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additional notes: Trying this one again after the six samples!  Just from the dry leaf fragrance and steeped leaf fragrance, I remember why I love this one.  Even with five grams (rather than the usual 10grams that I would use in the past), this is simply the richer, superior shou, with the flavors that I prefer over all the other Fengqing samples.  Four extremely strong steeps.  Just perfect flavor.  Ah, how I will miss it! 

So after trying all six shou samples, I think they were all great, all somehow unique, though none of them quite lived up to my very favorite:  Teavivre’s Fengqing Golden Buds 2013.  I think if I’m looking for that lovely bread quality, the best option is the Fengqing Ripened Anniversary Pu-erh Cake Tea 2014.  But that is also the most pricey.  I did love that a Menghai was in the mix of six, as it reminded me the flavor qualities that Menghai usually has, and reminded me why I like Fengqing even more.  I do wish I was able to buy a cake of my favorite back in the day, but I’m also grateful to Teavivre for having so many options.  Maybe it’s all about the “GOLDEN BUDS”, as none of the new offerings are described as “golden buds”.  Final ratings, all very close!
Fengqing Ripened Anniversary Pu-erh Cake Tea 2014 – 90
Fengqing Man Ting Fang Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2017 – 87
Fengqing Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2015 – 85
Fengqing Ripened Tribute Pu-erh Cake Tea 2017- 86
Fengqing Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2018- 84
Yun He Jia Mu Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2010  – 83  (the Menghai)
Steep #1 // half sample (5grams) for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min

additional notes: Wanted to try this one with two teaspoons to see if any bacon appeared: Nope. It was a burst of blueberry though, with some sweetness, though not as much as the Maple Pancakes. Hint of smoke, no cinnamon and thankfully also no noticeable hibiscus. I don’t think I would use two teaspoons in the future… 1 or 1 1/2 is enough.

The last new sample from Teavivre!  Another pu-erh with not really any gold to the leaf, bigger leaves, easy to pull apart, though slow to unravel on that first steep!  The color of the brew is certainly much lighter than the other shou samples.  I almost thought it was sheng for a minute.  There could almost be a fragrance coming from the mug that also reminds me of sheng.  Which is odd, as this is from 2010, so quite aged.  There is also a lingering mouthfeel that is unique.   The second steep is deeper, but it is still quite the mild tasting shou!  Third steep, a bit deeper though still mild.  I would agree with Teavivre — it’s “mellow” and “mushroom”.  A mellow little mushroom.  Certainly not as deep and dark as the other samples I have had recently.  To be fair, this one isn’t Fengqing like the others.  It’s from Menghai and might be reminding me why I gravitate to Fengqing shou.  Occasionally I could be in the mood for a mellow mushroom shou.  It’s an acceptable pu-erh, but also nice to remember why others are my favorites. 
Steep #1 // half sample (5grams) for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min 

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2024 Tea #2 – Your most unusual tea

I suppose this is an unusual tea, or at least one I thought of, for its appearance, its flavors, and its ingredients.  I wish I could find some more blends with candied aloe!  But also, fennel? Sea buckthorn? turmeric SLICES? chlorella algae powder???  All very unusual.  And these are just some of the ingredients.  But together, the flavors are tasty enough — I would think they might clash.  But a really long steep melds everything together for a really unique cup of flavors.

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2024 Tea #1 – An unflavored black tea

additional notes:  Some years later, this might have the lowest rating for one of Teavivre’s teas.  I might have given it the highest rating of anyone, yet a 79 is probably the lowest I have ever rated a tea from Teavivre!  I REALLY overleafed to finish this one, an entire sample packet (7grams).   The flavor is fine.  Just fine.   But there isn’t really anything negative about it to justify such low ratings.  Maybe the leaf is SO big that the flavors are diminished because of it?  Now I’m tasting tangy lychee with a bit of malt.  It’s really not bad, but I’d choose practically every other black tea from Teavivre over this one.  Maybe the trick with this one is to use a TON of leaves, like the 7 grams I used this time around. BUT THEN I think I have discovered when this tea is at its best though:  next morning leftover cold tea.  YUM.  Cold. Cold is the way to drink this.  I think I might steep this at night to intentionally leave out to drink cold in the morning.  And I DID steep it and leave it for the next morning, and yes, it wasn’t a fluke — it was delicious and perfect the second morning.  Of course, now that it is gone from my cupboard (and from Teavivre’s site), I will miss it.   Does this happen EVERY TIME, even for teas I’m trying to finish because I don’t love them?
Steep #1 // entire sample for big mug // 21 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 //  just boiled // 3 min
2024 sipdowns: 15

Thanks so much for sharing this one, Cameron B!  I LOVE THIS. I did not expect to enjoy it at all… not really a grapefruit fan.  But the description also mentions bergamot, so I think it is this wonderful mix of flavors on a strong black tea base that really hits the spot on a cold winter day.  I’d say it’s more of a sweet grapefruit flavor, rather than an extremely bitter grapefruit flavor, which is probably why I never like grapefruit. I think I steeped it perfectly.  It just reminds me of my favorite Earl Greys of the past, that just don’t have flavoring like this anymore.  Bright, refreshing, crisp, brisk, with maybe a hint of cream flavor.    It’s just a great flavor that I also haven’t ever tasted from any other tea shop before.   Simpson & Vail does it again!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 22 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min

This is from my order…. already a couple summers ago.  sigh.  It was when I was away from my stash and thought I needed more no-caff tea options with me, but then totally blanked and bought this even though there is yerba mate in it. But Maya calls it ‘herbal’ in the name!  But it does have caffeine. I haven’t seen this blend sold anywhere else — as far as I can tell, the base is only roasted yerba mate — though I wouldn’t be surprised if they snuck some green yerba mate in.  The photo LOOKS like roasted.  It LOOKS like roasted in my teaspoon when I’m scooping it out.  There is also some cocoa nibs, lavender and rose.  I would say off the bat it tastes like mostly roasted yerba mate with hints of creamy cocoa.  Sadly not much of the floral…  I wouldn’t even guess it was in there.  I would say it was only yerba mate and cocoa nibs.  It’s good!  For two steeps! It you just want a cup of roasted yerba mate that tastes like chocolate.  But I wouldn’t say it was what I expected.  Then others might be scared away by the floral.   I mean, this blend isn’t THAT old yet, that actual floral elements shouldn’t have any flavor or scent already… 
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 25 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4-5 min

This was from TreeGal a WHILE ago. Thank you! I really don’t think my sample is accurate to the description of this tea. It just looks like green tea. But this is okay because the added flavoring is DELICIOUS. It’s very true to the name — half tasty cherry and half perfect marzipan. When I am usually picky about cherry flavoring. What a nice surprise! I would prefer this to whatever added ingredients the description is mentioning… probably an updated (or older) recipe. Good stuff.

additional notes: Note to self that I BEST not miss that third steep for ten minutes. It’s very good. Such a great balance.

Another Fengqing to try!  The dry leaf here also doesn’t have much gold — only an occasional deep red leaf among all the darker leaf.  The fragrance of the dry leaf is only a hint bready.  The flavor on the first steep is lovely — the sweetest of rye breads.  Very starchy mouthfeel to go with that bread flavor.  NO negative qualities here.  The piece has hardly unraveled on the first steep.   The second steep, I did notice while brewing that there was definitely a fishy fragrance — very rare for a Teavivre puerh!  But the fishiness was not at all in the rich, persistent flavor -only while the cup was steeping.  The second steep also lost the starchy quality but now it is almost like a drying, chalky quality, though not in a bad way - just noticeably different from the other shou samples.  The third and fourth steeps don’t lose that element of chalk, but it also doesn’t lose it’s strength! Another sample in which the first steep is the best, though I think I’m being tame on these steeps until the fourth. Four strong steeps here.  I feel I am mostly failing at describing flavors within these puerh samples, but there is usually one tiny element that separates them from the other Fengqing puerhs, while mostly just being very awesome puerh cakes that have consistently great flavor. It will be amazing to try these again with further aging, as these samples have been spectacular even now. 
Steep #1 // half sample (5grams) for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min