“First of all I would like to say I am enjoying the Shu over the Sheng. I am having a pot of this after the Yiwu 2004 and I prefer it. The aroma. The flavor. Even the color of the liquor. The...” Read full tasting note
“A very nice shu pu-erh offering from Verdant. The purists will scoff at me but I sometimes drink these with soymilk. I am trying this one without it. Very aromatic leaves after steeping. Smells...” Read full tasting note
“It’s September, and high school’s been in session for a month now… that initial excitement and drive I get at the beginning of the year is quickly waning. I’m sitting in chemistry absent-mindedly...” Read full tasting note
“3rd infusion… 10 secs Color: Dark(er) Brown…much like a hefty black tea Aroma: Bolder Musky and a little less plum scent than the 2nd infusion. Taste: Creamier than the last infusion, still very...” Read full tasting note
Year: 2006
Dry Leaf: Small black leaves and vibrant orange curled buds.
Aroma: Musty notes of a long-extinguished campfire, and the smells of hot chocolate and oatmeal with raisins.
Tea Color: The dark red-brown of rosewood, completely crystalline with tea oil swirling on the surface.
Taste through early steepings: Assertive and literally mouth watering spearmint and cedar notes which quickly evaporate off the palate leaving the sweetness of flaky pasty and dark mission figs. A few steepings in, a warmth builds up in the throat like the glow of red wine.
Taste in middle to late steepings: The dark fig sweetness develops into a deeply complex spice of ginger and ceylon cinnamon with hints of cracked peppercorn, while paradoxically becoming cooling on the tongue. The tip of the tongue is engaged by the subdued sweetness of raw sugar.
Steeped Leaf: Dark mahogany brown, with buds still tightly coiled.
Notes: This brick is an excellent investment. At a lower price point, this tea offers an incredibly intriguing and diverse set of flavors that could only grow with time.
UPDATE: This tea has sold out. Verdant Tea has just released a second generation Tea Trail shu pu’er pressed in 2004 by Willow Grove Workshop. There is a new listing on Steepster for it here:
http://steepster.com/teas/verdant-tea/27294-tea-trail-2004-willow-grove-workshop
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