Charles Thomas Draper Send Message

This is what I turned to after my very relaxing trip with the Mi Lan Black. This is the newer version of the Zhu Rong. The leaves are longer and much lighter in color than the earlier version. This when brewed reminds me of the Golden Fleece. There is this sudden rush of flavor with an intense mouth coating and a lingering flavor. The energy is perfect. Certain teas should be consumed at certain times for maximum pleasure. The Zhu Rongs are very high on my list of best black teas.

The dried leaf leaf is long and slender and beautiful. I brewed this in my Gaiwan for my morning brew with high expectations. The first steeping of around a minute yielded a fruity, sweet nectar that was very, very similar to the Mi Lan Dancong Oolong. This was my morning brew and it did awaken my mind but my body became incredibly relaxed. The flavor and aroma are there. I just think maybe if one wishes to consume this in the morning that a basket-style brewing with a longer steeping will bring out a stronger energy that one needs to start the day. This is a very fine tea that I believe is better suited for an evening cup…

This truly is an elegant tea. In my previous tasting I thought it was better suited as an evening tea. It does not have a robust flavor but it does have an intense energy that is capable of awakening any hardened tea drinker. I just wish it was not so expensive. See my previous notes and others who love this tea.

I was in the mood for a green tea this evening and I picked a good one. The dried leaf has a nice aroma but my spider senses tell me it’s the 2011 harvest. I have a Liu An Gua Pian that was sent from Anhui that looks much fresher. That tea is definitely this years harvest. This is still a very vibrant tea with a nice full flavor. This tea is also making me perspire on my forehead. I can feel the purifying effects of this lovely tea upon my body and mind.

I know I have been absent for quite a while. September normally is one of the best if not the best surfing month of the year. And this one was of the best ever. So everything gets postponed. Sidetracked. Except for Tea. I drink it religiously. I just did not write about it. I have to tell you all about my first experience with this Sheng. I never brought a Pu-er to work before because quite frankly they can be wild. Normally it is an Oolong or a green for my 9pm tea. My friends and I enjoyed this. It provided superior flavor and mouth texture and an incredible buzz. I went to my GFs house with this feeling of utter calm and hightened state of well being. Then she gave me the soup made with black chicken, spinach and goji berries and ginseng and some other herbs. Three spoonfuls of the soup and I was sicker than sick. Apparently this is a no-no to combine a young Pu-er with what my friends call a “hot” soup. Not temperature wise but energy wise. OMG it was awful. FF to today I brewed this in my gaiwan and I lost count of the steeps. It started out slightly bitter with a golden hue and morphed into a sweeter liquid later with a flavor that seemed to linger. I feel the same euphoria as before only now I am wiser. I can only imagine how good this will be with aging.

Yes this does have an aroma similar to a Darjeeling. When I first tried this sample I was intrigued by the aroma. I must admit I was expecting something smoky. It was fruity and light after 4 minutes. I have to admit this is a nice evening tea….

I just got this in the mail from China today. This shipping was the fastest yet that I have seen from China. The dried leaf is delicate and twisted with an inviting aroma. After several minutes of boiling water the deep red brew was honey sweet and smooth and creamy. A very nice mouth-feel and a lingering energy.

I bought this on EBay after searching China Teas and this one caught my eye. It came in a small tin with 16 5 gram bags. The shipping was free and the tea was under $10. I enjoyed the fine flavor….

I had this again today and upped the dosage and shortened the steep time and it was perfect. It was slightly numbing intially and very flavorful. I literally had this energy. This sense of purpose. A great tea buzz to say the least…. I am still buzzing hours later.

I just got this in the mail and I could not wait to brew it. The dried leaf is long, dark and wiry and has a light fruity aroma that would make me think it was flavored. It’s not. When I was brewing it the fruit aroma becomes more intense. The flavor reminds me of some of the fruitier Da Hong Paos. Honey and peaches. Delicious. Superb. This is a very fine tea.

I puchased this unopened vintage tea from a gentleman in England. I approached this one carefully. I really did not know if it was even safe to drink. The tea was either a CTC or has been reduced to almost a powder over the years. When I poured the boiling water on it became darker than coffee within seconds. I let it steep for maybe 30 seconds. I thought maybe a rinse might be in order. The aroma is ancient yet sweet with a touch of wood and cinnamon and the flavor is too. The liquor is electric. It has this energy in my mouth that is wild. The second cup, steeped for a minute is much mellower. This tea has warmed me greatly and I am feeling a slight euphoria. This was different. This was wild….

The picture I enclosed is blurry. The tin has a scenes of older year China which is quite beautiful but I find it odd that they put it on an Indian-Ceylon tea….