Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2006 Paddy Flavor

I have had a terrible day today thanks to a mixture of ill health, busy work and a complaining customer. I drank Jasmine Phoenix Pearls and wished I had gone for something stronger so I pulled this one randomly out of the samples I had from Teavivre’s Pu erh sampler pack.

The raw tea looks amazing, the same colour as chocolate and in large pieces of wood looking sticks that smell earthy.

Not sure if it’s because I just had the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls but this is super strong. It could be the Paddy flavour (whatever that is, all I can imagine is ground up Irish leprechauns).

A few steeps in and I can taste flowers and earth, it’s very strong and a little ear waxy( don’t ask me how I know that). I would think that I brewed it too strong as it tastes that way but I used 10g which is a sample pack as recommended by Teavivre. I am also following their steeping rules on website.

The liquid is dark honey in colour and looks a little cloudy. Perhaps when I mentioned flowery earlier it should have said perfumey, the strong floral tang that reminds one of perfume but in the mouth…I’m picking that up.

Overall it’s nice but just not going it’s job today. I have rated according to my taste test for today but I do have more samples and will adjust my rating in the future so if I am having an off day when it comes to tasting I would have put it right.

I bought a beeng of this because it was in the sale and I had heard good things about it. I’m glad I did. The dry beeng is warm and inviting with a grassy aroma. The tea, when brewed, is mellow, with a slight tongue puckering astringency that I really liked. I should note at this point that I was destruction testing this tea and brewing it western style per the instructions on the packet. I would not normally make it that strong or brew it for that long. Anyhoo, the astringency was quite pleasant with no hint of bitterness. The tea was earthy, mellow and slightly grassy, and I really enjoyed it.

I guess I didn’t make a note of this tea the first time I tried it. I made it as per the instructions on the packet, and it came out too strong. Very astringent, even bitter as it cooled.

This time, just under boiling, twenty seconds (plus a ten second rinse). This time, it’s almost sweet, becoming vaguely astringent as it cools (which seems to suit it).

Steep two: More astringent. Bit stronger overall. Darkly vegetal.

Earthy and very interesting and complex flavors

Sample from TeaVivre.

This is a very mellow pu’erh. Earthy flavor. No fishiness at all.

I think I’m finding that, generally speaking, I like raw pu’erhs best.

This is a very easy drinking cup.

My husband and I have been enjoying multiple steepings of this today. We think it is quite good. After sampling about 6 pu-ehrs, some raw, others ripened, I have yet to find one I didn’t like. Whether my ratings are of much value is debatable, since I know the very best pu-erhs never leave China. So it’s all relative. But there is nothing not to like about this one-it has plenty of flavor. It is earthy, mellow, smooth and holds up to a lot of steeps.

(This sample was generously provided to me by Teavivre. Thank you Angel and the whole Teavivre Team.)
Dry Leaf: I get a wet cut grass smell I can even see someone saying hay too. Their is also some sweetness in the smell too. I also get a very faint floral smell way in the back.
Wet Leaf: I get a nice sweet vegetal aroma.
Liquor: The color I got was like a maple color.
Taste: I get a very mellow earthiness with a vegetal flavor like a green bean but their is a sweetness that is also there. As the tea cools the floral aspect of this tea comes out to play.
My Score / Over All Opinion: 90, I am new in the game of raw pu-erh but this tea was enjoyable and didn’t have that bit like I was expecting. However, I did play with this tea and steeped it over 2 minutes and the flavor did get more intense and there was that bit but still not as crazy as I was expecting. This maybe a good tea to store and age yourself in my humble opinion.

Has a grassy and slight earthy flavour. Quite bitter when over-steeped. I recommend halving the recommended steep time for western style brewing.