Charles Thomas Draper Send Message

This is a very nice young Shu that is the best of what I have had recently. It is dark and mellow and soothing and without any funky odors or flavors. It is very good for every day drinking. The price is right. I am on the second cup and it is giving me that warm, glowing feeling. Or maybe it’s Hope my dog who is asleep on my lap as I type? Anyway, it’s a warm and luscious tea that is good for beginners.

It’s late here on the Jersey Coast and the full moon is making everything shine. I am going to brew up the Yixing several times and fill up a glass jug and then leave it outside in the 35 degree cold. This is my attempt at Moonshine Sheng. The brew is a golden burnt orange hue. As I was making my tea I noticed it had the most wonderful aroma. And for whatever reason I still cannot determine a flavor to compare a Sheng to. They are so unique and in a class of their own. This tea promises a " floaty feeling ". I have’nt drank much but between the full moon and this delightful tea, I am floating….

I am brewing up one of my very young Shu this evening. The first cup after a 30 second steep was very light. I did use a generous amount of leaf so I figured I should go easy. Plus that seems to be the rule with most Pu’er. Although my 2nd cup is also light I have to admit it is quite invigorating. I must admit I have not consumed my usual amount of tea today so quite honestly anything could pick me up. At the end of my cooled 2nd cup I noticed a faint fishy smell-taste. I have heard of this before. This is a first for me. The 3rd steep will be longer so I can judge this better. It is much better. Stronger. Much more flavorful. Not fishy. It’s a pretty purple-red liquor. Cup 3 is a winner. Cups 1 and 2 had me worried. I am now getting a slight numbing. I bought the whole cake. I am not disappointed at all. As I have stated with the other young Shu, they will only get better….

I just want to share what was written on a small piece of paper that came with this lovely tea: A INTRODUCTION TO " DIAN-ZANG-HOLY TEA " Mixed with the painstaking efforts and loyalty of our factory. " Dian-Zang Holy Tea " is prepared with selected tealeaves from old trees in Mount Nannuo and Mount Bulang, the high altitude mountains in fog and clouds. With the nimbus collected from the great nature between heaven and the earth, this product belongs to the series of Qizi Biscuit Tea, which was processed through moderate ferment and by pressing in high temperature. The tea soup looks brown and clear, smells purely mellow, tastes strong and lasts long with a slight sweet and refreshing aftertaste. It is really a kind superior tea.
Today, when the ringing of caravan bells reminds us of long history of our tea culture again, we would like to present our top grade with the purpose to recur the brilliance of yesterday.
I will drink to that….

I am brewing this in the Gaiwan again. The first cup is flawless. So light and wonderful. We now know that Oolongs get better after the first steeping. The second cup has opened up and I am in heaven. This tea is near perfection. The aroma and flavor will stay with me. It’s that powerful yet so delicate. This is about as good as it gets. I cannot write that it tastes like butter or spinach or orchids or whatever. It contains subtle hints of all of these. When I first joined Steepster I bought the Spring version just because people were raving about it. And they had every reason to. I’m raving about this. We sat down to a dinner of Dumplings with salad of Lotus Root tossed with long green hot peppers. The tea was a perfect addition. The real plus is the way this tea calms you and stimulates conversation. Deep conversation. I totally overstepped the third cup and I am definitely getting the lime taste that others have noted. Even oversteeped it is incredible.

RIP John Lennon. I have to admit I am in my infancy in the world of Pu’ers. One thing I can say is I know what I like. This I love. I did’nt have a lot to brew so I steeped it a bit longer than usual. There is an energy in my mouth like electricity. If you have read my posts the past few days I have tasted a few other Pu’ers. There is no comparison. Maybe they will compare in a few years. These Pu’ers are in their infancy. They are cute little girls. This is a beautiful woman….

This is another young Shu that is very powerful. I brewed this in the Yixing for about 30 seconds and the result is a very flavorful and strong brew. It has a coffee richness. I was generous with the leaf but not too so. Cup #2 is numbing and dark. Still coffee-like. This is nothing unappealing about this tea. Flavor, check. Aroma, check. Cha Qi, check.

I brewed this in my Yixing with boiling water for between 30 seconds and a minute. It is a rich, smooth and very robust young Shu. Hints of Mother Earth that will undoubtably improve with age. This tea is great on a rainy night. I would assume this would be a decent investment. The liquor is a dark red with a strong flavor. It satisfied this Shu drinker. The 3rd steep is more alive. It has a slight effervescence while numbing the mouth oh so lightly. It is getting cleaner and crisper.

I am making up for my silence yesterday. Today is an overcast indoor day. I will drink tea. And a lot of it. Another sample from Butiki. I am brewing this in the Gaiwan for the suggested 1 minute. This tea already has sent an energy through my body that is otherworldy. I feel like I could do anything. So much for staying at home. This tea makes you want to do something. Anything. The flavor and aroma are rich and very intoxicating. In The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell, Roger Guillemen states: " But yet, if you study psychedelic experiances, you also have to consider green tea, which is loaded with caffeine or molecules like caffeine. And it’s very well known that this has a profound influence on the function of some people." This tea does provide a profound influence on me. Superb….

I cannot fathom how many times I have steeped the same leaves from my last tasting note. This tea has gone on for what seems like an eternity. As I am nearing what I feel to be the end of a 2 day love affair I have to say the flavor I am getting now is vanilla. Fine vanilla with cream. Possible? I guess anything is….