2013 Ontario 1357 Shou Pu-erh

This is not as “creamy” smooth a Pu-erh as I have had in other places, but it’s nice. It does have much more smoothness than a normal black tea; Pretty nice but not exceptional.

Thought I would give this another go today.

Mostly leather and dirt. I didn’t notice the tobacco that I did previously.
I’m just not sure I’m going to be able to develop an appreciation for pu’erh teas.

Sipdown (1336)!

I’m pretty sure this sample was from TheWeekendSessions, so thank you Micah for the tea sample! I always feel bad finishing off straight tea samples Western style, but I just didn’t have the energy to make this one Gongfu – I did resteep it a few times though, because that made me feel less guilty…

It was tasty though; pretty robust and earthy with this really enjoyable thickness to the liquor. Like drinking a sweet and petrichor rich broth. I felt calm and relaxed afterwards, and though I had this “warm glow” about me, the finish itself after each sip was cooling and camphorous. Also just a really smooth and clean tasting shou overall.

A shou for coffee drinkers, I found this one to be pretty bitter a few short steeps in and pleasantly bitter. After 4-5 steepings the bitterness gives way to a very deeply creamy, almost chocolate richness that is very satisfying. This one can go the distance.

i bought two cakes of this tea just based on the hope that it was similar to the mirkwood blend.. and it is. its very smooth and easy to drink lots of i find- its my favorite shou ive tried so far. even without the mushroom morsels its very “mushroomy.” i think i could have brewed it longer than 4 min to get a richer, darker brew, that would help me pick up flavours in its true form. its almost syrupy with some coco/caramel stuff going on. im also drinking this out of my new mug i got for xmas- it looks sort of rustic with white lining the inside so i can see the teas colors better. good qi to if i m not mistaken, even though i havnt drunk much yet.
anyways thanks for reading and happy teaing and happy new year.

-nycoma

I came across a sample of this from Sil, and since I’m still working on clearing out all my samples and smaller quantities, it was a good day for this one, going with short steepings.
The early steeps were wood, with a matte finish (don’t ask me what that means)
Then wood and earth melded, and the color was a rich mahogany.
I didn’t take extensive notes, but I can say that this tea developed a satisfying depth, mildly bitter & almost coffee like in depth, though not in taste.
That’s all I got! Sipdown!

This was my first Shu Pureh and I quite enjoyed it. Of course It was unlike other teas, but I can say now I prefer ripe to raw, but I still have to experiment with other raws, and ripes for that matter. I have lots of stuff from other vendors. but this one I liked. dont remember brewing specifics but i assume everyone here knows how.

Thank you for sending a sample of this one a while back, NayLynn! I’ve had this one before but it wasn’t distinct enough for me to write a tasting note. This is the last of my sample, but I’m still not finding much to note. I think suddenly ripe pu-erh just tastes like ripe pu-erh to me. Its good, but it’s hard to distinguish from other pu-erh. That’s a shame. For a pu-erh, it is of medium depth and darkness. No offensive fragrance or flavors. But not unique enough for me to love it compared to other pu-erhs. Basically this is just a tasting note to remind myself that I tried this. I will have another pu-erh favorite soon to see if all pu-erh is so plain tasting now.
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for a full mug// 9 minutes after boiling // rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // few minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3-4 minute steep

Gongfu brewed in a shiboridashi. This is a lighter shou puerh which is smooth with forest notes. As in it is nowhere close to what most people would call earthy but has just enough to give it a subtle complexity.

Brewing this in a small gongfu teapot, the rinsed leaves have a sweet, musty smell with hints of wood and pastry dough.

The tea is a deep reddish brown, and tastes considerably less sweet than I imagined it would, but it is incredibly smooth. The taste is a little musty and earthy with hints of mineral and maybe a touch of dark chocolate. This isn’t meant to be a reference for flavor, but have you ever brewed fresh turmeric root to drink? It’s really got a smooth texture and flavor, and the quality of this shou reminds me of that smoothness (but not of the turmeric flavor).

The second infusion is the color of cola. The second infusion has more sweetness than the first, and this may sound crazy but cola comes to mind not only in the color but subtly in the flavor as well. Maybe there’s something a little dark-fruit like about it (plum, fig?) that reminds me of Dr. Pepper… Don’t hold me to this or you’ll probably be disappointed. Haha, it’s a stretch but it was an immediate impression. The flavors are a little more developed in this infusion though and raisin comes to mind, as well as a bit of chocolate. The texture is still really smooth. There’s no bitterness. There’s a nice cooling sensation in the mouth after a sip.

Third infusion I’m getting some cocoa and coffee notes. I had some fruit juice with my dinner then came back to this tea, so it may be tasting less sweet because of the juice I was just drinking. The fourth infusion tastes a bit more mellow and sweet again.

I think this is a really smooth tea. The flavor is nice. A good everyday shou!