I had three gongfu sessions with their sample. This review is based off of all three, mostly the last one. Brewed with a ceramic gaiwan. 10 second rinse. Steeping times are from the second and third sessions: 6 seconds, 10, 10, 12, 12, 15, 15, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 90; 2 minutes, 4, 8.

I paid more than usual attention to the aromas for this sheng. I didn’t think it would change so much over the course of two months. After I broke the seal and opened the packet, I left the remainder of what I took out inside. It’s been warm and dry in the house. The aroma of the dry leaf as soon as I opened the packet was buttery and vegetal. After the rinse, the leaf smelled of apricot, and then the wet leaf aroma had green grass and white sugar. One month later, there was vanilla and lemongrass in the dry leaf, blackberry preserves in the rinse aroma, and lastly apricot – followed by vegetal and smoky notes later – in the wet leaf aroma. By the third session, two months later, the dry leaf aroma offered vanilla cake batter and apricots. Smelling the wet leaf directly – apricot preserves. The underside of the gaiwan lid – citrus and vanilla. Of course, I had to move on to the real show as soon as the water came to a boil.

Crimson Lotus gives the name imagining that the “tea trees were close enough to hear the gentle voice of the sun.” The sheng produced from these trees seems to be the one that whispers. The liquor (very pale yellow) has a very light feel in the mouth, akin to Silver Needles. Gentle, pleasant, soft, laid-back – name the synonyms. There was some bitterness in the beginning of the first session, but by the third, there was none. Notes of sweet grass and apricots are consistent. As each session goes on, the sweeter the liquor becomes, and little fruitier, with slight tang. I’m still surprised at how light this sheng is. The texture is smooth. Silky ‘round the middle. As for qi, I didn’t feel much. Caffeinated for sure. Also a little relaxed.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 8 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Crimson Lotus Tea

Great notes. Thank you for sharing.

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Crimson Lotus Tea

Great notes. Thank you for sharing.

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Bio

I began drinking tea because its complexity fascinated me. I love learning about its history, its manufacturing processes, and its place in various cultures.

Japanese greens were my first love and gateway into the world.

My favorite teas are leafhopper oolongs, pu’erh (shou and sheng), and masala chai. My favorite herbal tisanes are spear/peppermint, lavender and chrysanthemum.

I’m currently exploring pu’erh, and any Chinese and Taiwanese teas in general. I’m not much into flavored teas, unlike when I first started. The only teas I truly dislike are fruity tisanes and the ones that have too much fruit. I do like hisbiscus, especially iced.

I like to write nature essays. I’m a birdwatcher as well as a tea enthusiast. The kiwi is one of my favorite birds. I also like Tolkien, Ancient Egypt, and exercising.

IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: After two and a half years of having an account here, I will no longer will provide numerical ratings as an addition to the review because the American school system has skewed my thoughts on numbers out of a hundred and the colors throw me off. Curses! My words are more than sufficient. If I really like what I have, I will “recommend”, and if I don’t, “not recommended”.

Key for past ratings:

96-100 I adore absolutely everything about it. A permanent addition to my stash.

90-95 Superb quality and extremely enjoyable, but not something I’d necessarily like to have in my stash (might have to do with personal tastes, depending on what I say in the tasting note).

80-89 Delicious! Pleased with the overall quality.

70-79 Simply, I like it. There are qualities that I find good, but there also are things that aren’t, hence a lower rating that I would have otherwise like to put.

60-69 Overall “meh”. Not necessarily bad, but not necessarily good.

0-59 No.

If there is no rating: I don’t feel experienced enough to rate the tea, or said tea just goes beyond rating (in a positive way).

Location

Westchester, NY

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