Jim Marks Send Message

I picked up this tea in the bulk dry goods section of our quasi-local (HEB) “Central Market” this past Sunday. It has become impossible to get a parking place at the Whole Foods after church on Sundays, so I have begun to drive the extra 10 blocks or so to the Central Market. If you’re already 10 miles from home, what’s another 10 blocks. I was shocked, though, because on Saturdays, you can’t get near Central Market with love, money, blood or magicks. But Sundays are quite pleasant as it turns out.

This is a… strange tea. I had it once, yesterday, and I’m going to need to have it a few more times to make up my mind about it.

It is almost sweet, and yet it is not treated with anything. And generally, I don’t like sweet.

However, if you are big into pu-erh, I highly recommend trying one of the many Yunnan Gold teas on the market just to give you a stronger appreciation for what’s been done to those leaves to change them from Gold into pu-erh.

I’m slowly letting my overall collection dwindle so that I can justify a big order from a premium site, soon. Stay tuned.

What a perfect farewell to summer, the last of my white tips.

Not that “end of summer” means much in Houston Texas, mind you. Our weather forecast for the first day of autumn is 90 degrees despite possible thunder storms.

I have to downgrade my score here by a lot. It is way too hard to avoid this getting really bitter. When it is not bitter, it is very tasty, but I veer too close to making tea look like a chemistry experiment as it is.

This pu-erh is probably the least exciting non-tou-cha pu-erh I’ve had.

“But you gave it a 94”.

Yeah. Pu-erh is THAT good.

Backlogging. Had this Tea on Monday. There is something almost obscene about these tea leaves, both dry and wet. I really like the cup, but I find myself avoiding this tea because the leaves kind of freak me out.

Backlog from yesterday. First steep was too long and took all the good stuff. Second steep was thus too thin. Sad.

Finally got a break in week upon week of rain and spent the early morning mowing the front and back. Took two hours and I’m completely nackered.

Does anyone know how to break the seal on a 65 ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts?

Boy, I tell you, this unorthodox steeping method of mine makes even very tricky leaves a lot more forgiving. I steeped this the full three minutes, last time only just over 2 minutes, and it tastes less vegetal, astringent and bitter than it did the last time, not more.

The result is a really great cup of Darjeeling tea which is just a bit green around the edges.

I have to say, this wide mouthed, covered Pyrex approach is the way to go.