This is a sipdown, though there’s not a number change since I drank it before it was added to my cupboard…
Anyway; my first set of tea pets arrived today! I was really, really impressed with how carefully and thoroughly they were packaged as well. Seriously; so much bubble wrap. Since Crimson Lotus was kind enough to add this free sample in with my order, I felt it was only appropriate that the first thing I fed my two lovely teapets with was this tea! So, for a few hours, I just brewed this tea – every now and then feeding an infusion to my new dragons. They’re super cute; when you pour tea over them they blow little “snot” bubbles from their snouts – and my tea tray just looks and feel much happier and complete with their addition. How anyone could not have a tea pet to keep them company during a Gong Fu session baffles me.
Of course, you have to name your pets right? So when my little sister got home from school I had her help me come up with names for the pair. We initially were trying to come up with something Chinese but in the end we settled on “Zak and Wheezie” from the children’s show “Dragon Tales” because they’re brother and sister twin dragons.
http://dragontales.wikia.com/wiki/Zak_and_Wheezie Cute, right?
As for the tea…
I got a whopping 14 infusions from this tea before I felt like the flavour was really degrading past the point of my wanting to to drink it. I’ve been getting a lot better with resteeping tea, and drinking a lot more teas Gong Fu style but even still 14 infusions may actually be the most I’ve ever done of a single tea in one sitting? My Pu’erh knowledge is still fairly limited and I’ve definitely tried the least Pu’erh of any tea type (except yellow tea; but the difference between the two types isn’t actually a lot) so I know my palate is not as refined here as it is with most types. For me to break down the subtle differences between each infusion would be impossible at this point.
What I can say was that this tea was incredibly lovely and have an overall thick, and smooth mouthfeel and rich, full bodied flavour. While the notes present in each infusion changed ever so slightly throughout the session depending on the infusion the overall taste and prominent notes were wet earth, clay, dark baker’s chocolate, leather, smoke, and wet wood. Overall, just very dark and natural – like a forest floor, almost? But with a subtle sweetness and richness to it. Yummy!
I really, really need to put as much of an effort into Pu’erh as I’ve done this year with Oolongs because when I do take the time to have a long Pu’erh session I really enjoy it. It just seems like such a broad tea type to tackle. But I’m getting there, albeit slowly.
Yay new tea pets!!! :)