278 Tasting Notes
So this was a sample from the lovely and wonderful MzPriss.
At first I didn’t smell the tobacco, but once it was pointed out, I picked it up right away. I do enjoy this one, but I didn’t fall in love. So while I’m quite happy, I went with other White2s in today’s order. :)
Preparation
Holy crap.
I just had a shou epiphany.
A rinse and rest is not enough to stop shou from tasting like I licked the pots at the plant nursery. I did a 10 second rinse, then a rest. Then I tried to brew 10 and 15. That earthy flavor is front and center and I can’t get to the flavors BEHIND it.
Dumped those. Then I brewed another 10 second. Dumped that. THEN I brewed a 10 and 15. NOW there is some actual flavor beyond just something dirty. It’s very sweet and mild. I mean, it’s still a LITTLE dirty. But now there are other flavors, like caramel and dark candies.
I have a long weekend and I’m going to spend at least some of it re-brewing shous I kind of liked, along with those that I didn’t even post b/c I just couldn’t stand them.
I may actually start to like shou. And it’s about damn time!
Preparation
For me it was the opposite. I couldn’t stand sheng for a long time but loved shou.
Yay! Come on, out the closet, shou girl!!!
Yay!
I’m like Allan. I’m learning to love sheng
I’m pretty excited! I knew you shou lovers couldn’t all be crazy! :p
I hope that longer rinses and more pre-steeps will improve some of the other shous I wast crazy about!
Some aged shou have cleaner taste. That’s what you need. I think I have something like this. Let me think, I can send you some samples.
Aged like maybe 2007
Awesome, boychik! Thank you!
Shu > sheng. For now anyway.
Although I did try a mythical sheng in the one of the Butiki traveling boxes and it was one of the greatest things evar.
Sarsonator I recommend the 2008 Song of Chi Tse, I can arrange a sample.
I originally preferred Shou over sheng, & then it was the other way around. I enjoy them both now, but tend to reach for sheng more often for its restorative quality & amazing energetics.
I am looking forward to enjoying shou as much as sheng!
Great review. I am still new to pu, and I prefer shu to sheng, but I appreciate the notes about why you may want to do multiple rinses before drinking newer shu; I read in other reviews that they did three rinses before actually drinking any subsequent steeps, but they didn’t state why. The idea that there may be better, more pleasant flavors hiding behind the initially prominent earthy flavors gives me hope as well. Thank You for including that useful information in your review!
Thanks for the kind words, SimpliciTEA! It was driving me nuts to see all my tea friends just adoring shou, but I couldn’t love it as much as they did! I’ve found some shous take 1 rinse, and some take 5, but so far, they’ve all been pleasant at some point after rinsing.
Oh my. Potting soil.
But it does have a very sweet start, and a sweet aftertaste. It’s what is in the middle that’s just not working for me.
I guess this makes me a dry storage kind of girl!
Preparation
It’s on my wish list;)
Boychik – have you tried it????
Potting soil. Ick.
Have tried it too, both at home and brewed by TwoDog at his tea tasting in June. Definitely heavy on the wet storage. I have a theory that people in really humid climates don’t taste or smell musty odors the way dry climate people do. I like some wet storage taste but I like to taste other things too.
No, that’s why I want to try. I liked JC review. I do live in a humid climate;)
That seems like a sound theory to me, cwyn :)
Boychik – I’ll send you the rest of mine, if you want it. It was a 25 g sample and I think I used 5 g
Omg. I can’t say no. Let me know what would you like fr my cupboard.
Life is teacup offers 2 samples of the same tea, except one had wet storage & the other dry, so people can try the difference. I bought the sample, but haven’t really had the time to try them…yet.
Terri: Have you ordered from them in the last month and a half or so? Gingko seems to have dropped off of the planet, she doesn’t respond to emails anymore.
Oh really? I’d say it’s been at least a couple of months since I ordered.
I’d be interested in trying something like that, to see the difference!
Had some this afternoon before work and now another session after work. Highly enjoyable. My first time trying “wetter” storage…results remind me of good shou. Got to get a cake or two :) But I can understand how this is kinda a “marmite” puerh. Would be interesting to see how/if the puerh changes in a few years in a European climate.
Yeah, that sounds like a good experiment, DarkStar. I wonder if it will “air out” in another climate.
Maaaaaan. I wish I had $150 just laying around to buy a whole cake of this tea. It’s very good!
I was hoping I wouldn’t like it b/c of the price, but that didn’t work out for me. The aromas and flavors here are very different from many pu’s I’ve tried, which is intriguing. I love the smoked apricots I get in most shengs, but this goes beyond that. And it’s SMOOOOOOOTH, like buttah!
It’s sweet, with no real bitterness, just mellow yumz and lovely soothing feelings. It’s definitely a happy tea. Of happiness.
The only sad part is that I only have enough tea for one more date!
Preparation
Oh dude! It’s awesome? I haven’t tried my sample yet. A happy tea of happiness that’s $150. sigh
I know. I’m so sad. I think I may buy 25 g on the order. At least I’ll have a little!
you don’t know the pain of buying a sample of an amazing $150 pu’erh, and it selling out. you can’t afford it and you can never buy it
:(
I think the key is to find the same cake in a 2012 vintage and age it yourself. Then you only have to wait. It is gambling but worth it.
Did it sell out? I had a good sample of this, liked it very much.
I didn’t think so cwyn, but I didn’t check
I am not known for my patience, but you may be right on that one, Allan! :)
I probably need to get a sample of this…or maybe not, as I’m not known for my restraint when it comes to things I love :)
I will say that I’m finding this goes for a way lot of steeps. After 10 or so, it’s feeling depleted to me. It’s a badass while it lasts though
I want to marry it.
This tea is a swift kick in the nuts. Woo!
The aroma is very light smoke, but very strong apricots. There are so many flavors that it’s hard to pick them all out. Let’s just say that everything blends together very nicely. It had a stronger bitter finish at first, but it’s only on certain sips and seems to be calming down. It’s not an unpleasant bitterness… it’s hard for me to explain. Some teas have a yucky bitterness that makes you go blargh. This is different. It’s quite nice.
I’m only on steep 3 and this already has my heart pumping. This tea assures me that I am ALIVE!
This was a great way to start the weekend!
Preparation
Lol, love me a good kick in nuts tea ;-) sounds great… And happy week end to you!
Don’t see a kick in the nuts to be followed by a Woo everyday!
Hahahaa!!! Well I think it gets the point across!
But if you need a different visual… did y’all ever see Super Troopers? And they are doing target practice and the one guy is wearing like a steel jock strap? That’s what I think this is like! LOL
Yep. That’s why I have one aging away. It’s a good one.
Oh. I did not know it had the Chariman seal of approval, mrmopar :)
I have yet to order from White2Tea. They are next on my list. Perhaps next month.
Yep this girl is one heavy tea. Can’t let my meower near it in case he lifts his leg.
I haven’t looked into this company yet, but now I guess I’ll have too…
I think I’ll try this one next.
White2 is so great!
I like this. It will be spectcaular in a few years
Method: 6g, 6 oz, 200 degrees, rinse-rest-10-15, yixing gaiwan and Goldie
Aroma: More pronounced smoke, but not unpleasant. Stone fruits.
Flavor: I did my usual 10 second rinse and few minutes of rest, but the first two steeps are very weak. I’m going back in…
There’s the flavor! Maybe this one was just more compact and needed a longer rest or longer steeps to start! This is quite good, especially for $10 with shipping included. It’s not the world’s best pu’erh, but it has a nice smoothness with a little bite. Definitely not TOO bitter or astringent.
The beginning of the sip is a light smoke, then there’s some fruit. Then it fades off nicely, but it does have a lingering pleasant aftertaste and a nice scratch at the back of the throat.
Like I said, perhaps not the greatest, but I sure wouldn’t kick it out of bed!
Preparation
Today I felt like I couldn’t catch a break. Things that could go wrong did go wrong. So when I finally got home, I was ready to shake the suck off this day, sit down, relax and have some delicious sheng. Unfortunately, this was not a delicious sheng.
It has a lightly smoky aroma and I do pick up a little fruit here and there. But the taste… MAN. That is BITTER! I’m scared it might put hair on my chest!
Here are some pics of our time together –
http://instagram.com/p/r8EdmivkZL/
http://instagram.com/p/r8E8gGPkZz/
I didn’t think this would be so bitter, considering that the tea leaves are from 2007. This one is going into the cabinet to age for a LONG time, and I have moved on to the lovely Sleeping Bear from WP.
Note: This was my second “mystery” tea from Slovakia. You win some, you lose some! Some you may win in a few more years, with aging! With some luck! :)
Preparation
Goldie looks so pretty on the flower saucer though :). I hope tomorrow is better!
Thanks, mj! Tomorrow will absolutely be better!!!! :)
I always find that the solution to bad tea is to steep some tea you already know is good.
I had one of those days, too. I made myself feel better by ordering tea.
That saucer rocks.
Feel better soon poor darling…
And Allan, I like that solution!
Allan – that’s just what I did! :)
Marz – thanks! It’s actually a ring dish, but it seemed to work nicely here.
Cheri – sorry yours was bad too. Today will be better!!!! What did ya order?
TTF – I woke up early, probably because I went to bed so early. Gonna try to sleep another hour. I feel better already!
I ordered a bunch of Whispering Pines tea. River Rain was my comfort tea yesterday that I finished, and Brenden added it back in stock when I said it was probably a good thing it was out because I would have ordered it. I also got Yabao and Cocoa Amore. (The CA was a second order after realizing how little I have left.)
Yum… love cocoa amore!
I don’t live a cup-half-empty life. My cup is always full (of tea!!!)
Method: I was in a rush b/c of problems with my dogs this AM, so this was something like 1/2 tbsp per 8 oz, 1 and 2.5 minute steeps. 200 degrees. French press.
And this is soothing my nerves in the most lovely way. It’s a little fruity and quite refreshing. I’m glad made a giant thermos for work! It has a nice astringency on the finish that is pleasant along with a mild sweetness. Yum!
Preparation
You’re a poo poo head! …just kidding, love you. ;)
HahHhAAaa!!!!! OMG I’m dying over here, Cambot! Too funny. :)
The cup is always full of something.
My cup is always full of tea, Cheri. And I’ve edited my post to reflect that. :)
I still say Steepster is the nicest, friendliest internet community I’ve ever seen
This is the best place for tea on the Internet!
Which means the best place on the interent, period? ;)
Oooh. I see what you did there. Touché :p
I got this cake from Nomad.sk because I was ordering a teapot, and for the shipping cost, it made sense to add some more items. I used google translate to get the site into English. Confession: I bought this one because of the pretty wrapper. I lucked out though, because it’s very good!
Method: 6g, 6 oz, 200 degrees, rinse-rest-10-15-20-etc, sheng yixing and Goldie
Aroma: VERY lightly smoked fruit
Flavor: Springy, fruity, and very lightly floral. This tea is quite smooth with only a tiny kick of astringency and bitterness at the end. But really not much. I think that my gamble paid off! I’m on the 5th steep at 30 seconds and it’s only getting better.
Pics –
http://instagram.com/p/r5PlrVPkVt/
http://instagram.com/p/r5PootPkVz/
Preparation
Gorgeous wrapper. So you chose this to be the gold cup’s maiden voyage? :D
LOL last night I christened Goldie with the Jade Dew cake that I got from Mandala. I wanted our first date to be a tea that I know I like!
This is our second date, so I decided to try something totally new. :)
:D
Nice!
Feeling a nice tea drunkeness and a little scratch at the back of my throat now.
Yay! Beautiful cake, beautiful pics :-)
I bought mine from Mandala, and it’s deeeelish!
Smells like flowers and fruits in the summertime. It’s been a long day, and I’m not feeling very poetic, but this is great. Went and bought a whole cake. Yum.
Preparation
I need one of those pneumatic tubes running from Mandala & Whispering Pines to my house. Would save so much time and provide so much instant gratification
Ha! Awesome idea!!!!
I almost have one, am one postal center away, just La Crosse and then my doorstep.
Yum yum, sarsy :-)
(I envy you Cwyn)
I think I am actually glad they are out of stock, it prevents me from buying it.
Yay Cwyn! I hope you like it!
Oh wow, Allan. I didn’t realize I got one of the last ones.
Cwyn, I’m super close too :) Although I’ve never ordered from Mandala and it’s only about an hour away from me.
mj – you NEED Mandala.
If I lived only an hour away from Mandala, poor G-Dawg would never get me out of his shop.
Right? I would be all up in there all the time
Yep, I would probably be asked to leave. But then I would say no. And then there might be harsh language and everything. It’s probably good that I live quite a distance.
But maybe we should plan a tea tour, Missy, someday. I’d love to find a way to hit all our fave places!
We can do that
It would be fun!
Traveling tea party! Woo!
We have wee tea kettles and travel and a shitload of sheng samples
Traveling sheng party! Wooo! :p
LOL you two! Well, you are welcome at my place if your traveling tea party brings you to Minneapolis! (there’s Mandala close by and Verdant about 15 min from my apartment)
Oh super. I’m so jelly… you live near two of my faves!!!!
Haven’t tried this one.
I’d send you some, but I just had enough for one session. It has a real kick at the end, but less pleasant than the New Amerykah. It has potential, though.
Yes, cause falling in love is the most important part ;-)
Well, of course!!!!
:)
Less pleasant than the amerykah? That girl kicked me in the booty, I was drinking shou for two days after that one.
Yeah, the bitterness was harsher, I thought
Can I ask what you decided to order?
We got White Whale, New Amerykah 2, and are splitting a cake of the Little Yellow Mark. :)