4 Tasting Notes
I wasn’t planning on doing a review of this tea tonight, so I didn’t sit down at my session thinking about what to say, but after having it for just my second time I have to write something.
I know all about the controversy regarding a tea farmer making a ripe gushu, and I’m going to stay out of the “is it or isn’t it” debate. I’m just going to comment on how this tea tastes, and this is BY FAR the best ripe puer I’ve ever had. I have many ripes that I absolutely love, but they don’t come close to the taste of Sacred Owl. I have a hard time even classifying it as a shou. It so unlike any other shou I’ve tasted. The leaves are very large. The compression isnt tight. I’m able to jiggle an edge of the cake to get what I need so I can keep the leaves mostly intact. There is not a hint of off taste, fishiness, nothing off putting at all. I’m regretting doing a second quick rinse as I usually do with shous. I may drink the first wash next time I have it. I don’t want to waste any of this. I’m horrible at describing flavors so won’t try. I will say that it leaves a tingly numbness throughout my mouth, and a sweetness that doesn’t go away. It’s been about twenty minutes since I had my last sip, and my mouth still feels as if I just swallowed it. It really is an amazing tea. I wish I knew what I know now about puer when I bought the cake. I would have bought at least five more.I used 10 grams of leaf in a 150 ml glass pot. The water has been between 208 and boiling with each steep. I started with flash steeping, but quickly added time to them to make the steeps stronger.
Preparation
This is a great tea. I used five grams in a 100ml glass pot, and started with about a ten second steep (after a rinse) which was a tad weak. It’s only the buds so subsequent, longer steeps, 20 seconds on the second, and a bit longer each additional one, is bringing out much more of the flavor. It’s very sweet, with no bitterness, and as I’ve noticed with many white teas, the flavors that develop in my mouth after I swallow it is what I like best. After the sip, my mouth salivates and it releases a very sweet, delicious flavor throughout my mouth that lasts a long time. I don’t know exactly how long, because it’s still there when I take my next sip. I’m glad I bought a tong of this tea, I look forward to seeing how my other eight 100g cakes age over the next few years. This is an excellent tea.
Preparation
This is an aged white tea from Mei Leaf, aka china life. I’m new to white teas, but the more I try them, the more I like them. I used five grams of tea in a 100ml gaiwan, and heated the water to 205 degrees. I started with flash steepings, and increased the time after about six of them. I drank ten steepings from the tea, and could have gone further. I think it would be a good one to make iced tea with using the steeped leaves. I can’t put how the tea tasted into words, but it was very smooth. Not bitter at all, and tasted really good. This tea has increased my desire to explore white teas.
Preparation
I believe this is the first wet stored raw I’ve had, and I just discovered I’m a big fan. I’ve never tasted a tea like this. I loved it. I wasn’t taking notes since I’ve never left a tasting note before, but I just ordered 500 grams of it, and will leave my first complete tasting of a tea the next time I have it.
I thought the Sacred Owl tasted like fermentation and wasn’t ready to drink! It needs a few years of good subtropical dry storage at least, IMO. I’m not sure using fancy leaves for shu is a good idea considering it’s pile fermented. I’m beginning to think the same of fancy sheng and aging; it might be better just to drink it fresh to relish the flavors since it’s all going to taste pretty much the same once the decomposers are done breaking it down!
I guess I just like that taste. Maybe it’ll even taste better in the coming years.
I have no doubt it will be better down the line :)