I really wanted this because I am a sucker for this strange packaging – you get your pu’erh in a piece of bamboo, how cool is that? :)
I really wasn’t expecting much from this especially given the reasonable price. And raw pu’erhs can just be kind of sour, bitter and gnarly. I steeped some of this up earlier today in my gaiwan and totally forgot about it for 2 or 3 minutes. I was expecting a vile mess but it was nice and mellow!
So I’ve had four infusions with the tea so far, I did rely on shorter steeps for the duration of the experience. I was expecting this to be really smoky for some reason. It’s earthy and smooth with no bitter flavors but I can’t really describe the flavor profile of this tea! I think the bamboo steaming is definitely different (in a nice way). I might be getting some notes of light cedar, woodsy, here, slightly nutty and only a touch of mild astringency. I must think it’s good because I keep going back for more. :)
I steeped it six times and it shows no signs of slowing down. very good!
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Awesome!
Okay yes I DO want – for the bamboo and the tea. Yes the bamboo thing is totally cool!
Wow, I may really check this out. Really good price. What else would you reccomend ??
I don’t know… I am working my way through some stuff I recently purchased
Dig it , man. Did you purchase samplers? They have some samplers with infusers, and I was wondering if you purchased any.
I definitely want my next tea order to be from there!
I got one or two samples I have not tried yet
Amy! I’m happy you are digging this tea. I brought my stock of this back from China during my 2008 trip. It has been in our climate controlled pu’er storage room since then. I recently broke mine out as I hadn’t tried it in a while and I enjoy it so much more now than I did when I first got it. I enjoyed reading your description of it. When I go on my next buying trip (April) I am going to see about some other bamboo pu’ers. I’d like to bring back some new ones to add to the mix! Thank you!!
@Garret- that’s great! what was it like when you first got it? It seems to be aging quite nicely.
One of the things that I like about it now compared to when I first bought them has been a toning down of the bamboo flavor. Honestly, the bamboo aroma/taste was a bit much at first and I thought I’d just sit on them (not literally, you understand) and see if that mellowed. Not only has that original, slightly overbearing flavor gone away, but the tea itself has gotten deeper in flavor, less astringent and works great with slightly warmer water already. I’ve still got a bunch of these left and I think I’ll keep two or three around in the vault for a bunch of years and try it out every so often.
Tea is the one thing that makes me want to be immortal! I look at the raw pressings that I had done last year and the ones I’ve got getting pressed right now and think “I may not even get to taste these teas when they are 50 years old! Rats!” Oh well… yet another reason to take the best possible care of myself, right?
Awesome!
Okay yes I DO want – for the bamboo and the tea. Yes the bamboo thing is totally cool!
Wow, I may really check this out. Really good price. What else would you reccomend ??
I don’t know… I am working my way through some stuff I recently purchased
Dig it , man. Did you purchase samplers? They have some samplers with infusers, and I was wondering if you purchased any.
I definitely want my next tea order to be from there!
I got one or two samples I have not tried yet
Amy! I’m happy you are digging this tea. I brought my stock of this back from China during my 2008 trip. It has been in our climate controlled pu’er storage room since then. I recently broke mine out as I hadn’t tried it in a while and I enjoy it so much more now than I did when I first got it. I enjoyed reading your description of it. When I go on my next buying trip (April) I am going to see about some other bamboo pu’ers. I’d like to bring back some new ones to add to the mix! Thank you!!
@Garret- that’s great! what was it like when you first got it? It seems to be aging quite nicely.
One of the things that I like about it now compared to when I first bought them has been a toning down of the bamboo flavor. Honestly, the bamboo aroma/taste was a bit much at first and I thought I’d just sit on them (not literally, you understand) and see if that mellowed. Not only has that original, slightly overbearing flavor gone away, but the tea itself has gotten deeper in flavor, less astringent and works great with slightly warmer water already. I’ve still got a bunch of these left and I think I’ll keep two or three around in the vault for a bunch of years and try it out every so often.
Tea is the one thing that makes me want to be immortal! I look at the raw pressings that I had done last year and the ones I’ve got getting pressed right now and think “I may not even get to taste these teas when they are 50 years old! Rats!” Oh well… yet another reason to take the best possible care of myself, right?