Tea provided by Teavivre for review
First steep tasted was fairly palatable. It was less bitter and bland than I expected. There was a bold, bitter vegetal aroma that lingered after sipping.
Second through sixth steeps brought out some enjoyable flavours- crisp vegetal&minty, pepper&spice. And some more subtle hints of plum and honeyed sweetness. By the third steep there was an intense flavour that generated a mouth-watering feeling in my mouth. Even though the bitterness was always there, I somewhat got used to it and appreciated the underlying vibrant flavours.
Seventh through eleventh steeps were milder in flavour and bitterness but not really to an extent that I couldn’t taste the same tea characteristics. My last two final steeps were much more palatable but lacked the punchy vibrant flavour I noticed in earlier steepings.
Overall It was an interesting experience to drink this sample from first steep through the eleventh. I knew the young raw puerh would be bitter, but I enjoyed the bold and vibrant flavours of the steeps one through six. I’m not an experienced raw puerh drinker, but each time I try some it helps me understand the appeal others see in it. Still, it was pleasant to drink a raw puerh that lacked some negative qualities that I have encountered before (such as being too smoky or flat).
edit: Since my tea session (~2hr) I’m quite ‘tea drunk’. Just making a note because it could be a pro or con for some. Sometimes my gongfu sessions are really intense afterwards. I always find it’s good to stay well hydrated (with water) when I’m done steeping.
