Time for the 2nd and 3rd steeping of the Nannuo Shan Shou Pu-erh 2001 harvest I bought the last time I was in the City and could drop in to the good folks at Red Blossom Tea Company in Chinatown.
I figured I should add a bit of steeping time, since yesterdays 1st run I kept it short at 1:00. So for the 2nd steeping I upped it to 1:30. Nope. Came out of bit on the bitter side. Just a tad. All the flavors were still there, the sweet, the malt, but the color and feel where much darker, much thicker, and the taste was more bitter than sweet and malty. May have ruined number 2.
So, for the 3rd steeping, I did not add more time, I kept it at 1:30. Yup, back to that great balance and taste. That being said, I don’t think these leaves will have a 4th steeping in them. I will probably still try, just to find out. But the color is much lighter today, more of a light orange/red, with none of the amber and black from the 1st and 2nd.
It’s still very good, but the aroma, taste, and mouthfeel are getting a bit mixed, it’s harder to tell the individual flavors apart. It’s still sweet, it’s still a bit malty, but the mysterious dark feel is gone, and the malt is hanging on by a thread.
Realistically, it tastes like a high quality Pu-erh from a store shelf. Like, the best you would get from a grocery store selection. Of course, this is the 3rd steeping. Just imagine how good it is on the 1st!
