2014 Huron Te Ji Shou Pu-erh

A tea I have finally recieved from derk but actually there is White Antlers written on the pouch, so… thank you both!

I took this one, as it is only tea I have received today (more to come…) which is not single or two serves only. Decided to go western, rather than gongfu, just because I was lazy with preparation as I am truly tired from work today. Two urgent consigments aren’t fun to manage well, especially when one is hazmat and second is safe, but liquid. And you don’t have proper cardboard box for the jerrican, so you use steel drum instead.

But I have digressed greatly, so sorry if you don’t care about my work troubles. It’s my problem and not yours.

Honestly, the aroma of the dry tea was quite strongly mushroomy for me, with some decaying wood notes. Kind of medicinal too.

I took only one tea spoon, and not even heaped, because, what if, I don’t like it. I let it steep for 2 minutes approximately, and I was moving up and down the bag, mostly because I wanted to steep it properly and all the tea I had in.

The taste was indeed savoury as derk noticed not that long ago. I can notice the leather too, and it was, as the smell prepared me for, kind of mushroomy, wet wood, and sometimes a bit medicinal. Sometimes a bit stone-like — read: mineral, and some sips this quality overpowered the others. I don’t know why, as the mug should be same all the time. It was easydrinker though and it gave me so much needed comfort.

Certainly a tea to dig more into. So, that said, no rating from me yet.

Dry leaf smells like cooked walnut with lesser buffalo grass. Had grandpa in my shou stein, it was very clay-slate-mineral forward with a leather note that pushed against the minerality. Slight floral high note. There was hint of sweetness at first, but the savory, mineral character overtook my palate. I feel like there’s something missing, whether it’s a pronounced mouthful or something to connect the flavors that are complementary but also competing at the same time. This shou is actually a pretty easy drinker but not something I’d gravitate toward.

Thank you for sharing, White Antlers :)

Drinking a sample of this one in an attempt to make Mondays better…

I got this one as a sample with my order of Lord of the Lakes…it’s a very different tea, so I’m glad to have tried them both. Huron is sweet, but not chocolately like Lord of the Lakes can be. I can see where the description of mushroom notes comes from, it tastes more like things growing in the forest than the forest itself, if that makes sense (and would probably go very well with a bowl of roasted vegetables). It also has strong minerality and a dry feel to it. I like the sweet/stone contrast, but it feels like it’s lacking something for me…Overall, a fairly mellow and savory, good-tasting tea, if not likely to be a staple for me.

Really enjoyed this the other day. I got it as a free sample. :D

I had it before from their pu-erh sampler but didn’t review it. I’m glad I had a chance to try it again. The dry leaves were small (Te Ji grade) strips, dark. The wet leaves gave off an aroma of leather, earth, some hay and those aren’t my favorite aromas hehe but the dark burgundy liquor was clean, absent of any strong fermentation aromas and tastes. The taste profile was plummy, earthy, some cocoa notes, some grape notes. As I went through my several short infusions, the sweetness came out more and more, as well as some mineral goodness, leaving only a hint of the earthiness behind. The first few infusions had a distinctive dryness, like that of wine. By the 4th and 5th infusions is was more smooth, more fruity and a delicate sweetness with interesting spice notes coming forward. The aftertaste was fruity, sweet, minerally, and spicy.

Gaiwan, 7.5g, 110ml, 10s rinse, several infusions starting at 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s, 40s and more until I was no longer counting steeps or timing infusions. It gave me a nice, relaxing energy. Energetic but calming. Was perfect for what I needed on the day my laptop died lol. I’m on my new laptop today and I finished setting it up and adding all the programs I had on my other one. Worst part about getting a new computer.

Gongfu brewed in my shiboridashi. The Huron Te Ji is the strongest shou puerh that I have encountered from Whispering Pines to date in a good way but still in the light medium range of how shou goes. Huron Te Ji has a sweeter mellow taste that is more of a clean mineral taste than earthy. I am looking forward to trying this again in cake form when they get released as I think the cake versions generally taste better than the loose leaf.

Puerh Noob reporting in. I’ve been feeling guilty that I haven’t been reviewing much even though I drink pu every day. But I came to the realization that most of my puerh drinking is in conjuction with eating… and that’s just not conducive to fair reviews. So I’m forgiving myself.

I got this sample with my order and I’m glad I did. This is my second taste of a Whispering Pines ripe. This is my second session with this sample.. the first was a few nights ago with dinner. :P 4 grams/1 cup, 1 quick rinse.

1st steep – Liquor is thin but smoothish. The taste for me is very minerally almost salty but not? Hard to describe… its not in my face woody or earthy.. the descriptions mention of merlot carries thru to the feeling and the sensation is dry and forward on the tongue, with a mouth watering feeling . As the liquor cools a slight nuttiness comes through. Cha qi is mild.

2nd steep – Liquor gets a little silkier, but it’s still thin.. The minerally flavor backs down which makes me really happy. I drink this faster than the first cup and suddenly I’m definitely feeling the cha qi. Yay! :)

3rd steep – Minerally backs off more, that front of tongue feeling is still solidly present. Flavor is something like very dry wood, which makes me think of paper bags? (sorry WPT)

There are more steeps to the leaves so I’ll continue drinking, but I’m getting tired of reviewing. :P Heheheh.

My Pu Journey:
This sample helped me confirm that I hate the combo taste of sweet/minerally ripe pu’s.. but if it’s just minerally, then I’m okay with it, but not necessarily a big fan. Overall I think this is very drinkable and I’ve just put in an order for an ounce. Right now I like this better than the sweeter 2013 Ontario 1357 (which I’ve only had one session with.)

This tea could not be better than it is right now. It’s a warm (30 degrees) windy winter day here in Minnesota. I warmed up a cup I had made of this a few days ago before I ventured out for a walk after listening to some Bear’s Den music.

I came home, ate a piece of ma’s meatloaf, sat down, and drank this divine liquid. I love it when food pairs with tea. I sat in the rocker for about 30 minutes just listening to the dance of the air and snow particles.

This tea has notes of cocoa and minerals. It is sweet and earthy.

I’ll be honest. I can’t drink shou everyday. It’s like chocolate cake to me. I can have it once or twice a week. It’s rich and is a lot to take in.

I’ll enjoy the last 8 ounces of this while listening to Winter Winds by Mumford and Sons. Simply having a beautiful moment right now. Super grateful. Thank you for this sample, Brenden!

I let this set for quite awhile to decompress from its journey, and tonight it is ready to be drunk! I opened my jar, and I was greeted with a wonderful aroma. The dry leaf give off a sweet fermentation scent mixed with red clay. Also, there is a sweet undertone present. This is a very strong aroma. I placed a good amount in my warmed gaiwan and gave it a shake. The dampened leaves gave off the same intense sweet fermentation scent, and it mixed with a desert rain aroma. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The scent deepens into a wet wood and lake scent. The aroma reminded me of a walk through the forest after a storm. The brew gives an amazing mouth-feel. The liquor is thick and crimson red. The initial sip fills the palate with dry earth tones and sweet dark flavor. This brew is deep, hearty, and full of flavor. I can note a Merlot taste and feeling. There is a slight fermentation flavor present in the brew. Also, a drying sensation coats the back of the tongue throughout the session. This drink is filled with savory tones. The brew is one that you can drink all night (almost did) and keep re-packing the gaiwan. I was able to pull about 8 or so steeping sessions from my gaiwan. The drink continued a dark crimson. The best part of this is the qi. It’s not overwhelmingly powerful, but it makes its prescience known. It begins at the top of the head, and then it appears at heart center. It’s a slight warming sensation. Then, it grows into a resonating warmth that expands from the chest. This sensation follows throughout and long after the tea session. It continues to radiate from the chest and relaxes and soothes the body. I really enjoyed this brew. This is a well balanced and savory tea.

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