Charles Thomas Draper Send Message

I found this today while rearranging my teas. This was the first tea I ever reviewed on Steepster. I brewed it in the Gaiwan and the result was a splendid orange liquor with a complex flavor and aroma. My empty cup smells like an evergreen forest. The tea is nothing short of superb and sure to satisfy all of my friends here. It was infinitely better this time. Maybe my skills are improving….

This tea has incredible staying power. The same tea that I reviewed 2 days ago is still in the Yixing and still putting out. I have literally lost count how many times I steeped this. Although it is much weaker it still commands respect.

I just received the 200 gram tin in the mail and even though I reviewed this just recently I figured why not. This brews up very quickly. Just hit it with the water and it’s dark within seconds. I personally love what Xingyang has to offer. It is nice and smooth without being too earthy. I am hoping that this will age as nicely as the ‘98. I would have to say it’s a good chance that it will.

I drank this on Christmas Day and I thought at first that they mislabeled this. I could of swore it was a Shu. Today I am revisiting this beauty knowing full well that is a Sheng. The first cup has this lovely sweet mustiness. This tea is a true luxury. Dark and seductive. Truly one of those teas that every tea connoisseur must have at least once. I personally put it on my must have list after reading Amy ohs glowing review that rings true. This is the true beauty of Steepster and the internet. A lady on the other side of the USA can tell us all about this lovely Sheng that comes from a shoppe in San Francisco. I ordered almost immediately. Talk about conquering haste! My second cup was steeped for much longer than I would normally do. The result is nothing short of superb. This is without a doubt the finest Sheng I have had the pleasure to imbibe. It is making me glow. I am also relaxed beyond belief. It definitely is a tea for quiet contemplation.

This is the first Pu-erh I ever purchased. It was bought at least 1o years ago at the local Asian market. I had read about the health benefits and I was curious. I knew from my readings that it had an odor and a very strong flavor. The six ounce tin is probably 95% full. At first I thought it smelled like bad body odor. The taste was strong and very fishy. Fast forward to now, the tea has definitely improved nicely. As I am sure it was not a higher quality tea to be begin with it has improved with age considerably. The bad odor is gone and the tea is very drinkable. I will probably nurse it for another 10 years just to see what happens. I brewed this in my Yixing. The first cup was full bodied and smooth. The second cup, as always it seems, is much better. It feels more alive. There is slight numbing sensation. I have literally seen this tea improve over the years. I am getting a slight mustiness where once there was offensive odors. Pu-erhs, you have to love them. This tea is also very invigorating. There is more of this tea if anyone is interested. I visit the Asian market weekly and I am always checking the tea inventory….

I purchased this at the local Asian market. I passed by it in the huge tea aisle many times. My GF told me that it is no good. She is Chinese and does not drink tea. I figured with a price tag in the single digits I would take a chance. The tea comes in a nice package that is copper colored and the inside has this yellow silk-like fabric. The tea actually is quite good. I brewed this up basket style. The first steep for maybe a minute or so. It has a nice smooth flavor. No funkiness or off tastes. It is a very nice tea for under ten dollars. I saw it on Ebay for twenty. As I delve into cup #2 I realize I have made a very wise purchase. The tea is still smooth but now it has that carbonation in my mouth with under a minute of steepage. I will mail this tea for anyone who is interested. I have no idea how old it is. Hmm. I may have seen it in the store for maybe over 2 years or close to it. It is 357 grams and it was $8.99. There is also another one that I bought that is smaller that I will review later. As I sip further, the tea is numbing. It is very energizing without the jittery feelings. I made have to think in a few years it may be awesome. It is very good now….

Happy and Healthy New Year to my friends. This tea is nothing short of fabulous. After the weak first steep the tea soars on the second steep. A very deep and complex brew. My brow is getting moist and I am only on my second cup. It seems to open your pores and I do believe my breathing is improved. These Pu-erhs change each time you indulge. I don’t know if it’s a combination of how I am feeling when I imbibe and the overall changing of a tea that is essentially alive. Nothing makes my body and mind and soul feel more alive than when I am sipping this liquid life….

Something told me to drink this today. It is quite energizing to say the least. I brewed it basket style with a small teaspoon of leaf because the leaves are so tiny. I am getting a flavor of light fruit as in grape with a hint of smoke. As my journey continues I am getting hints of cocoa. This tea is as smooth as silk. There is a reason this is one of Chinas Top 10 Teas. Prim and proper….

I have to confess when I smelled the dry leaves I will swear I smelled chocolate. A mild chocolate. Weird? I noticed another taster got this same aroma but I think it was from the liquor. Anyway, this tea is so very nice. I just found out my GFs roommate is from Laoshan. Her sister gave me a tin of a very similar tea that to this day is one of the best teas I have ever had. This one is right there with it. The flavor and aroma are nothing short of superb. There must be something in the air or soil or the water or a combination of all three that make a tea such as this. It was just tonight that I told my GF that it’s from Laoshan. Her response was “Ali city”. I only had a sample of this unfortunately and my gift from Alis sister is long gone. If you are new to green tea this is a great place to start. If you are a connoisseur, you will appreciate this to say the least. This is a gorgeous tea….

This is real nice and smooth. I made this with plentiful leaf in the Yixing and steeped it for close to a minute. It is strong and full of flavor. I love how it is perking me up. It’s cool when you have a break between teas to better gauge them instead of constantly drinking all day. The liquor is a dark brownish-purple. Remember, I made this strong. Cup #2 is wonderful with more life. I did not rinse this. I personally love the very strong first cup. This tea has improved from my last tasting. Was it from not having tea since this morning? Or my heavy hand with the leaf or just the fact that Pu-erhs get better with age? This tea is so dark you definitely have to brush your teeth when you are done….