bamboo fragrance puerh

I’ve had this Puerh stored for quite a while now. I was waiting to become ‘worthy’ of the tea, since this is an aged puerh I wanted to try several other younger of the ‘same’ type so I could learn and compare how age and good storage would affect it.

I have to say I’m glad I got it, the difference between the youger and the aged (similar quality leaf) is incredible. The tea is incredibly subtle in changes but with very apparent and distinctive flavor and fragance. You still get some of the perfumy essence that characterizes bamboo ‘packed’ puerh but is not overwhelming (young can be a bit too much).

Slight sweetness that opens way to a great ‘clean’ taste and then it becomes menthol like and incredibly refreshing, is similar to the feeling of mint fading in your mouth. Yet, despite that clean feeling in your mouth you can taste the smokiness and bamboo fragrance in your palate. I did multiple steeps and the does change with steeps but the changes are very subtle and takes several steeps to notice them, which in my book means ‘great puerh tea’.

I’d recommend it to anyone who loves puerh or wants to learn more about them, but if you are in the later then make sure you get a young one to compare.

Very unusual but interesting tea! The tea had a very smooth and pleasant taste similar to many young puerhs, was advised to steep for 20 seconds, which was good advice. I let it steep a little longer and it was much stronger – not too bitter, but probably too bitter for most. Generally speaking, feel that it’s a good tea, I’d be curious to see what aging does to it, as I’d imagine the bamboo and other earthy notes will become stronger, supplemented with the slightly smokey taste, I’m sure it would be great! In the interim, good puerh, but think I’ll save some of it to age it and see how it ages.

I sourced this tea from The Phoenix Collection directly (http://thephoenixcollection.com) and it has been a wonderful morning cup. Steeps well, the pack is tight in the bamboo section…Which makes extracting the tea a bit of work, ask David about his tea awl for use in this pursuit. The process does lead to fragmentation of the leaf…Which clogs up my Teas, Etc. glass filter…but it’s worth the cleaning time.