2012 GuaFengZhai 500g Brick Ripe Puerh Tea

This is the third tea I have tried from the EBay seller tea8hk2013 out of Hong Kong. And it is the third good tea I have gotten. There was very, very little fermentation flavor. This one had nearly cleared, just a little taste of it in the first two steepings. There was little bitterness too. And despite this being wet stored from Hong Kong there was no noticeable wet storage taste. I am not sure how this seller avoids wet storage taste yet has a tea that has basically cleared and is only four years old. This was just a nice semi sweet ripe puerh. Not entirely sure how to describe the sweet note. Like I said there was very little bitterness. I may have to send the seller an email asking him how he stores his tea and avoids wet storage taste. This is the third wet stored tea of his I have tried and only the first had any wet stored flavor, a spicy note to it. I am definitely thinking of another order from this seller. I’ve been drinking so many ripe that have cleared now I think I actually miss the taste of fermentation. This was a good tea.

I steeped this tea twelve times in a 150ml gaiwan with 10.5g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, and 2 min. Could have kept going but I am at my caffeine limit for today.