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drank Xingyang Nuggets 2008 Shu by Verdant Tea
149 tasting notes

Backlog from this afternoon/evening.
I’m still not very experienced with pu’er, but I really enjoy this shu. It’s earthy and musty, but very pleasant and comforting, like the smell of the earth in the woods after the rain. There’s a bit of sweetness to it, too. And it lasts for a number of short (< 1 minute) steeps.
3 comments
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Bonnie
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Did you western brew or use a Gaiwan? (I like the 30 second steep method with poking the nuggets)

Ag
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Western brew (mug and a large filter basket, steeped for ~20 seconds. I haven’t tried poking the nuggets— I should do that. Thanks! :) ). I’ve been meaning to get a gaiwan at some point, but haven’t had much time to do any research on them, sadly. Maybe during winter break…

Bonnie
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Gaiwan doesn’t matter as long as you have a brew basket and mug and saucer to put on top or something. You need to control how much water and such. I like to poke the nuggets a little and I read that David Duckler’s Pu-er person in China does this. Try 30 second steeps.

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Bonnie
Delete

Did you western brew or use a Gaiwan? (I like the 30 second steep method with poking the nuggets)

Ag
Delete

Western brew (mug and a large filter basket, steeped for ~20 seconds. I haven’t tried poking the nuggets— I should do that. Thanks! :) ). I’ve been meaning to get a gaiwan at some point, but haven’t had much time to do any research on them, sadly. Maybe during winter break…

Bonnie
Delete

Gaiwan doesn’t matter as long as you have a brew basket and mug and saucer to put on top or something. You need to control how much water and such. I like to poke the nuggets a little and I read that David Duckler’s Pu-er person in China does this. Try 30 second steeps.

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Bio

I have far too many interests. Tea is one of them.

Background in bioethics, medical anthropology, and evolutionary biology with aspirations of eventually going into a medical field. I also have strong interests in theater, computer science, and food (which shouldn’t be particularly surprising).

Brewing
Brewing method is usually Western style for black teas (2-3 minutes at near-boiling), “grandpa style” for shu pu’ers and longjing, and gongfu (with a gaiwan) short steeps for sheng and shu pu’ers (two 5-second rinses, then 5, 10, 15-second steeps with a gradual increase in steep times to taste). The gaiwan is also used for oolongs though I sometimes use a brew basket if the gaiwan is occupied and I’m taking a break from pu’er.

Preferences
I enjoy black teas, pu’er, and oolongs (leaning towards aged, cliff/Wuyi, or roasted/dark), depending on my mood. I don’t usually drink green tea but do enjoy a cup every so often.

Ratings
My rating methods have changed over time and as a result, they’re very inconsistent. For the most part, as of 11 November 2014, unless a tea is exceptional in some way (either good or bad), I will refrain from leaving a numerical rating.

The final iteration of my rating system before I stopped (note: I never did get around to re-calibrating most of my older notes):
99 & 100: I will go to almost any lengths to keep this stocked in my cupboard.
90-98: I’m willing to or already do frequently repurchase this when my stock runs low.
80-89: I enjoy this tea, and I may be inclined to get more of it once I run out.
70-79: While this is a good tea, I don’t plan on having it in constant supply in my tea stash.
50-69: This might still be a good tea, but I wouldn’t get it myself.
40-49: Just tolerable enough for me to finish the cup, but I don’t think I’ll be trying it again any time soon.
Below 40: Noping the heck out of this cup/pot.

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