Old Reliable is a great tea that has many flavors that the Marlboro Man would be drinking himself! this tea reminds me of the ‘old wild west’. It’s many flavors makes it a ripe pu-erh that’s amazing for any occasion for any tea drinker. It’s exceptional, especially for the price.
Steeps 1-3:
I started this tea by breaking up a few chunks. I did 6.5g for a 3.3oz vessel. The cake was really easy to break apart with my tea pick, and almost smelled like mushrooms-fish before brewing.
On my first infusion I did a quick brew. I was hit with the taste of mushrooms and sweet aftertaste of malt. It has a sweet fragrance that reminded me of caramel. On my 2nd and 3rd infusion, the mushroom taste started to phase out and notes of tobacco started to come out.
Steeps 4-7:
The liquor of the tea started to turn from golden orange to dark brown. The taste of malt-caramel disappeared on my 4th steep but the notes of mushroom were lingering on. As I moved on to my 6th infusion, it started to taste like bark and tobacco. The smell and taste of tobacco started to take over and was very pleasant. It reminded me of when I was watching westerns with my mom growing up. Tombstone came to mind as the tea turned from a bold texture to a smooth leathery texture. All I could think about was Clint Eastwood or the Marlboro Man.
Steeps 8-12:
The tea still has tobacco notes but the after taste of caramel-malt notes are back (unfortunately they’re very weak)! On the other hand the bark and mushroom notes are nearly gone. It’s smoothing out like an aged cigar with the texture of a lazy-boy leather recliner. It’s lost it’s bite at this point but I’m still enjoying it!
Conclusion:
I would buy this tea again. I got many memories of watching westerns as a little kid growing up, and it’s nothing short of complex. They way it changes its notes through out the steeping process took me on a great tasting journey. It never got bitter or astringent, which is why I’m placing another order for this tea!
Flavors: Caramel, Malt, Mushrooms, Smoke, Tobacco, Wood
