Yunnan Tippy Pu-Ehr

Thanks again Indigobloom for this big sample!

This is a young Pu-erh and a prize winner. Hum. That was interesting to find out after tasting the tea. I usually read reviews after I’m finished tasting because I’m easily influenced by the words of others and don’t like that to happen. It’s fun to find out that I’ve discovered the same qualities (either good or bad) on my own, that other more qualified and trained tasters write about.

Before steeping I did a 30 second wash. The steep time was 3 minutes in my glass traditional teapot with stainless basket.

The leaves were the darkest chocolate brown and I picked at them. They looked like long threads of petrified leaves, tea turned into dry wood that was now soaking wet and shiny.
The aroma was promising! Salty, a little musty and scented with crimini mushrooms.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
I could taste the tea in the steam. No disappointment in the first sip. Wow! Nom (as so many Steepsters say) this was super tasty! Very good! Better than I was expecting!
I was salivating from the first mineral juiciness when the tea changed. It turned a corner and became a soft, buttery, salty roasted pecan flavored richness. Really it did. Fantastic taste!

I’m about to preach now! Watch out!

If you never have added sugar or splenda to a Pu-erh…try it! This is something to try because salt and sweet play off each other. Sweet will bring out the flavors in the salty tea. Also, there are people who will never, ever drink straight pu-erh. We all know this. We are not in China and North Americans like sweet stuff. The health benefits of Pu-erh are worth trying a little milk or cream or some sugar (what I use is splenda because I’d be as big as a truck if I used sugar all day) and introduce skeptical friends to a latte.
This is how I am introducing my grandchildren to pu-erh’s. The sweetness creates such a compliment to the aforementioned flavors elevating them in a special way that makes them linger on the palate.

The mildness of this particular pu-erh is just right for those who are queezy when confronted with too much earthiness or mustiness. No old shoes and socks here. No old fellows or grannies (other than myself). A very tasty mild Pu-erh!

I think this is the one I had in store today, I can’t quite remember what I ordered. I know it was one of the more expensive teas and this one was pricier on their website I just looked up so I’ll go with it!
Anyhow, I enjoyed it… but it was definitely milder than the one I tried from Staufs the other day. It didn’t have the same depth or complexity somehow.
Now, I have no idea if the staff are trained enough to rinse the leaves (likely not, they had no idea what sheng or shou meant. Not that I judge, I’m just saying I need to try this under more controlled conditions is all)
Overall, it was surprisingly bland until the finish of a sip when the hint of sweetness came out. Perhaps that would have changed as the cup cooled, but I was in no mood to wait so added a bit of sugar, which helped significantly. Normally I see no need to add sugar to a pu-erh so that was a bit disappointing.
Nonetheless, I did enjoy it very much. Over time, the mild nature of the cup grew on me. It was almost like a fruity liqueur in it’s light yet potent nature and reminded me of coffee somehow, that I can’t quite put my finger on.
I’m having trouble deciding how much I like it… as I feel somewhat under-educated to make a true decision. Well, I suppose that’s what I’m here for… learning experiences like this are awesome :)
Oh and I did get a bit of that same high. Not nearly as intense, and I only had one cup… but it was satisfying and I don’t think I would have wanted another while out’n’about. Hmmm.

This is a creamy, mild tasting pu-erh. It doesn’t have much complexity in the taste but still comes out as a rich drink. One very interesting characteristic I noticed in this tea is that it’s unusually sweet, which was surprising but pleasant.

Definitely not one of those “right in your face” pu-erhs, but very nice nonetheless. Little too simple for my taste, but at the same time might be good for times when you feel like pu-erh but don’t necessarily want to over think it.