37 Tasting Notes

35

I received this as a freebie sample from Pu-erh shop. I always like getting samples especially free. I’ve been drinking pu for over year now and I can say I’ve never had a tea that makes my tongue numb… like novacaine. Truly weird. I’ve had multiple shu from menghai, and CNNP and my favorite Xiaguan and I’ve never experienced something like this. I will say that 2009 is newest shu I’ve tried so maybe that is what it is attributed to. Not a fan of this tea, and since the sample is gone thats a good thing. I did continue to infuse the tea until it was little more than colored water so I think I gave it ample chance but I’m not impressed. If this is a connoisseur tea then I’m really missing something.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec

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95

I am a big fan of Xinguan tea factory products and this tea is no different. Since this tea is only 3 years old it still has a young sheng qualities to it, astringency but less so than other younger sheng. After the initial rinse and steep I got the distinct aroma of jasmine flower in the yixing from the. the flavor of the tea for the first couple of infusions was indeed floral in nature, with a hint of asparagus. The third infusion surprised me to get a taste of banana, not a sweet ripe banana, or a starchy green plantain, but a banana that will ripen in a day or two. Truly fascinating how that essence came out of nowhere.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec

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82

Enjoying this tea for the second time. The first thing about this cake is that the brick itself and the leaves have a very Japanese tea appearance as far as size and texture but of course the color of the leaves and the compression is distinctly puerh. Being a sheng pu this tea brews up in a crystal clear orange color that reminds me of a maple tree changing colors in the fall… interestingly, the liquor matches almost exactly the shirt I have on today. Flavor wise it has a lot in common with a Royal Phoenix Stone Oolong that I am familiar with but obviously with a puerh twist. Heavy tones of fruit, specifically citrus, almost pithy in the first infusions. Also keeping with the younger sheng characteritics there is a fair amount of astringency. Deeper down upon aerating the liquor in the mouth there are definite fungal tones, mushroons. As always I am amazed at the variety of flavors that can be attained over different varieties, growing locations, processing and even different infusions of the same tea during the same session. This tea is one of the ones that calms me down, and makes me contemplative. It’s not a “wowsa” kind of cup but it is definitely something I look forward to drinking for years into the future. In fact I can see ordering more in the future.

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec

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84

Thought I would finally take some time to put down some notes regarding this tea. The dry cake is very tightly compacted but best practices seems to be breaking of fairly large pieces of the beng. After an initial flash rinse of 20 seconds to losen the leaves a bit I literally smelled this tea for about 2 minutes. The warm wet leaves have in my estimation, not an approximate scent of freshly ground wheat flour, and the exact smell of freshly baking bread. This is one one the things that I love about tea, the way the exact same leaves can, depending on processing, and other parameters deliver such incredibly diverse flavor experiences… This is truly one of those teas that offers something I didn’t expect.

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec

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79

I’m still learning what to expect from Sheng but I can say that I did enjoy this tea. it does seem to be pretty sensitive to brewing parameters with the early steeps. I’ll have to work with this to nail down the notes of flavor but I look forward to doing so. The leaves definitely had a smoky smell initially. This tea has some real viscous qualities, almost heavy in the mouth and is downright crazy as far as sheer intensity of flavor goes. I can perceive numerous flavors and notes thought the individual infusions especially after the smokiness subsides about steep number 4. I also get a real perception of fresh green hops for 2 or 3 infusions, followed by very faint aura of kumquats as the last of the tea is spent. I also notice that this (as with other younger sheng) that it is a really good bronchial dilator, it seems to improve my breathing ability, which as an asthmatic is a good thing.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec

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88

Dragonwell was my first love among loose leaf teas going on 5 years ago. I don’t get back to San Francisco nearly as often as I used to but I always make it a point to stop by and stock up.

This tea is one of the contemplative teas ones that really kind of make you work to find all the nuances, and this tea has a lot of nuance. My tea sessions are most often at work so really being able to focus on the tea is a rarity. With that said this tea has a way of taking me out of the moment, to reflect on the tender buds, only a 1/2 inch in length. What was the day like when they were plucked… who did it… what artisan did the kill green and the roasting all wonderful questions to consider while dealing with the race of rats I find myself in.

As mentioned the the tea itself it a single bud and two very small leaves, all uniform in size color… a beautiful tea. The flavor is very subtle, and can only be described as clean, and the scent and flavor of a misty early spring morning wandering through an apricot orchard.

But really this tea for me is less about what it tastes like because taste is one of those things are often but not always subjective. Instead I like to focus on how it makes me feel. Considering the craftsmanship and the labor, watching the tender hairs from the leaves float to the top of the gaiwan and the ever so faint yellow color of the tea just makes the day special no matter where.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 0 min, 45 sec

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85

I actually didn’t buy this tea from Yunnan Sourcing but from an Asian Grocery. I cannot say enough good about this tea. When I first tasted it I immediately was touched by the flavor of cherry not entirely unlike how a cherry pipe tobacco smells. I brew this tea often in an office setting and every time I do someone always comments about how it smells like cherry pipe tobacco. But the pipe tobacoo taste only lasts through the first couple of infusions. Subsequent infusions the taste changes to a roasted cashew flavor. I can get close to 20 infusions from 7 grams in a 120 ml yixing. Also this tea consistently gives m the feeling of being tea drunk… likely one of the best shus I’ve had…

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 45 sec

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I’ve been drinking tea for about 15 years now. I started out with a couple of orders from Harney and Son and some local vendors and living in Utah good local tea vendors are very hard to come by… makes me think we might need another one, maybe mine?

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