8-11th steeps the tea starts to resemble a creamy black tea, smooth, sweet and creamy. The earthy notes are extremely subtle in this tea, something that was confusing to me at first, but that is very pleasant and impressive at the same time.
Once again Thanks to my friend for sharing!

I usually leave my ‘high end’ tea to be enjoyed at home since at work distractions seem to get in the way of great tea time. I’m glad I changed that, I brought some of this puerh with me and I’m loving it. If anything it allowed me to better savor the aftertaste since I really couldn’t do back to back gong fu.

I agree with my previous notes, sweet clean and then broth like and savory like a mushroom soup with camphor freshness and some spiciness in some steeps. BUT, since I couldn’t make my next cup right after the finished one.. I noticed that over time the aftertaste once again becomes really sweet and mellow, it is almost as if you had been drinking an well aged sheng.

Now I’m going to ‘braking’ my cakes and leaving layers of it in all the places I frequent just so I can have some then :P

A new tea type for me. classified it into Puerh because most people do, but even they admit its a different animal. I’ve been curious and unsure about trying and finally had the cut to buy it.

Gong fu Style 5g/5oz Gaiwan
Dry Leaf – Floral Bamboo fragrance, slight sweetness.
Wet Leaf – Bamboo floral fragrance, smoky, sweet.

1st Steep – 2secs * – Unusually sweet, charcoal roasted scent and taste with some bamboo smokiness. The sweetness is like a golden bud black tea but then wears a bamboo fragrance like a ripe or raw puerh would. It is very refreshing and clean at the end with only a slight smoky aftertaste.

2nd Steep – 2secs – Sweet, smoky and more apparent bamboo fragance very hidden bitterness. The sweetness again is reminisent of a black tea but the ‘bitterness’ is more like an Oolong or a well aged Sheng. The charcoal notes remind me of a charcoal roasted TieGuanYin or Da Hong Pao, which can in turn resemble a tobbaco taste. The aftertaste is slighty smoky and refreshing.

3rd Steep – 2secs – Fragrance of charcoal roasted Oolong and bamboo that becomes sweet. The taste then becomes slightly floral adn somewhat ‘mineral?’ as it fades like an oolong would. The aftertaste continues to be slightly smoky and refreshing.

4th Steep – 4secs – At this point it reminds me of a fading black tea, as black teas have ‘peaks’ of flavor and puerhs and oolongs tend to be more lasting and consistent. All the previous notes are there but they are somewhat faded. This however opens up to subtle floral notes similar to a well aged raw puerh with just hints of smokiness.

5th Steep -6secs – This steep also has the same properties as the previous one, the sheng like properties are more obvious, but still very subtle notes. The aftertaste has remained refreshing.

6th Steep -10secs Revived by the added extra seconds, the smokiness and sweetness are present again. As the steep goes down it reminds me of that faded black tea/high oxidation Oolong. The aftertaste is slightly sweeter and smoky ande very refreshing.

I was able to get 10 really good steeps out this one. Just like a black tea it seems to have peaks in flavor and I’ll have to continue experimenting with the times. Overall very pleasant and confussing, in the best of way possible. This tea seems to integrate traits/characteristics of different tea types, very nice an just spikes curiosity.

I work for a roof, food and tea :P.

Dry Leaf – Spicy and earth scent
Wet Leaf – Earthy and sweet with spice like notes in the background.
Cup – Brews into a Bronze or darker golden color.

Gong fu style 5grams/5oz Gaiwan *

1st Steep – 2secs – Sweet and earthy scent, the earthiness reminds me of freshly cut mushrooms; it wears a earthy/musky scent. The steep tastes like a very earthy miso soup with a slight spiciness in the tongue. The aftertaste is savory.

2nd Steep – 2secs – Very sweet and earthy. It feels broth/soup like to me, it almost reminds me of a root vegetable soup back home; very filling and warming. It has a very pleasant aftertaste that is savory and just a hint of sweetness. ‘Umami’ puerh, very good.

3rd Steep – 2secs – Sweet scent with some hidden spiciness. Slightly cleaner start with earthy sweetness. This opens up to the broth/soup like umami taste. This time there is some spiciness present and then turns into a camphor freshness.

4th Steep – 2secs * – Clean and sweet steep that becomes earthy and slightly savory, the broth seems a perfect balance between sweet and savory. The aftertaste is savory and refreshing.

5th Steep – 4secs * – Sweet and earthy, the two extra seconds seems to have revived that strong earthy soup notes and some spiciness with it. This steep wears a slight astringency that might be just because of an accident with my strainer :/. Savory and refreshing aftertaste.

6th Steep – 4secs * – Sweet and spicy taste that becomes refreshing, then savory and earthy. This tea has a very good balance between savory notes and natural sweetness that is very pleasant. The aftertaste again remains savory and very refreshing.

I’ll continue this one later. It’s late, I with I didn’t have to sleep sometimes. We need to add 2 more hours to our days so we can have more ‘Me’ time.
EDIT
I continued this tea in the morning. Very warming and filling with some spiciness. Amazing cake.

Finally back to steepster! Work has been draining me endlessly, but it was worth it when I saw my received shipping notice! ‘Tea christmas’ as my friend named it. I ordered several Puerhs from David Hoffman so I’ll probably keep posting as I drink them :D

Gong fu Style – 5grams 5oz Gaiwan

Dry Leaf – Bittersweet floral and fruity with hints of earthiness.

Wet Leaf – Bittersweet floral with ripe melon/peach scent, reminds me of a ripened peach on the verge of being rotten but is still good.

1st Steep – 2secs – The steep is sweet and bitter with lively floral notes. There’s a strong fruity flavor that is reminisent of dried peach/plum, it has some bitterness but wears no astringency. The aftertaste is ripe honeydew melon sweet and lingers for a long time.

2nd Steep – 2secs – Bittersweet scent with peach/plum fruitiness. The steep is more fruity and floral sweet with some slight broath like smoky taste, as it fades it becomes sweet and clean. The aftertaste is very sweet.

3rd Steep – 2secs – This cup is incredibly sweet and clean with just hints of bitterness and still no astringency present. The dried peach/plum taste is very present and lingers in the palate, it is very fruity and floral at the same time the smokiness is very faint in noticeable. Once again the aftertaste is very sweet.

4th Steep – 3secs – Sweet and fruity with floral notes. As i keep sipping down the peach/plum taste becomes very apparent, the slight bitterness just enhances the sweetness and balances it. The aftertaste here is more reminisent of ripe honeydew and has hints of camphor freshness (I had noticed something in previous steeps but wasn’t sure).

5th Steep – 4secs – Sweet and floral with some bitterness and just a hint of astringency that is very pleasant. As I continue drinking the bitterness and the sweetness opens up for the dried peach notes that have been very present from the begining. The aftertaste continues to be very sweet and refreshing yet lingers in you mouth and throat for a long time.

I was able to get 16 steeps by increasing 1 second per steep up to the 8th steep and then adding 2 seconds per steep in the following steeps. I’m pretty sure I could get more, specially if you like cleaner steeps (still very sweet and enjoyable just not so fruity/floral or bitter). Bulang Mountain killing it again! This cake is a dream. Edit Spelling

Another ‘I-will-probably-never-see-again’ tea. This tea I bought of the same small shop in Bangkok after mispronouncing several Chinese terms. After 20 minutes browsing teas and teawares the owner says something to his (daughter?) and she goes to the back and fetches a large sack that seemed to be a tea that had just arrived recently.

I open the sack… wow, the green and the silver color combined with the overwhelming scent! I didn’t ask myself “should I buy it?”, but rather “how much can I really bring with me with out being stopped at customs?”. Anyway the notes.

Gong Fu 7oz with 3-5gm (light and fluffy)
Dry Leaf – Slightly sweet with strong vegetal scent with a hint of smoky maybe? that is also floral.
Wet Leaf – Very vegetal like pan seared Kale and/or Parsley like scent and hints of sweetness and more floral.

1st Steep – Balanced savory and sweet scent with pale green/yellow color. The brew is clean and savory that turns slightly sweet with vegetal background. The aftertaste seems clean with slight hints of sweet and savory notes.

2nd Steep – Slightly less ‘clean’ cup, the vegetal notes are stronger but still feels balanced with the sweetness somehow. The steep wears a slight astringency before the vegetal and sweet aftertaste takes over.

3rd Steep – A little more vegetal still and more astringent than previous steeps, but it is still pleasant and slightly sweet. the Aftertaste is now int he back of the throat and seems to last longer than before mostly savory/vegetal.

The next steep was similar to the third steep but I’m not a fan of astringency and it keeps getting stronger with each steep. I loved the first two and liked the third. I will miss you when you are gone.

I’ve had this one for a bit now and well its almost depleted. A quick note for this one.
Gong Fu Style * 6-7oz 5-6gm *
1st Steep – Sweet and floral on the front with slight nuttiness. It has a buttery and nutty body with floral finish and aftertaste that maintain some of its sweetness.

2nd Steep – Sweet and more floral with more roasted nutty notes, slightly taste like sweet corn. The after taste is floral and nutty with some sweetness. The scent from the cup was more roasty and floral.

3rd Steep – This cup is more fragrant, it smells like sweet corn and is more brighter in color and slightly more green. The taste is much more floral and sweet with only a bit of nuttiness. The aftertaste is floral and it becomes sweet over time.

4th Steep – The floral notes are more subtle and the sweetness becomes more apparent and it seems to be everlasting in this steep. The aftertaste is floral but much sweeter than the previous.

Later Steeps were more subtle and it gave 6-7 good steeps and then it became weak in taste. Its not my favorite but it is one of the best. It sucks that I’m possibly never getting my hands on it again.

I decided to do an actual tasting note. I’ve been holding back because well I wanted to make it justice since it is my favorite puerh so far. I’ll probably keep revisiting and adding notes as I keep tasting.

Gong Fu Dedicated Yixing Pot 4oz with 3-5grams of tea.

1st Steep – Fruity sweetness like ripe honeydew that becomes clean and becomes fruity and floral as it goes down, it wears a slight bitterness in the aftertaste.

2nd Steep – Fruity and floral fragrance with stronger aftertaste that plays between floral and sweet fruitiness and slight vegetal broth with refreshing finish in the throat.

3rd Steep – Clean Start with apparent sweetness and slight bitterness. It starts turning floral and fruity with slightly vegetal notes and refreshing after taste.

4th Steep – Clean start into a floral that turns vegetal and broth like that leads to a subtle fruity sweetness. As I continue drinking this steep the sweetness seems more apparent with slightly bitter aftertaste.

5th Steep – Clean and sweet start lightly resembles honey with floral tones and somewhat vegetal taste. The scent of ripe melon is apparent for me at this point. The after taste is more sweet and fruity but quickly turns vegetal and refreshing.

6th Steep – Cleaner but sweeter in the front with more apparent fruity notes of honeydew melon that becomes floral and slightly vegetal. The aftertaste is cleaner and refreshing.

7th Steep – Sweet and clean with notes of melon that become floral but this time seems to stay mostly fruity and sweet. The aftertaste is slightly vegetal and refreshing.

8th Steep – Sweet and clean with subtle fruity notes and floral aftertaste that is slightly vegetal and some bitterness that becomes refreshing in the throat.

Some notes: I steeped for 2 seconds on the first 3 steeps and added 1-2 seconds to the following steeps and the cup always maintain a sweet honey like scent. I was able to do 14 steeps last night and continued this morning. When I mentioned ‘vegetal’ I guess I would replace ti with ‘Umami’ a savory taste that is very pleasant but no specific description seems to apply. I will continue to come back to this tea, I love it and its very subtle and complex a the same time.

Another one that I’ve had prior joining Steepster and forgot to ever log. This is a good quality tea that delivers as it should for its age. It is floral a bitter with hints of sweetness under the floral tones. It is a young Sheng so it becomes really astringent and bitter as you continue steeping. I guess if you are willing to age it I can become a great one, for now its and Ok tea.

The dry leaf has a smoky and bitter scent with hints of floral sweetness; but when wet, the smoky bitterness becomes more apparent, the only thing I can compare it is to the smokiness that would come from a campfire that uses wild wood.
Gong fu gaiwan 5oz
1st Steep (2secs) – Sweet and clean with smoky body that becomes floral. It has a smoky, floral and sweet aftertaste that turns refreshing; slightly astringent.

2nd Steep (2secs) – Clean sweetness that turns slightly bitter with a heavy smoky body with strong but pleasant floral notes. It becomes refreshing after the flowery aftertaste with slight astringency.

3rd Steep (2secs) – Smoky and flowery bitterness that becomes sweet and floral without loosing its smokiness. The aftertaste is floral and smoky but it becomes refreshing/camphor like.

4th Steep (4secs) – Smoky and flowery with sweetness that accentuates the wood smokiness with slightly bitter floral notes. This steep had very refreshing/camphor feeling.

5th Steep (5secs) – A Cleaner sweetness into slightly smokiness that becomes more apparent as it washes down and it becomes floral with faint sweetness and it feels refreshing on the throat.

6th Steep (6secs) – Clean feeling that becomes smoky and floral with some bitterness. This steeps wears a bit more astringency but is not unpleasant as it becomes refreshing once again.

7th Steep (8secs) – Clean and refreshing and it slowly gives hints of the smoky and floral notes that become more apparent as it washes down and seem to last longer on my mouth. Once again becomes very refreshing as the smoky and floral notes fade.

8th Steep (10secs) – Very clean start that becomes smoky and turns floral with some bitterness(almost bittersweet, in a good way). This steep become slightly more astringent and later more refreshing.

I did 14 steeps of this tea and I’m pretty sure I could have made more (late and too many bathroom breaks), but to me its an amazing tea just because even though it might be a ‘basic’ Puerh, it is well aged and it has all the characteristics of the Maocha but subtle like a fine aged Sheng. And frankly love the smokiness, is like straight out a camp fire.

Dry Leaf – Milky, buttery sweetness with some sweet pea scent.
Wet Leaf – Buttery, Sweet and nutty. Slightly milky.

- 1st Steep – Sweet and slightly savory background with nutty taste. faint vegetal scent.

- 2nd Steep – Nutty sweetness resembles sweet corn and some raw honey. (smells like roasted sweet corn). Starts sweet and nutty with savory hints and buttery feel that then feels clean.

- 3rd Steep – Slightly smells like sweet corn when roasted. the leaves opened fully and the brew is sweet with floral tones and butter like feeling.

- 4th Steep – Sweetness fades away and more floral, is not at clean as the first steeps this steep has a floral aftertaste to it.

Good tea, not the greatest to me, but If you like smoother Oolongs this is one to try.

Dry Leaf – Sweet bread, sugary.
Wet Leaf – Raw sugar, cinnamon and vanilla scents.

1st Steep – Sugary clean taste with vanilla scent smooth and clean feeling. There is a molasses/raw sugar taste with hints of spices.

2nd Steep – Sweet vanilla, molasses/raw sugar scent. The molasses becomes more apparent as does the vanilla flavor (like vanilla bean), hints of spiciness that I can’t yet identify clearly. Clean fresh feeling.

3rd Steep – Leaves smell like caramel an molasses/raw/brown sugar. Its sweetness is still apparent with the tanginess of molasses; the spiciness comes back and then cleans away into that freshness. My cup smells like raw sugar and cooked cinnamon.

4th Steep – Slight sweetness with apparent cinnamon/clove taste, incredibly smooth for and clean feeling. Some clove aftertaste that cleans away.

5th Steep – Some of the sweetness fades and the spice notes become more apparent to the taste. I got a hint of the ‘morel’, a slight earthiness that can also be found in the clove and vanilla (if you eat from the bean).

I made several other steeps; to me they kept that slight sweetness but the spice notes and slight earthiness/woodiness of the spices or perhaps mushroom like were more evident.

Gong fu sytle in a 5oz gaiwan.

Dry Leaf – Chocolate, Oolong plum like scent, caramel/vanilla.

Wet Leaf – Plum Oolong, smoky chocolate, caramel, with sesame undertone; honey and vanilla scent from the lid.

1st Steep – Plummy and wine like with slight honey sweetness that turns smokey and chocolately. It has a clean mouth feel with plum after taste.

2nd Steep – Lid smells nutty with sesame undertone and strong warm honey smell. Plummy wine like taste with slightly smoky body, Mi Lan Xian/Keemum Mao Feng wine like aftertaste.

3rd Steep – Strong honey smell from the lid followed by plum essence nuttiness almost depleted. Honey taste with plum and some vanilla.

4th Steep – Floral plum with honey undertone and plum aftertaste. Slight vanilla scent and Honey, slight astringency present.

5th Steep – plum with floral aftertaste; Honey sweetness is faded with vanilla undertone and slightly nutty smoky background.

Overall to me this was an OK tea, It seemed to me like a Mi Lan Xiang that tried to become a Da Hong Pao(Big Red Robe) but remained within the plumminess of the Mi Lan Xiang. I wouldn’t really classify this one as a black tea, in fact the only hints of black tea for me were the initial chocolate taste and the wine like taste in the later steeps (almost like a Keemung Mao Feng) but it then turns more plum tasting like an Oolong.

Worth a try, good quality tea.

My first puerh from verdant… surely not my last.

I love the smell of the dry leaves, slightly bitter scent that should be present of a good Sheng with sweet undertone that I can’t really identify yet, maybe vanilla/caramel. The brew accentuates the scent of the Sheng, it almost made me think if would be bitter tasting but it is slightly bitter with an amazing creamy body, it becomes slightly fruity and musky like a cedar forest that just got rained on. The after taste is floral and fruity with freshness.

I love smelling my cup, the sweetness is more apparent and you can really smell the apple and caramel. The pepper is apparent right between the initial tasting and before the floral and fruity aftertaste appear. The aftertaste stays in the back of your throat for a while.

I haven’t been able to really taste the Hazelnut notes, that was a bit disappointing to me, since is one of the reasons I got this puerh. Non the less, this is a great puerh, it reminds me of the Aged Mao Cha (I think they are about the same age). It is well balanced with many notes/flavors that has nice bitterness, almost no astringency, balanced sweetness and freshness. I would recommend it and I bet it would be great to continue aging.

Finally added this tea to my ‘stash’. I endured the torture of reading endless amazing reviews that made me drool trying to imagine the taste. The package came pretty quickly and it still seemed like an eternity, waiting for tea packages is like waiting for presents on any Holiday as a kid.

I opened the bag to find beautifully rolled and twisted leaves and I immediately stuck my nose in. Smoky-chocolate sweetness with evident vanilla and a faint fruity/plummy scent.

The thing I loved the most about this tea… the color, the amazing light caramel color that just set you to be even more amazed about the strength of the brew. I love how tea can be ‘strong’ and still looking like light liquid ember under the light of the sun. Creamy chocolate and honey sweetness with the taste of a vanilla flavored caramel, to me it is slightly floral after a few steeps.

The leaves open beautifully and seems almost unreal how much they unfurl; makes you wonder, how could you ever roll and twist a leaf that way and make it look completely undamaged. One of my favorite black teas.

I’ve had this one for a while now and practically forgot to log it. This is a ‘casual’ tea for me. I love white tea and it’s subtlety, I feel it keeps me ‘awake’ in the sense that I have to pay attention to the tea to taste it better.

This is a good quality tea and the fresher the better. Subtle sweetness that resembles honeydew melon with some hay (in a good way) freshness in the background. Not the best but still pretty good.

I like this tea as an every day tea. It has some vegetal background with fruity sweetness. I like this tea at work and keeps me warm in the morning. Over all an OK tea.