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derk drank 2008 Gu Shu Jin Zhuan by Yunnan Craft

1607 tasting notes

This is a dry stored tea evidenced by both the taste and the leaves which peel easily in sheets from the brick sample.

Salty, peppery TCM, spicy redwood. No dank must or earthy wet soil notes. Although it’s a bit papery, that quality melds well with the light, mineral texture. Some small burps bring back the taste. A clean and easy to drink tea. This is the shou pu’er I want after a meal, rather than having a thick, creamy or oily shou as a meal in itself. It possesses a neutralizing energy and acts as a gentle digestive.

The brew can be forgotten about in the pot and still produce an easy drink with slight caramel accent.

Even without oversteeping, this is not a durable tea. But at $0.11/g, I think it’s a good deal and would recommend for the price.

Flavors: Caramel, Clean, Dry, Light, Mineral, Mulberry, Paper, Pepper, Salt, Spicy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wood, Woody, Yeast

Preparation

Boiling 1 min, 0 sec 6 g 7 OZ / 200 ML

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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