2005 Twin Elephants Imperial Golden Buds Shu

As I sip this amazing offering from a company I feel like I am friends with, I can’t help but be disturbed by the claims of certain people on the internet. Claims? Slander.

I’m upset, because I truly feel like a friend is being attacked – not a company, just a friend.

I feel like I’ve learned TOO much from my purchases from Verdant tea. I feel so blessed to have been given this sample from aisling of tea ! It means a lot. THANKYOU!

I rinse. I sip. I repeat!
Beauty in a cup. More than flavour, yes! More than words. Just enjoyment. But also sadness.

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There are notes in this cup that are reminiscent of the Cornfields Shu I miss already! This is definitely both deeper and brighter with mustiness but also light citrus notes! It’s like a ping pong game with my tastebuds – but it definitely brings me happiness and joy!

Verdant tea has brought tears to my eyes with some of their teas – evoked real emotion in an actor who fakes life every day. What can I say, I’m off my little soap box now. :B

I’m still trying to find my way in and around the world of pu-erh. I just had a 21 year old wild tree pu-erh so perhaps it isn’t a good time to try something else. There is some interesting stuff happening here with this one. To me, this smells fishy but nobody else seemed to have remarked on it. For a shu it is coming up a bit on the light side in terms of color. I am trying to keep these infusions to under a minute. 3 so far. More on the fruity/berry side than others I’ve had as of late. I am not getting heavy brown sugar at all, more citrusy from the get go. It really has a nice personality which is kind of a bonus. Not thinking I will need to keep this around for the permanent collection but it would probably excel as a digestif. I will hang on to the rest of my sample and revisit it over time.

Tommy The Toad was kind enough to send me some samples to introduce me to unflavored pu-erh, this being the first of them I decided to try. I can’t thank him enough for helping me branch out. To be honest, I was a little scared to dry it when I smelled the brewed tea, but I kept an open mind. There was definitely a little bit of that “fishy” odor that I had heard about, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. When I tasted it, there was no fishy taste whatsover. It was just an earthy, smoky kind of taste that made me think of fall leaves, campfires, and dirt (I never thought I’d drink something that reminded me of dirt, but really it wasn’t a bad thing). This was a very new experience, my mind was not fully prepared for what my taste buds experienced, and I’m glad I got to try it. Once I get used to the taste a little more, I can see myself becoming a pu-erh fan. The whole process of making pu-erh is very intriguing to me. The amount of effort and expertise that goes into creating a good pu-erh is something I can really respect, and I want to experience all of the different facets of the tea world. When it all comes down to it, tea in general is a form of art and allows me to feel a spiritual warmth and a connection with the nature. I am consuming the ESSENCE of nature, and at the same time the product of a rich culture of my own human race. As you can see, I’m getting a bit contemplative…and that in my mind the greatest quality of tea. It gives me a few minutes out of a hectic day to truly feel centered and be able to THINK and BE in the moment. I truly enjoyed this new experience.

I am brewing this in the Yixing. I used half the amount in the sample. I rinsed it. The first steep is a dark brown orange. I am smelling cedar and burnt oranges. It’s a very strong brew. I am feeling very content. To me, this is the sign of a great tea. When life seems to move just as it should. I am so happy I am exploring the world of Pu-erhs. They take you on a trip. Early in my exploration of tea I was somewhat turned off my Pu-erhs. Maybe I had a bad one. I don’t know. This is a very good one. To quote Townes Van Zandt, he sings in " Talking Thunderbird Blues " It tastes yum yum yummy and I know it’s doing good things to my tum tum tummy.

This is an excellent and perfectly balanced brick of shou that far outdoes any of its contemporary shou’s of the same age. The color is translucent and brilliant orange. Taste of burnt sugar, burnt caramel, dark fruits, and chocolate are prevalent in the early steepings. As you move along notes of sweet candy and cooling camphor begin to set in though there is a warming feeling that comes along in the chest…a very ideal brick!

This is a very good shu. To me, this is where shu puerh begins to stand apart from aged sheng. Many lesser shu tends toward the murky and greasy in their attempt to emulate the earthiness of wet stored aged sheng. This one carries the typical characteristics of shu but elevates them to a higher level.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that this tea is not at all an attempt toward emulating aged sheng but is perfectly enjoyable by itself; dense, cooling, and hollow in that the flavors are not muddied or confused.

I personally like shu puerh so this tea is very enjoyable to me. In the past I have always preferred an aged sheng to any shu but this one definitely stands on its own merits. It’s different and “shu” enough to be, to me, a sort of paradigm. Good stuff.