“Xiao Ging Gan Shu Cha”
I cannot find “Hong Tea China’s” webpage on their IG. After checking messages, we exchanged conversation and I ‘ordered’ off the Excel file that they had sent for their teas. They are a small farmer that I met and conversed with for a few years now. 2023 was the first time I became curious about their teas (I was playing around with the idea of starting a small business to build the local tea community via Tea Bus, but this will not be a feasible venture for a few years once I’ve adjusted to my surroundings and we complete a few projects that will soon begin) and made a dash at obtaining several samples; which now find themselves on the sipdown pile.
Essentially, these were 3 grades of puerh stuffed inside a tangerine. Grades “A,” “AA”, and “AAA.” From my understanding of Yan’s notes, the grades were based on the leaf material. On the back of the packet, I made notes as I sampled the teas.
A: Orange, mild earthiness from the puerh, and a little fishy. 5/10
AA: Orange juice with a mild earthy note; not fishy; leather. 7/10
AAA (the most recent): Reminds me of the fruit leather Target sells – sweet, citrusy, tangy, and the puerh has a nice earthiness with a hint of nuttiness. 8.5/10.
