Autumn Hearth Send Message

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97
drank Stone-Pressed 2004 Yiwu Wild Arbor Sheng by Verdant Tea
300 tasting notes

Oh my… So for awhile I have been saying how shengs aren’t really for me and I haven’t really developed a palate for them. But this sheng, oh my goodness, this sheng is so delightful to drink! It is immediately sweet and sparkling and woodsy with a touch of spice and just zero astringency, zero! I did a quick rinse and two quick steeps and they are just so unbelievably good. Love the cedar, love the stone, love the fruit (no idea what kinda fruit but the sweet with the juice and all the richness reads as fruit rather than rock sugar or honey) and cinnamon and its just so pristine and complex and I uh guh! And and and! There is a buttery note in the second and third infusion, unbelievable! Best sheng I’ve tried hands down! Now to spend the day with it. Must order at least 4oz, not sure if I’m ready to properly store a cake, but this is the sheng I want to impress guests with.
Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec
2 comments
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Spoonvonstup
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I’m seeing a cake in your fuuuuuturrrrre…. ;) So glad you enjoy this one! Maybe you were just meant for each other? Hope you enjoy your date with destiny.

Autumn Hearth
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Very possibly, of course there are several shu I am in love with (and yes some of them are nuggets and tuocha) but we’ll see ;). Right now I have migraine that I am not blaming on the sheng but rather that I had two black teas before the sheng. Sigh caffeine sensitivity.

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Spoonvonstup
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I’m seeing a cake in your fuuuuuturrrrre…. ;) So glad you enjoy this one! Maybe you were just meant for each other? Hope you enjoy your date with destiny.

Autumn Hearth
Delete

Very possibly, of course there are several shu I am in love with (and yes some of them are nuggets and tuocha) but we’ll see ;). Right now I have migraine that I am not blaming on the sheng but rather that I had two black teas before the sheng. Sigh caffeine sensitivity.

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Bio

Druid, artist, poet, mum, lover of tea, ritual and myth. I grew up on Celestial Seasons herbals but fell in love with straight loose leaf tea working at my local Teavana for a year. I am grateful for the introduction and the experience, but have moved on.

I see tea as an experience for the senses, I like to imagine tasting the land and the weather as well as the effect of sun, air, fire and the human hand. I have a soft spot for shu pu’er, yabao, scented oolongs, wuyi oolongs, taiwanese tea as well as smooth naturally sweet blacks, creamy greens and surprisingly complex whites.

I began ordering lots of samples from Upton to educate myself on different varieties of tea we didn’t have at work and have fallen head over heels for the unique offerings from Verdant Tea. I am learning things I like: buttery mouthfeel, surprising sweet or spice notes, woodiness, mineral notes, depth and complexity and things I don’t: astringency, dry and sour notes.

I collect tea tins and am in danger of collecting pots, though I am trying to restrain the urge due to current lack of space. I brew mostly in a glass infuser mug or a tea maker, only using cast-iron for company now (still need to get a gaiwan) and tend not to sweeten my teas unless they are British or fruity and iced, which is not often.

As far as ratings, I lack a definite system and haven’t been assigning numbers lately, wanting to spend multiple sessions with a tea first. I usually only log a tea once, unless it is a new harvest or I have significantly different observations, but will go back and edit or comment if I find something interesting or new.

Location

Baker Street, Berea, Ohio

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