2018 "TEASIDE 0302" Ripe Pu-erh Tea, loose

Gongfu Sipdown (2346)!

Thank you Togo for this sample!

When the water hit the leaves the immediate aromas were that of fresh farmyard mud and cherry juices; it was so pleasant and intriguing!! Steeped this pu’erh is THICK. The muddy, earthy farm-type notes and bright acidity of the cherry still come through, but mixed with other notes like antique books, molasses, fig jam, and roasted burdock and chicory root. All that with an almost creaminess and starchy quality to the mouthfeel and anchoring undertones of freshly made oat milk. I don’t always love that sour tip not acidity that comes from real chicory but, in this particular instance as a natural part of the tea’s flavour, it’s a welcome note alongside such heavy wet, dank earthiness. It even has a bit of a petrichor finish to go alongside the cool post-rain air that I can currently smell just outside my window.

Shou pu’erh is definitely a comfort tea for me, and I reached for this tea both because it was a cozy choice for a grey and rainy day and because I unfortunately cracked the lid of my 50ml gaiwan in half earlier today and needed something that I knew would cheer me up. I also chipped another gaiwan too, but thankfully that one was just a cosmetic chip. I tried looking for where I could buy a replacement lid, but I haven’t found anywhere selling one small enough, so please hit me up with your recommendations for somewhere I can get some kintsugi done – especially here in the Montreal area!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxBfALzRVol/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6LBId2_S3w

Here’s a tea that everyone into ripe pu’er should try imo. It is unlike any other one I’ve had. But it’s not just unique, it has a lot of qualities I look for in tea, which make it one of the best shou I’ve encountered. For starters, the complexity is almost unparalleled, even if we include other types of tea in the comparison. The full-bodied, voluminous, and coating liquor is very pleasing to drink. Also, it is a perfect tea for relaxed sessions with its strong cha qi that is mind clearing without inducing drowsiness.

And if that wasn’t enough, it has a beautiful colour too, something I don’t often pay that much attention to. The rinse has a bright orange colour that’s a bit more like an aged sheng than shou. Later on in the session, the liquor takes on an elegant crimson red, which coupled with extreme clarity, make this a visually very appealing tea.

Dry leaves smell quite unusual – main notes resemble candle wax, currants, and sawdust – indeed a weird sounding combination. The aroma gets more complex after the rinse, but it’s ever more strange. There are hints of yeast, vinyl, juniper, window cleaning liquid, nutmeg, coffee, milk. In spite of all of those associations, however, it is a kind of “sweet” scent.

There is considerable complexity in the taste from the get go as well. First infusion is nutty, sweet, mineral and mildly sour with a savoury finish as well as light woody bitterness. Flavours of walnut, gin and dry wood are among the most prominent ones here. Second steep brings new notes of fish meat, cocoa, cumin seed, brown sugar, and truffles. I lost track of all the associations, but it is quite a mineral and smooth affair throughout, with a noticeable red wine flavour in the middle of the session.

The aftertaste is a little astringent and acidic. There is a persistent woody bitterness which is very nice, as well as some floral notes. As for novel flavours, I noticed raisins, cinnamon, honeycu and blackberry leaves. Mouthfeel is among the highlights too, it is smooth, oily and quite mouth-watering.

All things considered, I greatly enjoyed every session I’ve had with this tea and will be saving it for special occasions. It’s a shame it is not pressed into cakes, because I don’t have the capacity to buy loose tea in bulk at present.

Tea-side is a new name to me. A friend brought them to my attention and I decided to request some samples for review. Google seems to only sniff out their Russian website and the English one (tea-side.com) is currently down so I can’t dig up too much info for you at the moment, but from what I understand they only sell tea from Thailand, an area I haven’t heard much from in the tea world aside from the famous and popular flavored tea know to most simply as “Thai Tea”.

This tea is made in the style of shu Puer. I’m not sure if it’s technically Puer since it’s not from Yunnan, but it’s a dark tea or post-fermented tea, nonetheless, resembling shu Puer, and the first of that type of tea I have tried from Thailand.

After leaving the dry leaves in a small preheated gongfu teapot for a minute, they smell robust and woody. I’m reminded of mesquite chips used for smoking foods. After a rinse infusion, the wet leaves still smell rather woody, and there’s a damp loamy aroma that reminds me of being near a pond in late summer time, especially one in the midst of tall cattails and grasses that are drying out, as there’s a hay aroma too.

The first infusion is garnet red. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shu quite this pretty in color and clarity before. In the aroma are notes of yeast and wet forest floor, but more than anything it smells like edamame.

The first sip is a complex one with a sweet rush coming on at the start along with wood flavors. This is quickly replaced by a nutty and date-like middle, then a long astringent finish and even some cooling sensation. It is very astringent for a very long time, much in the same way grapefruit is. I wouldn’t call it bitter or drying. It’s more acidic in its nature and taste.

The second infusion is a bit sweeter than the first, with a less complex onset. It’s mostly woody tasting. Interestingly there is a sweetness that lingers alongside the lingering astringency, which is still definitely present. The mouthfeel is wet and almost oily. The astringency reminds me of dark roast coffee.

Infusion three is more sweet and mellow. The astringency is being overtaken by a lingering sweetness this time but is still there. Maybe this is one of those shus that really benefits from two rinses because I find it becoming easier to drink after each infusion. The overall flavor is still primarily woody. Because of the astringency, I wouldn’t dare call this tea smooth, but the mouthfeel is still nice, full and soft.

By the fourth infusion I’m beginning to forget that this tea had a ton of astringency at first, or that it isn’t from Yunnan. If you gave me this tea without telling me what it is, I wouldn’t know the difference. I’d say its a tea for those who like a little bite in their Puer. Maybe a coffee-drinkers tea even. For me, the best Puers are those that are rounded and smooth. This one has some sharp edges, but is unique compared to many shus I’ve had. It demands attention, unlike most shu I’ve had. I usually find most to be subtle and relaxing, but this continues to have a complex and changing flavor through many infusions, and a lingering astringency that is hard to ignore but not necessarily unpleasant.

I did a final long infusion which was really sweet and complex with an overall wood and date taste. It still has the astringency and cooling qualities. Everything was brought to a stronger, more obvious level on this infusion and I found this one the most enjoyable.