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(Backlog from a couple of days ago)

Thanks to Sarsonator who generously sent me a huge quantity, I was able to sip on this wonderful oolong during the week end.

I’ve had this TGY from previous harvests before. Verdant does oolong very well…

It’s a beautiful tea, very flavourful and what I have come to expect from higher quality TGY.

Creamy, buttery and slightly nutty. It smells like popping kernels!

Nice floral mouthfeel going on. It has also a refreshing citrusy finish.

It lasted many steeps gongfu style.

I made my session extra special by inaugurating new teawares that I love very much. (Allan, looking at you, enabler!!!)

Here’s a pic:

http://instagram.com/p/tdU0jpwhzm/

My head hasn’t been quite where it should be at lately… So I’ve been drinking lots of shou.

For some reason, shou helps me find my balance. I’m very passionate about it, and wish to convert as many people as I can to it.

It gets a bad wrap sometimes. But once you get passed the misconceptions and open your mind to it, it’s so rewarding…

Of course there are bad ripe pu’erhs out there and you must find the right ones.

This is the right one.

So smooth and warming. Not heavy on the earthy and leathery notes, perfect shou to try if you’re a little afraid of them.

Temple Stairs is a go to tea for me, and tonight I’ve been sipping on both the tuocha and the loose version of it. (Thanks Sarsita for those cute mini tuos!)

Thank you Mandala for helping me find my centre tonight…

Sorry I’ve been absent lately my dear Steepster friends…

I really needed some hugs and comfort today.

This tea never fails me.

It is my go to tea of choice, always good no matter how I brew it. It’s like we belong together.

The taste makes me see nice soft colours…

Sweet, soothing, and so warming.

I really needed this.

Hope all of you are doing great!

I know this is a long review. Sorry but I still think you should read all of it. Just saying.

So. Shou. I kind of have a thing for it.

I drink it everyday and have lots of favourites. I have been known to have shou boxes in the house. (See what I did?) That was before I copied MzPriss and make my own “pumidrawer”. Cause you know…who doesn’t want to be like the fabulous MzPriss?

So it is established that I have a huge amount of shou in da house. But. As you probably know, I can’t resist many of the WP teas. I just go where quality is.

And I had yet to try this one. MzPriss recently reviewed it, and I was kind of envious. She got a real shou buzz out of it. I wanted that too!! But hey, you just don’t order a shoubuzz like you order a pizza.

I had already gotten a nice buzz from a sheng earlier. Pinky cheeks and all. Very nice qi. But not over the top.

There was still room for more. So…could I get lucky twice in the same evening?

Well. That is an understatement folks. This stuff should be illegal.

First I will describe the taste, then the qi. (Cause really, I could devote an entire page to it)

The dry leaves look like “chocolat au lait” shavings, so pretty.

I’m using 7g for 5oz shou yixing (shouxing?)

First steep, and wow. I mean this is as soft and smooth as angel wings. Makes me regret wasting the rinse.

No trace of earthiness or even leather in this. It’s all nuts and creamy vanilla. At first, I thought roasted pecans. When I later read the description, it said walnuts and I think it’s more accurate.

It’s sweet, in a dark brown sugar kind of way. It also provides that fresh mouthfeel of camphor that coats your entire mouth and lingers on your lips.

The third steep was probably the best. A little powdery, still very nutty and creamy.

I stopped at around steep seven, and I can tell you that by then, all I could do was lay on my back and enjoy the feeling.

The qi. It made my body twinkle all over. This tea is pure warm energy. I could feel my blood circulate. It made me tea drunk in a way I have never experienced before. Oh, I have felt this way before, but I promise you it wasn’t from tea leaves. (O.O)

And I kept thinking how nice this feeling will be on upcoming lazy rainy days. I’m gonna need
a lot more of this.

If you already like shou, this will only make you like it even more. And to all non shou lovers, please hurry and give this a try.

P.S. There should be a warning on the pouch: don’t shou and drive.

This is a sheng I bought cause i saw Scott posting pics of it on Instagram and it being a yin and yang design, well, I knew I just had to have it!

It’s like when I sometimes buy a bottle of wine just for the label, hoping To get lucky.

Well I just got lucky!

This is quite a deal. Young sheng yes, but it tastes a lot more mature than its age.

And I’m sure it will only get better with time.

I get close to zero astringency.

It’s super mellow, all sweet and honey.

I get hints of apple pie, feels like autumn tea to me.

It’s also a bit grapey. Definitely fruity.

Tonight I’m having it with the TEAplets, but I had it for the first time last night, and it gave me pinky cheeks. And a nice buzz.

Hey, I never wear much makeup, so a nice natural blush sheng glow is always welcome ;-)

The qi is kicking and I almost feel like I stole this cake, having spent a ridiculous amount of $15 on it.

People. Get this, it’s a bargain!!

I can’t really sleep tonight so might as well drink good tea, right?

I had this tea twice today. Such a lovely shou.

I like how sweet and smooth it is. I find myself craving it.

It’s not overly complicated and complex, but sometimes, that’s just what I’m seeking.

I have mentioned that this tea was like a hug on my last review and I stand by it. Definitely a hugger!

At this rate, the little cake won’t last very long.

Sorry Mandala for not being more eloquent tonight…

Pic from earlier:

http://instagram.com/p/slg21QQh7c/

Having GO at the end of the day is as satisfying as having GO in the morning.

I wasn’t planning on having it now, but a tea friend invited me to have a cup with her, so I did :-)

And let me tell you that it made a very satisfied fairy out of me.

It’s such a comfort tea, no matter what the season is. I drank it all summer long, and we’re about to spend our first autumn season together.

A pure vanilla dream it is, with plenty of chocolate gooeyness. If someone can’t get the chocolate in this well…sorry but I am totally judging you!!!

My pic:

http://instagram.com/p/slJDrDQh3p/

So I’m a little late to the party on this review.

I had this earlier today with the TEAplets. But I was unable to focus on writing my review. Now is a better time.

I was lucky enough to receive the gift of tea from Sarsonator: this beautiful Mandala cake. She made this very special for myself and MzPriss (who was also given the same cake) as it wasn’t even available yet on Mandala’s website. That’s what I call a REAL surprise!

Now how thoughtful and generous was that? Thank you so much Sarsy, I am so grateful!

Right from the get go, I had a feeling it would be a good one. The cake looks amazing, as if every single leaf was placed strategically to create a little work of art.

It broke very easily, no need to fight it, loosely compressed.

I used 8g for a 5oz yixing clay pot.

First, I love the golden liquor it produces. It’s thick and almost oily as I pour the first steep in the pitcher.

The leaves are barely awake, and already they render a taste that completely seduces me. We all agree: it’s remarkable.

Stone fruits, mostly soft and ripe apricot. Super sweet and silky, heavy mouthfeel of honey.

In later steeps, that sweetness turns into maple water. I also get juicy apple notes. It’s not smokey at all, and that astringency normally present in young sheng is nowhere to be found.

Around steep seven, I get a certain acidity, but i think I just let it steep too long. It’s very potent.

I had dinner, and went back to it. It kept giving and giving.

Thank you so much again Sarsy, and thanks to Garret who helped make this surprise happened, you are such a classy guy!

As usual, for those who love to watch:

http://instagram.com/p/sieu8HQhy4/

http://instagram.com/p/sid0Ccwhxw/

http://instagram.com/p/sjB3-oQh6e/

This was pretty tasty this morning.

Toasty chocolate cereals. Oh, yum. I mean, this is really chocolaty and nutty.

If I like, I like…A LOT.

And I kind of like this blend…a lot…so I kinda ordered…a lot.

So this morning, I told myself I’d better start drinking the life out of it…cause really, did I mention I have a lot?

Get this, it’s really worth it…

Only september 3rd and we can already tell fall is in the air here. It was a little chilly today.

So I made a GIANT mug of almond milk chai latté of El Dorado.

This is my favourite chai.

It is classic and perfectly balanced, I can taste all the spices individually without having one that stands out too much and overshadows the others.

The snaily yums base paired with the magic WP vanilla makes it so naturally sweet… But I admit that by adding just a drop of maple in it, it brings me to heaven on a wednesday!!!

I can see myself drinking loads of this in the months to come…in my super large latté mug!

Here’s a pic (Note to self: that mug is way to heavy to hold in one hand)

http://instagram.com/p/sf1k-Owh5p/