11 Tasting Notes
This is a really nice sheng. I’m really bad with the tasting notes still, and especially with the shengs which seem very complex and different in every sip! so maybe…. Apple, sweet graham-cracker almost, grape, some autumn hay. Really good!
The Qi also triggered a very strong emotional swelling which I’ve never felt with tea before, including other strong shengs/shous (i’m assuming it’s from the tea, because i’ve eliminated most other possibilities and it seemed to rise and fall along with the energy / caffeine ride).
I will definitely be ordering a cake of this when I get some more money saved up!
Preparation
My first of the lighter Oolongs. I wasn’t so into it at first, but it quickly grew on me. What a nice creamy feeling and taste. I haven’t actual milk in years, so I can’t comment on the similarities in that regard. I have to spend some more time with it for sure!
Good one! Starts with a hint of sour, hay, something familiar can’t place it.
Nice, mellow in a good way, but strong, does that make sense?
Stays nice earthy, mellow, mild tart of citrus, eventually into something like cherry or raisin in the aftertaste.
Preparation
I liked this one:
began mild, bitter, straw tasting. Touch of sour… a bit of tomato in the sour?
Hints of sweetness came early. By 5-6, sour was gone, started to feel nice and stoned.
7-9 earthy straw honey
Preparation
Drank this tea at Dobra Teahouse. It wasn’t amazing, but not bad. I wouldn’t have it again, but wouldn’t necessarily steer people away either…some notes from the session:
1- slightly bitter in a good way, earthy
2 – darker, bitter like dark chocolate, but not sweet at all
3 – dry mouth
4 – hint of sweet, fruit?
7 – continued earthiness, fruit sweetness is still very faint, still dry in the mouth
8 – a little less dry mouth by now, a bit of a sweet aftertaste – Going to up to 45 seconds for next one to test…
9 – more sweetness with longer steep?
10 – I actually let it steep about a minute due to talking to one of the workers here and now it’s nice and sweet. Maybe I should have been increasing steep time as I went (they recommended 30 seconds, not increasing…).
12 up to a minute. it’s slowing down I think, earthy sweet still there, but fading. Gonna hit it hard next time
13 7 minutes, weak and sweet
14 15 min, done, slightly bitter
Preparation
This came in the Yunnan Sourcing Tea Club (Puer Only) for Jan 2016.
Came on very strong. I was buzzing around the room within 4 steepings. Early infusions full of bitter astringency, in a good way. A bit dry in the mouth, but thick and nice as well. Thick in the throat too. Hay, a hint of sour lemon (?) in the beginning. Was steeping at 20 seconds and brought this down to around 10. Probably should have done this sooner. Sweetness really came out somewhere after 7 or so. I thought I tasted honey dew melon! Great stuff!
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Earth, Hay, Honeydew, Lemon
Preparation
Got this with the Crimson Lotus “What is Puerh? Three Tea Educational Tasting Set”. I haven’t had a lot of ripe puerh yet, but this is by far the best. Came on very earthy and dirt like, with the 2-3 infusions almost black. It then lightened up, mellowed out, and became sweet. A little fruit in there I couldn’t recognize. It reminded me of drinking coffee with Guatemalan Mayans around Lake Atitlan. I can see why this is popular!
Flavors: Dirt, Earth, Fruity, Sweet
Preparation
Glen has a good palate when sourcing shou.
One of the things that I love about puerh is how tied to memory it is for me. When I drink this tea I think of the North Georgia mountains in the summertime. It’s a happy place for me.
It’s also my 6 year old daughter’s favorite – she’s been begging for me more! So, like a good dad, yesterday i did :)
My first Puerh!
If it’s true that you always remember your first, this was a nice way to begin. Had around a 6 hour session at Dobra Tea, sitting in the back corner, attempting to get work done.
Steep – Just off boiling, but kept in thermos at table, probably not steady @ 30 seconds
1-2: very sour in a good way, little bit sweet, nothing bitter which surprised me as I thought that was expected in young sheng.
5: smoothing out, still sour, but not overly
10: sour diminished, with much longer sweet aftertaste, kinda numb in the cheeks, head heavy, super focused, but not on my work…got up to ask them what year this was (2011) and couldn’t talk very well…
11-14: Where did the day go? This music is really, really good.
14: getting a bit weaker, but not near done yet, tiny sour (slightly bad sour, but now only in aftertaste), sweet diminished, not quite sure what is going on now.
16: steeping for 45 seconds now, brought it back!
20: by now the tastes are all kinda muted, coalescing into a tasty, but somewhat bland tea. Think I’m pushing it here!
22: forgot about it and steeped 10 minutes. sweet up front, aftertaste is the first time it’s been bitter!
23: forgot it again but only for 1 minute. bitter again
24: back to 45 seconds. sweet and weak, but more in there…i’m letting it win, gotta go home…
[Edit]: wanted to add that I went to bed with a sour taste in my mouth even though I stopped drinking the tea in the early evening. It wasn’t a bad sour, but certainly noticeable!
Flavors: Sour, Sweet
Preparation
3 years ago, this was the first Oolong I ever tried. I was told to put down my Green Tea, and brew some of this for it would warm my soul on a cold Maine afternoon. And it did. Now 3 years later, when I’ve finally returned to Tea again, I decided to pick up where I left off.
This is good stuff. I do indeed feel like I’m wearing a Big Red Robe. If steeps are layers, this robe is around 5.5 layers deep…
Wanted to add, that it does really well Grandpa style too!
Preparation
Dobra was the introducer of tea to me. Love what they do and the atmosphere they provide is second to none. Would love to go back, but I am about 5 hours from Burlington,VT. They lack in the puerh department and make up for it very nicely with other extravagant offers.
