Yunnan Palace Ripe Puerh 2007

This is another of my long-ago 2017 Dazzle Deer order samplers (I only have two left now, the white teas!). Pu’erh is my least-enjoyed tea type, but a sampler is a sampler and I’m always willing to be surprised. If nothing else, I knew I’d have a tea that would have some staying power while I whittle away the hours at home today — I’m awaiting test results to find out if I’ve had relations with Miss ‘Rona and can’t return to work for the time being. My sister was not so lucky, and she stayed in my home for a work trip… exactly two weeks ago. So here we are…

But that stuff is depressing, so let’s talk about tea! Used the full 7g sample and filled my little pumpkin pot to 140ml with 205F water.

140ml (of 180ml capacity) miniature teapot | 7g | 205F | Rinse/10s/20s/30s/45s/60s/90s

So, as I mentioned, I don’t really like pu’erh, because it usually tastes like dirt or marshy swamp water to me. This one is strongly earthy, and I would place it under the “dirt” category in my (very broad) categories of pu, but that said… it tastes a lot better to me than most I’ve tried. The first steep in particular, had an aroma with a smokiness not unlike a Chinese black, making me think of BBQ, or, mixed with the strong earthiness, grilled mushrooms. The flavor was that earthy taste, but a touch of smokiness came out, and it was smoother, rather than feeling as “gritty/dirty” of a dirt flavor as I’m used to. In the mid-steeps, the smokiness mellowed out and more of that mineral/wet rock flavor I am used to getting from pu starting to come forward, but again, it didn’t push itself into an overbearing or unpleasant “marshiness.”

So, typical flavors for me, but a much easier ride. Not sure if that is just a quality of this particular pu’erh, the fact it is thirteen years old now, or just my mindset needing warm tea comfort at the moment, but I think I’ll keep steeping for a bit. Still not my preferred flavor profile and certainly not turning me into a pu convert yet, but I’m not whinging with every sip, which is an improvement.

Loose leaf shou: the very thought strikes fear into my tastebuds. My first puerh was a loose leaf shou and it very nearly completely turned me away from puerh and I’ve had a bias towards cakes ever since. This one proves my bias unfounded as it is very tasty and clean.

Fairly small leaf material, but not a lot of buds. Smell its typical shou. Brews a dark brown-burgundy. Tastes of clay, nuts, and earth with a molasses sweetness. Nice, velvety feeling in the mouth. Lasted plenty of infusions and even the longest ones turned out tasty. Very clean shou; absolutely no fishy flavors or funk. Nice overall, not the most unique or complex but very easy drinking.