ashmanra Send Message

I debated with myself whether to try this tea today. This was the tea that was the catalyst for the swap between beerandbeancurd and myself.

I have tried only a few sheng puerh teas and most of those were not enjoyed. One from Wymm Tea stood out and was declared my favorite and one or two from Crimson Lotus have been very nice, but quite a few have been as fun as trying to drink nail polish remover, and the kids had one they called “murder tea”. So when I said I was jealous of beerandbeancurd’s experience with this tea, it was the experience I was jealous of – the peel myself off the floor tripping on tea experience.

The morning was cool but sunny and then clouds rolled in. Gray. Cozy in the house, or bleak, depending on where your head is. And after my first students had come and gone and then lunch, it hit me that I wanted to go ahead and try this tea. I only had one hour until my next students and the whole time I was setting my gong fu tray in the spare room I was telling myself, “You shouldn’t try this. You don’t have time. This is dumb.” But I did it anyway.

Three Stracciatelli truffles from Lindt because I usually do a little something special with gong fu and if it was murder tea I would need the sweet.

Didn’t rinse. Warmed the teaware and placed leaves in the warm gaiwan. Noted that the stiff, deep green leaves reminded me of the Purple Sencha I just finished from Postcard teas, a tea that turns a truly beautiful shade of purple that I couldn’t capture in a photo. Allowed the leaves to rest in the warm, damp gaiwan.

Sniffed gaiwan lid. JUNIPER AND ALCOHOL. Sniffed gaiwan. Less alcohol scent than lid, so the boozy smell must really rise on the steam. Mostly juniper. Forest. This is promising.

First steep – 30 seconds. Trees. Injured pine that fell in a storm and shattered and filled the air with its scent. Sap everywhere. Juniper. There is as much juniper taste in this as there was juniper aroma in the actual juniper tips tea beerandbeancurd also sent. That tea smelled strongly of juniper but the taste was milder. This is full on juniper.

Second steep – I don’t need the truffles but I am eating them anyway. Half a truffle, melting in my mouth while I mentally count out the next steep. This time 45 seconds. Again, trees. Now the cedar chest with the sweater Ashman never wears but won’t give away and the ten pairs of gloves he bought for just in case children come over and it snows (almost never) and their hands are cold. And the christening gown found in his mom’s house after she died, handmade. Who wore it? Who made it? It must be sixty to eighty years old, or more, might even have been hers. Digging around in the cedar chest to see what is there.

I don’t want to have just 45 more minutes. I want to sit here on the floor, and feel my soul, and look out the window, and sip the tea.

Third steep – boozier. Tongue and cheeks are tingling. Maybe I lost count? So good. Getting giddy. Losing track of time. I turn off the music at 1:59 especially to hear the chimes from the Catholic Church a half mile away and at 2:01 realize I didn’t hear them. I guess I was distracted. Music stays off.

Steep four – seriously, just read beerandbeancurd’s note. It isn’t an exaggeration. The flavors are spot on. Only for me add that there was a fleeting flash of high quality vanilla that came out of nowhere and surprised me.

I peeled myself off the floor. I went to the living room to prepare for the next students. I tried to use the burglar alarm remote to turn on the electric candle in the sconce on the wall and caught myself. Shook my head and grabbed the right remote off the piano. I feel like I downed a beer quickly. I feel like I am BUZZING and need to put forth a lot of effort to appear sober to these kids. I am, no doubt, more animated than usual. Teacher is having an especially extroverted day. (I am NOT an extrovert.)

About twenty minutes into the first lesson, I start to feel more normal. I have never had a tea high this strong. Derk gave me a Ruby 18 white that sent me to peaceful fields for a good couple of hours, so deeply peaceful. This one is giddy, tipsy, dizzy, giggly. But also, I might need a nap.

What a tea, and where can I get more?

Thank you, beerandbeancurd! Wow.