The last new sample from Teavivre! Another pu-erh with not really any gold to the leaf, bigger leaves, easy to pull apart, though slow to unravel on that first steep! The color of the brew is certainly much lighter than the other shou samples. I almost thought it was sheng for a minute. There could almost be a fragrance coming from the mug that also reminds me of sheng. Which is odd, as this is from 2010, so quite aged. There is also a lingering mouthfeel that is unique. The second steep is deeper, but it is still quite the mild tasting shou! Third steep, a bit deeper though still mild. I would agree with Teavivre — it’s “mellow” and “mushroom”. A mellow little mushroom. Certainly not as deep and dark as the other samples I have had recently. To be fair, this one isn’t Fengqing like the others. It’s from Menghai and might be reminding me why I gravitate to Fengqing shou. Occasionally I could be in the mood for a mellow mushroom shou. It’s an acceptable pu-erh, but also nice to remember why others are my favorites.
Steep #1 // half sample (5grams) for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min
Flavors: Mushrooms
