Tealyra

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Recent Tasting Notes

99

And now for trying the older, larger tuocha again from Tealyra… for science!  Using the same parameters I have been using…  Second steep, yep, definitely confirming that I just love this rich, dark shou.  Third steep:  still dark and delicious.   The fourth steep is like the second steep in the new batch of smaller tuochas, but never do I taste that flavor that reminds me of cardboard.  Such a shame.  Rating for the new batch would probably be about a 73. I shall try the new tuochas with 1 1/2 pieces soon….
Steep #1 // 1 tuocha for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min

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99

SOOOO I busted my buy-ban already in January.  I needed something on Amazon and needed something else to tag along for free shipping purposes and noticed there was a good price for these…  I had already had the thought to buy more (many many times I had this thought..), so I just did it.  sigh.  Sadly, even though I bought my first Perfect and Glorious batch of these tuochas in 2022, it looks like they have already been changed because the new batch is considerably smaller sized. oh no!!! I thought they were perfect just the way they were, for this particular deep dark shou fan.  And steeping this one up, it does taste considerably different.  To me, there is like a stale cardboard flavor that is the most noticeable.  Yes, the leaves seem the same and the tuocha is still the faster little unraveler, but I think just because there is less leaf in the tuocha, the flavor just isn’t the same for me.  Before, there would be four very strong steeps.  Now the second steep is lighter, and the third lighter still.  The fourth steep is ridiculously weak… I wouldn’t bother going for a fourth steep in the future.  In fact, I’m regretting buying these again at all. I am still using the parameters I had been using for the Teavivre samples, so I’m sure I’m steeping it differently than I have in the past, but really the flavor shouldn’t be this noticeably different.  I was about to weigh the tuochas to see the size differences, but found out my scale has broken.   I COULD try breaking apart a tuocha and using 1 1/2 tuochas per session, but that seems inconvenient and two tuochas at once seems like way too much.  sigh.  I will probably try 1 1/2 at least once, to see how it goes…  Contacting Tealyra, they said the manufacturer must be processing the tuochas differently, since they are smaller, but told me they should be the same.   To me they are not the same.  They were perfect before.  I’m so sad about it!  I don’t know why I’m surprised.  Even with food, if I really like a certain something it will quickly be discontinued, so I should be surprised they still have these tuochas available at all.  (also, sidenote, the pouch the tuochas came in had holes in the bottom, somehow… I highly doubt it happened in transit, and trying to contact Amazon is ridiculous. But what if holes in the bottom of the pouch could have changed the quality/flavor?  Amazon might not think of this, but as a tea fan, I certainly do.  So I also informed Tealyra about the holes, as something happening at Amazon shouldn’t be representing Tealyra.  I’m hoping all of their pouches aren’t doing that over at Amazon…) 
Original price was $7.90  for 15 tuochas.
On Amazon, I paid $29.99 for 75 tuochas.
Even more hilarious…. I bought these right before I figured out that I’m a much bigger fan of Fengqing shou, more than any other type of shou.  And then I go and stock up on a ton of Menghai… so maybe I have no idea what I’m talking about and good shou is just good shou.  Just as long as it is processed to the strength I like?
Steep #1 // 1 tuocha for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min
Tldr:  the new batch is smaller than the batch from 2022, changing the flavor.  I regret buying this new batch of 75 tuochas.  

ashmanra

75! Good thing aging is desirable for pu!

tea-sipper

Well, before ordering the new batch, I thought it was a cupboard staple. :/

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99

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – April 2023 Tea #6 – A tea you serve to tea newbies

additional notes: yup, confirming this is good stuff. The ideal tuocha… for me anyway!! I have a mind to buy up a ton of this, but I will refrain. I would introduce PUERH newbies to this one…

ashmanra

I have found that coffee drinkers who think they don’t like tea often LOVE puerh right off the bat! Several of my tea newbies were like that!

tea-sipper

Makes sense. Though I’m not a fan of coffee, I consider ripe puerh a “coffee replacement” for me.

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99

additional notes: I wanted to try this again with my at-home steeping parameters and yep, it’s still a good tuocha. The leaves are tiny and the tuocha unravels the instant the water hits it. But that is what I like about this one! No negative aspects to the flavor – just very dark and rich. Four solid steeps, even in a bigger mug. The last steep went for over twenty minutes.

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99

So I really needed more (any) ripe pu-erh for my time away (I really underestimated how much ripe puerh I should have brought with me.) SO I really took a gamble on this pouch of tuochas from Tealyra. I was real worried they would be gross. BUT THEY ARE GREAT. Really, they are exactly what I look for from these tuochas. Very dark, very deep, tastes like dark chocolate, coffee and rich dark bread and NO negative flavor characteristics. Three great full mugs — I really should have tried for a fourth. Interestingly, EACH steep had this dusky silt of puerh in the bottom – not sure if that means it’s a lower quality for Puerh People, but to me it made for a richer cup and exactly what I wanted. The tuocha also immediately lost its shape on the first steep, which I also don’t know if that means it’s a high or low quality tuocha… but VERY happy with these! They are perfect for my flavor preferences! I would gladly buy more of them. I think there were 15 tuochas in the 100 gram pouch I bought for $10.50 (but there was a 25% off sale). They are a larger size tuocha compared to most.

Flavors: Bread, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Rye

tea-sipper

And possibly the 99 rating is so high due to my very low expectations??

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70
drank Jin Jun Mei by Tealyra
6444 tasting notes

Sipdown (222)

Drank this the other day when wfh. It was pretty middle of the road for me so I don’t remember much about it. It was smooth and fine but doesn’t standout. Thank you Sil for the share!

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70
drank Yunnan Golden Special by Tealyra
6444 tasting notes

Sipdown (226)

Thank you Sil for sharing but this was nothing special. Smooth. Fine. Meh. Am I not a golden Yunnan fan? I’m starting to think that’s just not my fave.

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drank Butterscotch Potion by Tealyra
2 tasting notes

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drank Butterscotch Potion by Tealyra
2 tasting notes

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100

Hands down my favourite black tea, my go to each morning.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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70
drank Piña Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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70
drank Piña Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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70
drank Piña Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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70
drank Piña Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

Not as good as the versions from tealish or my favourite – tea G. decent enough but less pina colada than they are and more generic hibisuc flavour. which is fine but not re-order invoking

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70
drank Piña Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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70
drank Piña Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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78
drank Crushed Cherry Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

Sipdown! I enjoyed this one well enough while I had it. Maybe not as much as cherry snowcone from DT that one time but it was still decent enough esp with a splash of sweetner.

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78
drank Crushed Cherry Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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78
drank Crushed Cherry Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

Jury’s still out on this one.

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78
drank Crushed Cherry Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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78
drank Crushed Cherry Colada by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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drank Chai Caramel by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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80
drank Keemun Mao Feng Premium by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

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