A review of Ripened Age Pu-erh Mini Tuocha (sample) by Teavivre
Date: 11/16/2012
Company: Teavivre
Tea Name: Ripened Age Pu-erh Mini Tuocha
Tea Type/Varietal: Pu-erh
Region: Yunnan China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ mini Tuocha
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: dark cranberry
Leaf Characteristics: Small coin like Tuocha
1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 2 minutes
Note: This is another sample sent to me from Teavivre and I am looking forward to trying this Tuocha. I cut open the sample pack and take out one of the individually wrapped Tuocha and remove the covering from it. It is semi-soft and rolled like a little weaved basket/ resembling a small bird’s nest, I take this and put it in my tea mug and pour the already boiled water into the mug, I place the saucer on the cup and leave to steep for two minutes.
When I remove the saucer/lid from my mug, the aroma starts to permeates the air around me; smelling of dampen earth, it is very noticeable smell (dampness in towels, basements, moisten soil) all images that I am conceiving as I breath in and out. The tea’s color is a lovely dark cranberry; more like dark cherries.
I take a sip and swallow and another sip yet again I swallow; there is that dryness effect on the palette and back of throat when I swallow. This pu-erh is somewhat like pu-erh I have had from Stash Teas, yet they were loose leaves. Anyhow, there a dryness and raw cacao nibs taste to this Tuocha and it is not bitter, in fact it is quite smooth and fuller in the body. I think I mean to say that the taste of this pu-erh is consistent throughout.
Upon first sip I am met with a dryness effect and very light on the palette, this tea is not heavy at all. It is very smooth and I definitely taste something of the cacao nibs…aspect of this tea. Or perhaps best to say that darken chocolate taste of both bitter/sweet chocolate when raw, unprocessed.
Do I like this tea? Yes. Do I like the tea’s color? Yes. And of the smell/aroma, is the teas’ bouquet to your expectation? Yes, I expected it to smell of dampened earth…a dewy, wet odor left from moisture permeating in the air. It smells as if something was not properly dried.
In all this is a good cup of tea for this inexperience palette.
2nd Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 2 minutes
Note: With this second steep and continuing to drink this tea for the remainder of the day I find the tea’s color to remain like that of cranberry or darken cherry and the tea is smoother and richer with more infusions. It is just a nice cup of tea, it has substance and one an experience palette would be able to place quite readily since nothing is hidden with this tea.
