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derk drank 2011 Everyday Yiwu by The Essence of Tea

1610 tasting notes

Freebie from The Essence of Tea in my last order, thank you!

Characterwise, I can tell it’s an Yiwu sheng. It has that milky kind of sweetness and a pleasant huigan. The tastes are kind of in a disjointed state with the textural components, though. It’s rather heavy and very drying. And something felt off with the energy. At first it was settling but then I became very foggy and scattered, which could just be an amplification of my current mindstate. I’m tired. This tea is not for me at this moment, or possibly ever.

Of note, I only made it 3 or 4 steeps. As the liquor cooled, it became very cloudy, the murkiest I’ve ever seen in a sheng puerh. Is that an indication of highly active fermentation?

Flavors: Alkaline, Ash, Baby Powder, Caramel, Cherry, Drying, Hay, Heavy, Jasmine, Leather, Milky, Mineral, Mint, Plum, Rainforest, Rich, Savory, Smoke, Sweet, Tangerine, Tannin, Viscous, Walnut, Wet Rocks

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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