80

082/365

I haven’t been drinking a lot of shou recently (or any pu’erh, come to that), but a rainy winter day like today strikes me as the ideal time to be doing so. There’s just something about walking to work across a muddy field and then drinking a tea that tastes earthy and muddy that appeals to my sense of worldly balance.

The first steep is exactly that. Earthy and muddy. It’s not too heavy on those flavours, although I kept the first steep fairly short (around 30 seconds, since I’m brewing western style.) There’s a background mineral note, but not much else just yet.

Second steep is slightly more muted; smoother and creamier. It’s still earthy, but there’s a more prominent sweetness and a light brown sugar flavour.

Third steep is very similar to the second, although with a more pronounced mineral quality in the way of wet rock. It’s marginally less sweet because of that, particularly in the aftertaste. The initial earthiness is diminishing.

Fourth steep is still primarily mineral, although that is also diminishing. The earthiness has all but vanished, along with most of the sweetness. A slight bite is emerging – not enough to call it astringent, but a little drying and catchy in the throat.

Fifth steep is lacking a lot of flavour of the earlier infusions. Up front, it’s primarily a sweet water kind of flavour, but there’s still a bit of a minerally/wet rock vibe towards the end of the sip.

It’s probably not quite over, and I could squeeze a few more resteeps out if I really wanted to, but I’m going to stop here because I’ve been drinking this one all day and I fancy a change. Sometimes I forget how much I love shou, and this has been a brilliant reminder!

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

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Norfolk, UK

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