493 Tasting Notes
I kept brewing puerh all day long to speed up seasoning of my new Yixing. So I had a lot of shou today maybe 7 cups. I found a bag of Rejuvenation tea in my cupboard, forgotten sadly. So I made 2 cups for me . It’s naturally sweet and mellow, and nice. It doesn’t taste like those herbal medicinal teas. It made me calm and happy.
PS I will continue with puerh, for some reason I don’t feel any caffeine in shou and can drink a ton before the bed. It makes me sleepy.
Preparation
last night i took my newly seasoned Yixing and made it. it was nice but i think my Yixing is absorbing too much flavor. it was bold smooth and flat… On one hand, it left me disappointed, on the other – if i won’t make any tea in this Yixing it will never be useful.
Preparation
When I was first using mine, I would leave teas in there overnight. I think that helped the process along…
I dont know, its too hot now. i’m afraid it will get mold. i took leaves out for the night, but now im back to brewing. i dont have to drink it, i just want to speed up the seasoning. i do leave overnight in gaiwan or glass gongfu pot because im lazy;)
I do the same as Teabrat, I seasoned one for 2 years like that, every time I had tea, I left tea overnight, never saw mold. It’s a great way to speed up the process I think. (Then I broke it a few months ago. Sad. )
Did you leave leaves or brew? i might leave brew overnight. Broke?! it is sad, how did it happen?
Both the brew and the leaves. I’d empty it first thing in the morning. I usually have pu’erh at night so it sat there a max. of 8 hours really.
Lol, my own clumsiness! I broke three within 2 months! That’s why I have three brand new Yixing pots sitting there looking pretty…unseasoned! Figured they are safer this way:-)
I left in the brew and the leaves as well. Definitely helpful if you don’t want your tea to end up tasting like clay.
Just leave the tea in there tipped up in a cup to drain and you should be fine. I brew for a couple of days like this sometimes.
Thanks will follow your advice;)
Aroma of caramel, raisin and longan fruit. This tea is rich, fruity, some malt,very smooth and delightful. there is longan fruit aftertaste lingering in my mouth. No sugar for me but some people may add to elevate it to a dessert level tea. it tastes like Taiwanese black tea. it satisfies my craving for a black tea (Assam just seem too heavy during the Summer). i have to make it side by side with Ai Lao by Yunnan Sourcing.
Preparation
I was in a mood for sheng today. If somebody told me that I would become puerh obsessed last June I would think that person is crazy. Yes, I see puerh cakes in my dreams and I also place orders in dreams and real life. A lot.
Back to the tea.
5g 150 ml gaiwan 195F
Rinse/ 5/5/7/7/10/15 sec
Nice sweet like bell peppers, juicy and some tobacco.
Later I decided to increase temp to 200F. I like it even more. No bitterness, dried persimmon, some spice and very smooth. It has some orangish tint compare to other young sheng I tried ( those are yellowish-greenish usually)
Im so happy I picked another cake to hoard before it disappears.
Preparation
This is a really excellent Sheng!!!
Best sheng I’ve had so far…except maybe Butiki’s new one!
Yay! This makes me happy! The 2014 version is a delight, too. At first, I was resistant to it, I’ll admit… thinking it could not live up to what I had expected as far as energy and zing from the spring-picked 2012 leaf from the same farm. But I was wrong. Did another session with it on Sunday and was grinning from ear to ear by the 5th infusion, ready for yoga, ready for anything.
Good stuff for sure!
Lol, is there little clouds and little sheep with your little pu’erh cakes in your dreams?
TheTeaFairy, in my dreams I’m stacking bricks and cakes. And I wake up because its not enough space. Haha ( actually its not funny , I ran out of space)
I’m scared of pu’er.
DT – what scares you about pu’er???
donkeytiara, i think you are a black tea lover, so shou maybe more palatable to you than sheng. You shouldnt be scared, just try. rinsing tea and short steeps(like seconds) are essential. you dont even need a gaiwan or Yixing. You can brew it in a steeping basket.
I’ve tried a mild pu’er (I don’t know if they get any milder than Lupicia’s Chocolate & Strawberry Pu’er) :) and it just kind of had this “barn floor” taste to it….. it seems like they are like very complex wines, but do they all have that “barn floor” taste to them?
Special Dark by Mandala has no barn or fishy taste or smell. its one of my favorite.
You tried A&D Yunnan Golden tips and you like it, so now you should find shou with golden tips. This one i liked a lot
http://www.dragonteahouse.biz/golden-buds-mengku-pu-erh-tea-cake-2009-150g-ripe.html
I also like Haiwan recipe with dried fruit notes and leather.
I feel the same, donkeytiara. I’ve only tried one pu’er which was from verdant and although it wasn’t “barnyardy” it was very earthy and seaweedy, and not something I am used to or really like. The mandala special dark always seems like a favorite – I have a mandala order planned in my head with this one on the list.
donkeytiara good puerh rarely has the off taste to it. A blended puerh like you have had will never compare to a full on one with nothing in it. A shot of Special Dark would probably change your mind. Dayi and Haiwan and BoYou brands are good shous also.
mrmopar, I agree with you!
This is generous sample from Terri HarpLady – thank you.
This tea is bold strong malty with lotsa smoke which is fine . i tamed it with Maple syrup teeny tiny amount. thats the magic (Sil and Terri introduced me to maple syrup style drinking smoky teas) it tastes very good. very pleasant afternoon tea.
Thank you Terri for the opportunity to try this tea.
Preparation
7g 180ml gaiwan 212F
rinse twice/pause/ 10/10/15/15/15/20/20/30/45/45sec
This shou is very pleasant. Sweet woody creamy with some wine notes. The brew is dark burgundy color, so pretty. Its mellow, no off putting smell or taste. very nice and relaxing. first couple steeps numbed my tongue.
Preparation
numbed your tongue because it was too hot or because of the tea? :/
I love that numb feeling you get from pu’erh sometimes…It seems I get that more often with sheng though I have noticed. Do you get it often yourself?
donkeytiara,its because of a tea. kinda like anesthesia.
TheTeaFairy, Not often, mostly with Menghai. sheng too but not often
tingly tonguely
This is a generous sample from Terri HarpLady – thank you.
Gongfu method
5g 150ml gaiwan 200F
Rinse/3/5/5/7/10 sec etc
This is a wonderful tea. Very chocolaty bready with some toasty notes. I really like that slight smoke roast, it makes it more interesting . It may be similar to Lapsang Sauchong + maple syrup – Best combination (learned it from Sil and Terry). You don’t need to add any sweetener because it is so sweet. I do see similarities with Laoshan Black. I enjoyed it a lot.
Thank you so much Terri. It’s another winner and definite purchase .
