Lao Cang Tea Factory

I received this tea from my professor after we had tried a small amount in class. I did not know the exact title until researching it later, but it had such a familiar smell that I couldn’t exactly put my finger on. It turned out to be rice! This was my first time brewing with bird’s nest pressed tea, so I was quite excited!
When I brewed it at home for myself, I chose to use my big white ceramic teapot for a nice juxtaposition in color. I let it steep for about five minutes before it was dark and fragrant. I poured a cup for me, and another for my mom as we sat down in front of our dining room window. From the fermentation process, this tea is almost savory and has a full-bodied flavor. There is a strong note of rice and a more subtle plant-like flavor. Extremely enjoyable and moreish. I will definitely be enjoying this one again, especially since the leaves can be used so many times!

I think this is the rose pu’erh from what I can tell based on the wrapping – there seems to be several other flavours of mini tuocha with similar packaging that the company makes. There was also a faint hint of sweet, dusty rose clinging to the dry tuocha so we’ll go with that.

I have very little experience with pu’erhs of any kind really but I know enough to rinse it (30 seconds) before steeping. Even the first 30 second steep produced a murky dark brown brew with a reddish tinge. I’ve heard some people describe pu’erhs as smelling awful but I didn’t find this one objectionable – like a mixture of peat and hay, maybe. The flavour is mildly earthy with that sweet, cured grass undertone. Unfortunately there isn’t really much rose flavour that I can pick up.

The second steep at 40 seconds is less earthy with a sweeter, more refined slightly mineral tone creeping to the fore. I think I can faintly taste some rose flavour but it’s quite faint. I suppose that’s better than drinking rose perfume. ;)

The third steep at 1 minute was surprisingly smooth and lightly sweet. I’d go for more but it’s getting late here and I need to cut off the caffeine if I have any hope of sleeping tonight. I’m not sure where this tea would rate among all you pu’erh aficionados but I found it to be interesting and pleasant to drink. Apparently this factory makes a bunch of different flavoured pu’erhs – I’m interested enough that I might see if I can get my hands on them.

I liked this one. I can’t say I tasted the honeysuckle. I do see the petals in the leaf. It is kind of like the Rose Toucha from Teavivre, it smooths out the cup more than adding flavor. That said I did catch some floral in the second cup. The aroma early on is barnyard. Later cups were smooth and dusty horse tack in taste with a warm spice and maybe cedar? Anyway, I enjoyed it.

I gave this mini to a patient of mine and she remarked that she felt she was on a mild narcotic all day. The cha-qi of this mini is decent. I’d give it about a 7 and a scale to 10. Can’t taste one lick of chrysanthemum in the brew, but might be there to enhance some of the liver treating properties of the tea itself.

This mini is another tea where it doesn’t much matter how long you steep it. The flavors don’t change much from one cup to the next traditional style. Therefore, it makes a good gift or “gateway” introduction to pu-er just based on the mellow taste that is both up-lifting while simultaneously grounding. Great for work too.

On the liver note, also, I should mention that I’ve had more than one patient report to me that certain complaints they were experiencing seemed to resolve after taking a course of these little gems. It’s not all about the taste, but also what it does for the body that makes these things so great.

Had this once or twice and loved it. It was the first puerh I actually did like. I remember it being mellower and having little floaty things on top of the water while I was infusing it. I thought they were petals and later confirmed it was this chrysanthemum variety of tuo cha. Recommend for newbies to puerh or people who think they don’t like the earthy, fishy sawdust flavour… this didn’t have that.

tried this and even after 2 rinses well i guess it is not a premium menghai. unfortunately after trying this twice it goes to file 13. first and last taste of this one.