75

This came as a sample with my last TTC order. Its a Taiwanese wuyi tea pressed into a small puerh like brick. I had no idea how to brew it so I decided to steep half of the 10g brick in a 120ml gaiwan with short steeps starting at 10s.

The dry leaf had a tobacco and wet rock aroma. I caught a whiff of sandalwood and incense following a rinse. The first steep produced a clear, sorta greenish light golden liquor. Smooth, tobacco-ey, and slightly smokey. The color turned a darker amber with the next steep which was again smooth and roasty but also had hints of black currant and bamboo. Third steep was more or less the same. The fourth steep though was thick, oily, and somewhat pungent and this is where I lost interest and ended the session.

Not a bad tasting tea, but isn’t something I would pick out on my own. It might be appealing to those looking for something aged without the funk of puerh. I’ll just stick to regular yanchas when I’m in the mood for this type of tea.

Flavors: Bamboo, Smoke, Tobacco, Wet Rocks

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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My Rating Criteria:

95 to 100: Top shelf stuff. Loved this tea and highly recommend it

90 to 94: Excellent. Enjoyed this tea and would likely repurchase

80 to 89: Good but not great. I liked it though it may be lacking in some aspects. I’ll finish it but probably won’t buy again

70 to 79: Average at best. Not terrible but wouldn’t willingly drink again

60 to 69: Sub-par. Low quality tea, barely palatable

59 and below: Bleh

Fell into tea many years ago and for a long time my experience was limited to Japanese greens and flavored Teavana teas. My tea epiphany happened when I discovered jade oolongs. That was my gateway drug to the world of high quality tea and teaware.

For the most part, I drink straight tea but do appreciate a good flavored tea on occasion. I love fresh green and floral flavors and as such, green tea and Taiwanese oolongs will always have a place in my cupboard. After avoiding black tea forever, Chinese blacks have started to grow on me. I’m less enthusiastic about puerh though. I also enjoy white tea and tisanes but reach for them less frequently.

Other non-tea interests include: cooking, reading, nature, philosophy, MMA, traveling when I can, and of course putzing around on the interwebs.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/melucky

Location

around Chicago

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