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“The last of the two touchas I got a while back for myself as a sample. They were tightly compacted, so breaking them each into two pieces gave me some trouble. This final session I’m using ~4 g of...” Read full tasting note
“Thick and robust, this shu pu’er delivered full experience in each cup. I made 4 steepings out of it and each one was rich and complete. The initial smell in the bag and when brewing was...” Read full tasting note
These beautiful gold-wrapped shu pu’er tuochas are a great reflection of the skill of Xingyang’s blenders and craftspeople. Even at such a young age, this is a supremely drinkable shu pu’er with rich toasted rice flavor and cinnamon spice in the aftertaste. This blend of bud and young leaf material is slow-fermented for a clean and nuanced profile. The 8g mini-bricks are a great convenience for at home and on the go.
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The last of the two touchas I got a while back for myself as a sample. They were tightly compacted, so breaking them each into two pieces gave me some trouble. This final session I’m using ~4 g of it. The touchas are small rectangles, the leaves very dark and small. It doesn’t smell like much dry, either, though I get a faint hint of must? book-ish smell? dry wood?
Gave it a rinse of ~10 sec to open it up a bit.
First steep at ~40 sec. The brew is dark, one of the darkest I’ve ever had (which isn’t saying much) but it reminds me of a strong pot of coffee in color. The smell is comforting, a hint of vanilla to it. The leaves have broken up a bit now, thanks in part to the rinse. There’s some dust settled to the bottom of this cup as well. To me, the flavors are hard to distinguish in this first steep. It’s more about the mouthfeel, smooth and silky.
Second steep at 60 sec. The smell of the wet leaves reminds me of a forest after it’s rained. There’s something sweet and earthy about it. The taste is just the same, sweet, mossy, a surprisingly strong note of vanilla this time. I’m beginning to regret not getting more of this when I had the chance. All the teas I’ve had from Xingyang workshop have been great so far; I need to get more to try from them…
Third steep at ~90 sec. Vanilla note is now just a hint, but the flavors are still warm and comforting. Not sure if I’ll get many more steeps out of these leaves, unfortunately.
Flavors: Moss, Vanilla, Wood
Thick and robust, this shu pu’er delivered full experience in each cup. I made 4 steepings out of it and each one was rich and complete.
The initial smell in the bag and when brewing was interesting, hard to pinpoint it but reminded me of a mix of seaweed and mint.
First steep: 200’F 1 min – Deep red color, thick mouthfeel, faint hits of seaweed, strong vanilla, clove, very smooth.
Second steep: 200’F 1:30 – Deep red color, flavor and viscosity still as heavy as the first steep, vanilla, clove, seaweed, and some strange lingering mint all come through.
Third steeping: 200’F 2 mins – A little lighter color, vanilla still present and remains a thick and satisfying tea.
Forth: 212F 5 mins – A little more lighter but still dark red, smooth, and balanced.
Overall, an interesting tea that really delivered for a pu’er. I loved the mouthfeel and smoothness of this tea.
Flavors: Clove, Mint, Smooth, Thick, Tobacco, Vanilla
