This tea begins with a strong aged flavor, I don’t know how else to describe it. It is strong but not bitter, a little rough around the edges. It got much smoother during the later steepings and the aged taste was somewhat mitigated. For this one I experimented with an idea borrowed from Sarsonator, maple syrup. It had never occurred to me to use this in tea before she had the idea. I found that sugar alone did not dull the strong aged taste in the early steepings. I eventually used a little sugar for raw sweetness, and a couple of drams of maple for the flavor. This did a nice job of taking the edge of a still edgy sheng. This tea has made it into my pumidor and I will age it there for a few years in the hopes it improves. I will have to try a young sheng from the Six Famous Tea Mountains for comparison but this is my first taste of this brand.
There were a variety of strong notes in this tea. The ones on the list that come closest to describing them are tobacco and decayed wood, although that is not a truly accurate description.
I steeped this six times in a 200ml glass gaiwan. I used 6g of leaf and 200 degree water. I steeped it for 15 sec, 10 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 15 sec, and 30 sec. This was not good enough in my estimate to keep the leaves for further infusions later, but anyway I know I will want a shou or perhaps an oolong.
Flavors: Decayed Wood, Tobacco
Preparation
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You know, A… I don’t usually maple my shengs. I normally use it in black teas and sometimes flavored teas, when maple would work well with the flavor. But the next time I get an unruly sheng, I think I will try some maple and see how that goes. :)
Oh, and I think the idea may have come from TerriHarpLady originally. MzPriss calls it “Terri Style”
LOL. I don’t know if I can take credit, but I do like a little maple in my smokey teas sometimes, it really enhances the burnt caramel flavors, & occasionally in some flavored blacks.
I’ve never tried it in sheng, but one of the things I love about our tea drinking is the experimental element, where we get to find out what works but for us, & enjoy it!
I enjoyed your review, Allan!
:D
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You know, A… I don’t usually maple my shengs. I normally use it in black teas and sometimes flavored teas, when maple would work well with the flavor. But the next time I get an unruly sheng, I think I will try some maple and see how that goes. :)
Oh, and I think the idea may have come from TerriHarpLady originally. MzPriss calls it “Terri Style”
LOL. I don’t know if I can take credit, but I do like a little maple in my smokey teas sometimes, it really enhances the burnt caramel flavors, & occasionally in some flavored blacks.
I’ve never tried it in sheng, but one of the things I love about our tea drinking is the experimental element, where we get to find out what works but for us, & enjoy it!
I enjoyed your review, Allan!
:D