Nathaniel Gruber

2008 Xiaguan FT "Imperial Tribute" Raw Pu-erh tea cake - 357 grams from JAS eTea

Nathaniel Gruber drank 2008 Xiaguan FT "Imperial Tribute" Raw Pu-erh tea cake - 357 grams by JAS eTea

I bought this brick because of the positive reviews on it and in hopes that it would age in to something great. Keep in mind that I am basing my review of it on what it tastes like now…the true value of it will be seen in the years to come.

This is an above average Sheng brick considering it is only 3 years old. The liquor is thicker than other green Pu’ers of this age range. It’s not overwhelmingly astringent which is a good thing, and while possessing some of that young “smokiness” that bricks of this age can have, it is not overbearing and I could see this turning in to something pretty nice considering the complexity it already possesses.

Hopefully this helps you know what you’re getting in to a little bit better. If you’re comfortable buying a young Sheng and letting it sit then I would recommend this brick. This one is probably not one that I would considering buying multiples of for aging, but lets see if time proves me wrong on that!

2011-02-21 16:20:24 -0500

200 °F / 93 °C

0 min 15 sec

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I represent Verdant Tea (Minneapolis, MN) in the Milwaukee/Chicago areas. Spent a year working with David Duckler, picking his brain and absorbing knowledge…and well, here we are today :)

Anything I rank above an 80 is great tea. It takes a lot for a tea to get above an 80. Anything above a 90 is pretty rare.

The problem is that I have been spoiled by now, so you’ll notice that most of the teas I’ve rated are above an 80 or 90. This is because I’ve tried so many that rank below this region, but have not gone back to review them. Since joining Steepster I have really only spent time drinking really mind blowing tea.

Maybe I’ll get around to ranking some of those teas that I’ve had before that are a little less than exciting.

P.S. If you’re ever in Milwaukee and looking for someone to drink tea with for an afternoon, don’t hesitate to send a message.