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“Ahhh, I made this a different way, and it actually is the smoothest, softest tea I have ever had I think. I used an odd combo of times for prep: Two 25 second rinses with boiling water. First steep...” Read full tasting note
“I just realized that I never got around to mentioning that I drank this Shu earlier today. I have really enjoyed the Xingyang workshop teas that I got from Verdant awhile back, & this is one of...” Read full tasting note
“I noticed that I was reprimanded by Invader Zim for not reviewing this tea earlier (all in fun)! Sometimes, don’t you feel like drinking a tea more than once before writing a review though? You...” Read full tasting note
“No one, not even Bonnie, has made a note about this one yet??? Bonnie, you’re slacking! This one was odd to me because upon opening the sample pack I was greeted by what looked like loose leaf...” Read full tasting note
“A true comfort tea with notes of sea-salted caramel and raisin-spiced rum cake that make this the perfect shu pu’er to drink every day. . . .
The aroma of the wet leaf is that of fresh ground flour with lime and a touch of jasmine. With such a unique smell, it is the thick and enveloping sensation of inhaling the steam that tips it off as pu’er.
The early steepings are rich and complex- a skillful balancing act between the vaporous musty qualities of Xingyang’s older pu’er, and a sweet, savory, and distinctly warm sensation to ground the tea. We get a wonderful sea-salted caramel flavor on the sides of the palate with an earthy-sweet aftertaste of delicate mushrooms like enokis. The sweet and thick body continues to build towards a cake-like quality similar to our Yanxin’s Reserve ’04 shu…read more at http://verdanttea.com/teas/xingyang-2007-shu-puer/
This tea has notes of: caramel, raisin, citrus, cake, cinnamon
Brewing Instruction:
Gongfu Style Brewing
Use 5g of tea for a 4-5oz gaiwan or yixing clay teapot. Pour boiling water into pot and immediately pour out into pitcher. Pour this rinse over the pot and cups used. Repeat rinse a second time. Steep for 2-4 seconds each infusion, and enjoy at least 12 infusions.
Xingyang Workshop’s Recommendation
The company that produces this one recommends 5g for 4oz of water, with one rinse and a 2 minute steep time at boiling. Steep at least 8 times. This yields a very potent and intense brew, but gives you a full picture of what the tea has to offer..
Western Brewing
Use 1T of tea per 8oz or water. Rinse leaves twice with 208 degree water. Steep for 2 minutes. Enjoy at least 3 infusions.
Company description not available.
I want to like pu’erh tea. I really do. But until today I have been trying and failing miserable at making any that didn’t smell like rotting fish (I don’t even like to eat fresh fish). I even bought a flavoured pu’erh from Davidstea that I ended up pouring down the drain and returning the rest of the bag. Having read a bit more about ways to brew I decided to give it a try again.
I actually love the earth smell of the dry leaf, but I was a bit nervous about how it would turn out wet. I made sure I did a rinse, but then I couldnt remember how long the first steep should be. I went by colour and stopped after about 20 seconds when it was starting to get dark – it actually had a very beautiful rosy tint to it as well. I thought I could smell a little bit of fishyness at first, but that seems to have disappeared entirely.
This is delicious. It is so different from anything I’ve had before, and it makes me want to keep trying different pu’erhs. I am still only on my first steep, but the wonderful earthiness really reminds me of warm moss on a hotter than normal spring day. I wish I had ordered more (I got a sample size of I think every tea Verdant tea had in stock when I ordered) but that just means I’ll have to place another order soon!
An Ode to Tea, X entry!
Squeezing in another gong fu session during my weekend off. This was also a sample I grabbed from the final Here’s Hoping Traveling Teabox, so thanks to all that contributed to that box and tea-sipper for organizing it! I had 5.38g of leaf and steeped in my 100ml shiboridashi.
100ml shiboridashi | 5.38g | 205F | Rinse/10s/15s/20s/25s/30s/35s/40s/45s
The rinse smelled so strongly of dirt that I admit that after having such a pleasant pu’erh experience yesterday, it was right back to dirt, swamp water, or nasty tobacco for me. And the first steep did pretty much just smell and taste like dirt. The aroma reminded me of dirt, mushrooms, and a faint BBQ smoke quality. In taste, it had that strong earthy dirty flavor, but it was much smoother than I’m used to… a “fresh” tasting dirt. A bit of a mushroomy note as well, and a flavor I can only describe as plantain (though I’ve only tried dried plantain chips once… as someone with strong banana aversion, they aren’t high on my list of must-have foods). It was almost a banana-like flavor, but veered just enough toward a potato/yam note to not trigger my extremely strong “Danger! Danger! Banana present!” gag reflex. It was easily the worst steep, because after that, the tea mellowed and tasted much less like dirt to me, and instead a smooth and refreshing petrichor note. It was a wet earth and rocks taste but crisp and lacking the vegetal “pond scum marshiness” I’m used to accompanying such flavors in pu’erh. About mid-session, a very strong oat/grain flavor popped toward the end of the sip and lingered in the aftertaste. As I approached the end of the session, I noticed the plantain/yam note creeping back in subtly amidst the petrichor.
I enjoyed this one as well! Not as much as the sheng I drank yesterday, but this was a nice session. I think the cha qi for this one is sitting with me better than the tea yesterday, which knocked me out for several hours; I feel a mellow but alert awakeness right now.
Flavors: Dirt, Earth, Grain, Mineral, Mushrooms, Oats, Petrichor, Wet Earth, Wet Rocks, Yams
Pu’er two days in a row?! What is happening to you? I like the stuff but there’s is definitely some funk floating around out there. Glad you had a few positive experiences.
I can’t brew gong fu style during the work week (all I can do before work is western brew up a 16oz thermos which will last me all day, then after work I have to switch to herbals only) and just figure that is the best way to brew a small portion of pu leaf, so I knocked a few out over the weekend while I’m off. I’m as surprised as anyone to have two good experiences in a row after years of disappointment, heh.
Here’s Hoping Traveling Teabox – Round #5 – Tea #20
There is actually quite a pu-erh collection in the teabox. This one is a decent pu-erh but it’s tough for me to distinguish any unique characteristics to make it special. I think Verdant’s flavor description is just wacky. haha. The very small leaves are dark with touches of gold. The flavor is deep and dark, but not the deepest or darkest pu-erh I’ve tried, which is odd considering the tiny leaves. Only pleasant flavors, no pond or barn. But like I said, tough for me to pick anything out specifically. Mushrooms and coffee? Since it isn’t distinct with flavors, OR full of unpleasant flavors, I’m sad to say this pu-erh is only average.
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for a full mug// rinse // 7 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // couple minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 4 minute steep
Overall, this is a nice, albeit standard, Puerh.
At first I was slightly put off by a faint fishy odor, but upon tasting my fears were allayed. It brews up to a wonderfully dark red-caramel color. It’s got nice earthy tones and a roundness to it. But, beyond this roundness, I don’t get too much.
A good, standard Puerh.
