80

this is the 2019 Golden Branches Ripe (shou) Puerh. I was excited to really do a session with this since the Tea Festival tasting was so promising.

It did not disappoint. Their description calls out the sweetness of this tea due to drought. Plants under duress will often produce sweeter tasting flavor profiles.

From Denong: Tasting Notes: Smooth, Herbal, Fruit

The first 2 steeps are a mild sweetness on the tip followed by what I expect from most puerhs — earthy flavors. Then later steeps switch the profile — stronger flavors of rich damp earth & wood that are mellowed out by that sweetness. It works and balances out many of the flavors inherent in puerhs that I don’t prefer.

The earthy & wood flavors are strong but not overpowering and kinda devolve into a bittersweet cocoa flavor. And this tea has some Cha Qi like Woah! There’s a mild astringency that dries out my tongue and a tingling sensation that follows that fills my mouth and head.

However, the farther you steep it out (by 6) the sweetness starts to fade and I find it similar to what I expect from a ripe puerh. Flavors are not overwhelming but the sweetness that I enjoyed is gone.

Short steep times are the order of the day — starting at 10s, 15, 12, 15, 25, 30, 45, 60s, etc.

Still, it’s pretty darn good and I can see drinking this on occasion.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 5 OZ / 150 ML
derk

As much as I wanted, I couldn’t relax enough to enjoy my stop at Denong’s booth a few years ago. There was a lot of health benefit chatter from the (clearly exhausted) fellow doing the pours and several very pushy people wanting a sample. I’d like to give their teas a fair chance from the privacy of my home some day.

Jade

My friend dragged me over as she’s aware of my rocky relationship with puerh. I really was taken aback by how much I liked their samples from this year’s harvest. I also bought a sheng that I plan on aging a bit. And this year’s black tea was incredible.

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derk

As much as I wanted, I couldn’t relax enough to enjoy my stop at Denong’s booth a few years ago. There was a lot of health benefit chatter from the (clearly exhausted) fellow doing the pours and several very pushy people wanting a sample. I’d like to give their teas a fair chance from the privacy of my home some day.

Jade

My friend dragged me over as she’s aware of my rocky relationship with puerh. I really was taken aback by how much I liked their samples from this year’s harvest. I also bought a sheng that I plan on aging a bit. And this year’s black tea was incredible.

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Bio

General: A crafty geek girl who has a love for tea, cats, writing, books, as well as learning a multitude of post-apocalyptic skills…just in case.

Tea: I’ve been drinking tea all my life. My grandfather was half-Chinese, but I was always too lazy to brew anything other than Western style. In the past 5 years I’ve been changing that; trying to develop my tea-tasting chops and still a lot to learn! I prefer oolongs, blacks, and greens (in that order), and I’m trying to expand my knowledge of tea from all over the world (and not just China & Japan). I do tend to stay away from herbal tisanes or overly flavored teas as I find them much too sweet and overpowering.

My ratings explained.
90-100: Exceptional tea. The tea I want with me on that desert island. It is the tea I’ll take time to relish and enjoy.

80-89: Very Good Tea. It fits my flavor profile and I enjoy drinking it.

70-79: Good. I like it, but might not be one I reach for on a regular basis..

60-69: Solid. Better than average, and something I’ll grab when I need to “run-out-the-door” and can’t take time to really appreciate the tea I’m drinking.

50-59: Decent/Average. Not my preferred flavor profile or something I won’t purposefully go out to buy. It might lack that “Something” in its aroma/flavor/mouthfeel/finish.

40-49: Below average. I don’t really care for this tea and likely won’t have it again.

39 and lower: Gross. Didn’t finish it or refused to drink anymore.

Location

San Francisco Bay Area

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