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“This tea was the sample I received from EOT with my mom’s purchase. I will be using 6 grams in 4oz of water. Dry smell: The dry smell is nice. It has a sweetness to it but also a dark, deep aspect....” Read full tasting note
“It’s been a while since I tried this cake but I always remember it being a very fresh clean young sheng. The dry leaves didn’t seem to have darkened quite as much as I was expecting but a lot of...” Read full tasting note
“Thick and smooth, pleasnt spicy woodiness with a good Qi. Images and more at https://puerh.blog/teanotes/2012-qi-sheng-gu-eot” Read full tasting note
“I’m not even going to attempt to justify or explain this. Last night, I wasn’t feeling so great, so I took some laudanum* and lay myself down. In my dream, I saw this tea review appear before me,...” Read full tasting note
2012 Essence of Tea QiShengGu Raw 400g
Located on the Lincang/Simao border, QiShengGu is a real village with a fictional name. We were asked not to reveal the real location of this village in order to prevent it becoming spoiled by too many people turning up there to buy the tea. The village is surrounded by ancient tea trees averaging around 400-500 years old. This tea is produced entirely from these trees. These leaves were picked in early Spring – the first flush of the year. Combined with the drought this year, the leaves of this tea are small, with a high concentration of buds. The tea is completely handprocessed, sun dried as maocha, stone pressed, then allowed dry naturally.
The tea is pure and fresh, with a quick sweetness and long aftertaste. The bitterness is well balanced, enough to convey the strength of the tea, but pleasant to drink now. The mouth and throat are comfortable and coated by the oily, thick tea. The tea is active in the mouth, transforming as the flavour lingers in the mouth.
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This tea was the sample I received from EOT with my mom’s purchase. I will be using 6 grams in 4oz of water.
Dry smell: The dry smell is nice. It has a sweetness to it but also a dark, deep aspect. It reminds me a lot of the dragonwell from teavivre. It smells very much like green tea.
Taste: Surprisingly, there is no bitterness from such a young sheng puerh. It doesn’t have the crispness of a young green but has a lot of the vegetal flavors. It is slightly darker than a green and has a smoky taste
Wet smell: Very vegetal, not nearly as sweet, like string beans
Qi: There is vey little qi present if any at all. So far the only tea I have tried that has a noticeable qi is the 2011 mansai so I don’t have much to compare to, but it does not have nearly the same feeling.
Mouthfeel: This tea is very smooth. It seems to glide all the way from first sip to the swallow. It leaves no dryness at all like some other teas do. It has some thickness but not nearly as much as the 2011 mansai. The aftertaste is very nice, sweet, and vegetal. It also lasts for much longer than any other tea I have tried.
It’s been a while since I tried this cake but I always remember it being a very fresh clean young sheng.
The dry leaves didn’t seem to have darkened quite as much as I was expecting but a lot of the fresh younger scent seemed to have given way to something a bit more aged. The colour of the brew was still a rather bright yellow but was definitely darker than before.
The flavour still had some floral sweet elements like when the tea was younger but has now given way to a lot more straw and wood elements. The body of the tea is still thick and there is a good energy that comes with drinking it.
Using it as a test of how things are ageing in UK climate, it seems as if it is a slower process but it seems to be producing good results, (it helps that I enjoy the younger characteristics of this cake as well)!
Flavors: Floral, Grain, Straw, Sweet, Wood
Thick and smooth, pleasnt spicy woodiness with a good Qi.
Images and more at https://puerh.blog/teanotes/2012-qi-sheng-gu-eot
Flavors: Smooth, Spicy, Thick, Wood
I’m not even going to attempt to justify or explain this.
Last night, I wasn’t feeling so great, so I took some laudanum* and lay myself down. In my dream, I saw this tea review appear before me, hundreds of lines long. When I awoke, I rushed to put it to paper, but before I could finish, a person from Porlock came to my door on business. By the time I’d ushered him out, I had lost the rest. So here is what I have of -
Qi Sheng Gu
A tea-dream. A fragment.
In Qi Sheng Gu did Nada-cha
Procure a most delicious tea
These tiny leaves, so fresh and raw
Were gathered up once Nada saw
And sailed across the sea.
This village, secret, none may know
Just where it is, or how to go
and take this treasure for themselves
Go raid the unsuspecting trees
Though through the hills the tourist delves
This land is not brought to its knees.
All right! Enough! I hear some cry
The background story’s great and all
But cease! It’s clear you know well why
We clicked this post; no more deny
You lured us with a siren’s call
Inherent promises were made
And debts incurred that must be paid
So trifle with our hearts no more
Be frank, and let us know the score
What, in the end, hath Nada wrought?
Is this a tea that must be bought?
Or sadly, market-speak, that ought
Be struck from our minds and forgot
So in his web we shan’t be caught
Tell us! is it good tea, or not?
Yet one more side note, if I may
My skills were not on par today
I measured tea with just my eyes
With no care for its dainty size
So in the end, rather a lot
Has found its way into my pot.
A sweat has broken on my brow
Describe the tea? I know not how!
What started full, yet smooth and light
Will keep me up now half the night
As all fatigue it doth erase
Across the halls I swiftly pace
But do not blame this on the tea
All fault, I fear, must lie with me
But hark! all hope is not yet gone
As steeps keep piling up
The brews just calmly soldier on
More clarity each cup
The bitterness can’t overtake
The floral, fruity notes
And sipping on my thirst I shake
More odd comparisons to make
My mouth the liquid coats
I soon grow happy, calm, serene
For in the end I’ve clearly seen
What a delight that this can be
The Qi Sheng Gu of EoT
- *No I didn’t. Do not take laudanum.
Awesome…love your reviews.
This is just fabulous.
I read way too much historical fiction trash and really enjoyed the laudanum reference. Yay!
This was a fun read. I’m also trying to figure out this tea. It’s been acclimatizing for sometime now and I need to revisit it.
Purchasing from different vendors has taught me about my storage preferences. I’ve had several sessions with EoT’s 2012 Qi Sheng Gu, 2012 Bao Tang, 2014 Long Lan Xu 2006 Wild Peacock, and their 2000 Green Peacock. They all share the similar aroma and strong initial flavor of smoky prune in their first 3 steeps. I’m not a fan. I can only assume this is a storage issue since the affects are the same across teas. This is unfortunate, as I’ve heard nothing but good things about EoT.
The tea soup starts out cloudy orange and gradually transitions to yellow, which I find interesting. The smoky prune aroma is a turn off and only begins to recede after the 5th steep when the leaves release a tingly/numbing sensation and subdued floral notes I associate with 2015 YS Bang Dong and some YS Jinggu teas. I’m a big fan of this characteristic.
I’m annoyed by the fact that the storage has dominated the flavor and overall experience of what is probably a lovely tea (and other EoT teas), so far. I hope to return to this tasting note with positive edits.
Strange… the Wild Peacock and Green Peacock come from different places and have had different storage from the other teas. Maybe there’s one with this flavour that has influenced the others while being shipped to you, or maybe the flavour is coming from elsewhere in your tea brewing. Try airing them our for a week or two and see if it helps.
I initially suspected the Wild Peacock is responsible for this effect, but since the samples are sealed I suspect there is another unknown variable at play. I find I’ve been storing them separately for a few weeks now and that initial smoky aroma/flavor is just starting to wane. I’m happy with structure of this tea after the 5-6th steep, so I hope that comes to the fore as the storage smell/flavors dissipate.
Keep us updated as I have the Wild Peacock and another on the way.
Pressed in 2012, the mix of large and small leaves is 2007 maocha from 400-500 year old trees. There are light scents of leather and smoke coming from the dry leaf. This is a soft and gentle tea, not at all aggressive. Very friendly and pleasing to the taste buds. It started sweet with a mineral (almost metallic) impression, too, but the tea’s fruity sweetness easily dominates the taste. There is also a light hint of smoke with a little something else as well – citrus I think. Pleasant mouthfeel and an equally appealing aftertaste – neither lasts very long. This is not a “powerhouse” tea but it did provide a clear and refreshing feeling as I drank the cups. At the end of the session, I was both relaxed and invigorated. Fairly priced ($72/400g cake) for this 2007 material pressed in 2012.
