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“I have to admit it was kind of a shock for my palette to go from Almond Sugar Cookie to this… lol. But see, I don’t discriminate, I drink almost anything. :) First steep – this is very nice for a...” Read full tasting note
“This is a lovely ripe pu-erh still available on Amazon.com and direct from bana teas in Feb. 2014. Tea brews a beautiful dark mahogany color with hints of orange, taste is extremely mellow/gentle...” Read full tasting note
“The aroma is sweet wood and must, but not library musty, musty like damp woods. The taste is rather dry, lingeringly dry, and sort of coffee-ish, with a pleasantly milky flavor. The sweetness is...” Read full tasting note
Weight: 200 grams
Type: Ripe Pu-erh (fermented)
Grade: 4-6
Production area: Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province
In the old days, tea held in reserve for the emperor was called “Tribute Tea.” Today, Tribute Tea is a synonym for tea derived from premium growth and production method. This clear, amber colored brew offers a clean and subtly sweet flavor, which makes it an ideal drink throughout the day. This tea is expected to become mellower and sweeter as it ages.
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I have to admit it was kind of a shock for my palette to go from Almond Sugar Cookie to this… lol. But see, I don’t discriminate, I drink almost anything. :)
First steep – this is very nice for a shu, smooth rich flavor with a bit of sweetness in the finish, but a little dark for this much time. More coffee like than anything. And I probably oversteeped this just a tad for my tastes… it was at least 2 minutes at 208 F but I also lost track of what I was doing.
Then the second steep I did for around 45 seconds and that seemed better. It definitely has a bit of a roasted quality as well as some fruitiness coming through. This one makes me feel kind of mellow and happy – I take that to be a good sign.
Third steep – about the same as the second. This definitely has the quality and richness I have come to expect from a Bana tea but I don’t think there’s anything overly exceptional about it that would make me want to buy an entire cake.
This is a lovely ripe pu-erh still available on Amazon.com and direct from bana teas in Feb. 2014. Tea brews a beautiful dark mahogany color with hints of orange, taste is extremely mellow/gentle with a touch of woodsy and earthy taste highlighted by citrus notes. I has an overall sense of balance and is what I would consider to be “lovely”. I just ordered a cake after tasting this sample.
The aroma is sweet wood and must, but not library musty, musty like damp woods. The taste is rather dry, lingeringly dry, and sort of coffee-ish, with a pleasantly milky flavor. The sweetness is subtle, with an undertone of cocoa.
For the most part, a very woodsy and somewhat earthy tea, hinting after a few steeps of some fruity taste—maybe cherry, or date? Overall, not a remarkable tea, but quite dry and woodsy and very effective; calming, relaxing, yet stimulating, with a tingling sticky mouthfeel.
Flavors: Cocoa, Dark Bittersweet, Drying, Milk, Wood
Is this normal for shou pu erhs?
Yes, Shou will have cocoa, bittersweet and creaminess sometimes. Shou rarely has the sharp bitter edge of sheng.
I’ve noticed that. There doesn’t seem to be much to the shou I’ve had, compared to the sheng I have.
It will depend on the level of fermentation of the shou. Some are light others deep and bold and dark.
I see. The loose leaf, five-year-old Tealux shou repeatedly seems to have more depth and flavor than this cake. Still nice, though. I’m wondering how it will age…
Shou will improve with age just not like sheng. Sheng will be very different in just a few years stored properly and big differences in a decade.
I’m hoping it becomes more interesting.
I read that about sheng, but my cake is in a sealed plastic bag in it’s paper wrap—should I put it in something different?
Storage can be a big issue of discussion. I would just read into storage and pumidors before I decided. They are an investment but most seem to be working so far.
:) sounds good to me
I’ll send you some if you want the rest of this sample.
Sounds interesting….. Do you perhaps know of any other teas that give the same effect as/taste similar to coffee?
Ian – pu-erh is the most like coffee that I know of but it isn’t as bitter as coffee.
Pu-erh is awesome! Amy I got my order in of the Sticky Rice green puerh if you wanted to try it i can send some your way :) also Ian some of the CTC teas that i have been drinking here lately are nice bold teas with a strong maltyness that i would consider almost coffeelike.
sounds like a plan…
Cool, Im sending some things off friday i’ll get some out to you :)
I have never had a sheng. Recommendations, anyone?
Both Bana and Verdant Tea have sheng samplers, that is what I would recommend if you’re new to shengs.
@ashmanra, the Ziyun Moacha by Harney is a sheng.
Verdant….
KS – that is true, it is a sheng. I guess what I am looking for is an aged sheng. The descriptions sound amazing. I really enjoy the shu so I think I would like it.
Amy, I can’t remember where, but at some poit we steepies got into a discussion about breaking Pu-erh cakes. Here’s a great video about it from Teavivre-for all who are interested. :))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vAq1vU4YcU