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Roswell Strange drank Grizzly Brown 2006 Meng Hai Tu Si Ripe Puer by Bitterleaf Teas

16396 tasting notes

Wow.

So, I think this might be the smoothest, cleanest tasting Shou that I’ve not only only had in recent memory but perhaps just in general? I’ve been sitting on a sample of it for a little white now and I honestly didn’t have any intention to brew it up any time soon but some people were talking about it a while back on the Slack chat & I got curious. I have to wholeheartedly agree that it almost doesn’t even taste like Shou…

I did not take individual steep notes, nor did I weigh out the amount of tea leaf I use/time my infusions. Basically I just found a chunk of my sample that looked satisfying/about right and then went with gut feeling. Sometimes I like to be really precise, but other times I feel like just rolling with what my gut tells me to do produces some of the most relaxing, peaceful sessions that experience wise are the most satisfying to be doing.

By my best estimate I’d wager I had around twenty infusions all in all give or take a couple. For me, this was an all day sort of tea that I broke up over several hours. Have like five or six infusions, go do something else for a few hours, come back and repeat. I listened to a few different things throughout but the best was popping on a Bears in Hazenmore EP and enjoying listening to that. I mean, fitting band name aside it was just nice music to listen to.

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87NPs59pOxMUXH047aX7G0nq_ILagF6F

Video Pairing: https://www.instagram.com/p/BetVxpjFQhJ/?taken-by=ros_strange

Taste wise I feel like the best way I could sum up the entire session would just be by saying that on the whole the profile was very, very clean and smooth with the most consistent flavour notes being things like sweet dates/figs, wood, and petrichor. Obviously over roughly twenty infusions you’re going to experience some variation and a lot more flavours kind of weaving in and out of the steeps, but those were the main ones and ultimately the most enjoyable as well.

Highly, highly recommend trying this tea if you get the chance to.

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/BetbBsllmuJ/?taken-by=ros_strange

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Hello! My name is Kelly, though many people in the tea community call me Ros or Roswell.

I am a mid-twenties tea addict, blogger, and all around nerd. I grew up in the Prairies, but a few years ago I relocated to Quebec to pursue a career with DAVIDsTEA in the tea industry! I’m still working on getting my French language skills down…

My first introduction to tea, in any form outside of instant and bottled iced tea, was about seven years ago when I happened to stumble upon DAVIDsTEA while looking for a birthday present for a friend! I tried their Birthday Cake rooibos blend, and I’ve been hooked on tea ever since! In those seven years; I was introduced to the online tea community, expanded my interest in flavoured teas to include a deep love and appreciation for straight teas and traditional brewing methods, got a tea themed tattoo, started reviewing teas, amassed a sizable tea and teaware collection, became a TAC certified Tea Sommelier, & even came full circle by beginning a career in the tea industry with DAVIDsTEA!

I consider myself a Jack of all Teas, and strive to have a knowledge and appreciation of all tea types, formats, and styles of drinking. I don’t like to feel boxed in to just being a “flavoured tea” or “straight tea” drinker – my expectations may vary depending on the type of tea or how it’s been processed/prepared but if it’s good tea, it’s good tea no matter how it’s been made!

You name it, I probably drink it- and I’ll absolutely try anything at least once.

My default method of preparation is hot, Western style, and straight – but I’m not opposed to additions if I’m in the right mood. If I ever add something to a tea or use a different method of preparation I will ALWAYS call it out in the tasting note though.

I like to listen to music when drinking tea, especially when I’m brewing a large pot at a time or steeping Gongfu. Often I curate very intentional tea and music pairings, and sometimes I share them here in my tasting reviews. Music is something that I find can deeply affect the experience of having tea.

I’m also one half of the “tea and fandom” podcast GeekSteep where, weekly, we discuss newly explored fandoms over tea as well as try to figure out the perfect tea to pair with each fandom. You can find us on Spotify and Apple & Google podcasts.

Favourite flavour notes/ingredients: Pear, lychee, cranberry, cream, melon, pineapple, malt, roasty, petrichor, sweet potato, heady florals like rose, hazelnut or walnut, sesame, honey (in moderation), and very woody shou.

Least favourite flavour notes/ingredients:
Lemongrass, ginger, strongly spiced profiles (and most Chai in general), mushrooms, seaweed, chamomile, stevia, saltiness or anything that reminds me too much of meat that isn’t supposed to taste like meat…

Currently exploring/obsessed with: Sheng from Yiwu, Yancha (Qilan in particular), anything with a strong sweet potato note. Also, I need to try ALL the root beer teas! Searching for a really good caramel flavoured blend, ideally with a black tea base.

Please contact me at the instagram account listed below if you would like me to review your teas.

Currently I’m employed in the tea department of the DAVIDsTEA head office. While I’m still sharing my own personal thoughts on new & existing DAVIDsTEA blends, I am no longer numerically rating them due to the obvious conflict of interest. Any comments expressed are a reflection of my own thoughts and opinions, and do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the company. Any DAVIDsTEA blends you currently see with a numeric score were reviewed prior to my being hired there and have not been adjusted since becoming a DAVIDsTEA employee.

Location

Montreal, QC, CA

Website

https://www.instagram.com/ros...

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