Thank you so much to LORI for sending me a sample of this tea. I can understand why many drinkers rave about it and I can also understand the audacity of the name “ecstasy”. The flavors are very complex and in some ways contradictory:
The aroma and taste remind me of an exotic market where one is besieged by a plethora of odor. The fish stand abuts the chocolate-covered fruits and the artisanal breads are next to a display of dripping honey. The garden soil is adjacent to the herbs and spices. It’s a mélange, and a very good one at that. I would say that the “earthy” aroma and taste predominate over the others. I could close my eyes and be carried away to the exotic bazaar of world flavours and foods.
I’m looking forward to multiple steepings.
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Fish?? Oh dear…
Just a little bit in a way that I like—-a sort of salty, organic way. Perhaps I should have said the sea instead of “fish”. A lot of Japanese teas seem to be raised alongside nori or kelp. Please don’t be put off!
A quick hot first steep, disposed, will eliminate the fishy quality. I say this with authority only insofar as this particular pu-erh goes, because it was the one recommended to me as a way to acclimate to the type of tea. For me the mental hurdle was to stop thinking ‘mushrooms cooked in honey’ and start thinking ‘this is a very dark yunnan tea’.
I have no explanation for that, since I like both mushrooms and honey…but the earthiness was off-putting.
I drink this fairly often, now…and I like the market metaphor a lot.
I think, after my second steep, that this is a tea worth investing in a full canister. It passes a couple of tests for me: I don’t know of any other tea quite like it and I really like this and want to have it around. I’m quite impressed with the Samovar teas that I’ve had so far.
I have to admit Doulton – I haven’t tried this one yet but plan to do so tomorrow… I am glad that you liked it!
In regards to the steeping, the Samovar tin recommended Sophistre’s method- about discarding the first steep of water….I may/may not have scribbled that on the label…
@Shanti: For me, the description of “fish” in a tasting, usually means “brine-y” or like ocean salt water. At least to me, pu-erh is like that. :)
Fish?? Oh dear…
Just a little bit in a way that I like—-a sort of salty, organic way. Perhaps I should have said the sea instead of “fish”. A lot of Japanese teas seem to be raised alongside nori or kelp. Please don’t be put off!
A quick hot first steep, disposed, will eliminate the fishy quality. I say this with authority only insofar as this particular pu-erh goes, because it was the one recommended to me as a way to acclimate to the type of tea. For me the mental hurdle was to stop thinking ‘mushrooms cooked in honey’ and start thinking ‘this is a very dark yunnan tea’.
I have no explanation for that, since I like both mushrooms and honey…but the earthiness was off-putting.
I drink this fairly often, now…and I like the market metaphor a lot.
I think, after my second steep, that this is a tea worth investing in a full canister. It passes a couple of tests for me: I don’t know of any other tea quite like it and I really like this and want to have it around. I’m quite impressed with the Samovar teas that I’ve had so far.
I have to admit Doulton – I haven’t tried this one yet but plan to do so tomorrow… I am glad that you liked it!
In regards to the steeping, the Samovar tin recommended Sophistre’s method- about discarding the first steep of water….I may/may not have scribbled that on the label…
@Shanti: For me, the description of “fish” in a tasting, usually means “brine-y” or like ocean salt water. At least to me, pu-erh is like that. :)