pu-erh.sk

I’m really loving the oily mouth feel of these 2015 gu shu teas from pu-erh.sk. I think rustic is a good description of the LinChang. There’s no discernible floral or fruity flavors; instead, the broth is dominated by evergreen and smoke, reminiscent of a lapsang suchong. It leaves a little bit of brightness at the corners of the mouth but it’s mainly an earthy tea and, unlike the HuaZhu Liangzi, it calms and soothes.

So if you need a break from the ubiquitous sweet and fruity shengs and your predilection veers toward the more chthonic, give this one a try.

It has been a few months since I had this and I’m not dissuaded that the flavor profile of this tea really stands out from other shengs. I’m picking up a more floral perfume this time along with the same mouth-watering thickness. Like an excellent poem, there seems to be something new to discover each time I try this.

Whoa! Within seconds of tasting the first steep, my and my coworker’s heads were already buzzing and the tea was quickly blooming in our mouths with a heavy, lubricating, candy-corn sweetness. Flash steeps kept the bitterness at bay and allowed the sweet citrus taste to emerge. There was very little drop-off in flavor or body after 7 steeps, at which point I had to step away to eat before being fully possessed by this tea.

My first selection from pu-erh.sk is a strong and delicious winner!

I love being the first to review tea!

I really liked this, and it was somewhat different than most Shou. The leaves included large thin flaked leaves and some big sticks. These dried leaves carried a slight fermentation and earth scent. I placed a bunch in my warmed gaiwan and shook it up. The scent was really unusual. It was of sharp fruits (bitter tasting) and ash. There was also a strange iron cake sheng aroma in the background. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. I brewed this really heavy, so I knew I was in store for some powerful tones. The liquor was a thick blackened red. The aroma of the leaves became deeper and more prominent. The same bitter sheng scent came off the leaves. However, this sheng tone was not present in the flavor. The taste was really good. The initial sip wasn’t all that complex, but it was otherwise delicious. The taste begins dry and slightly earthy, and it ends with a dry cacao flavor. This cacao flavor becomes more intense and builds up in an almost huigan sense. There is a nice stimulating mouth-feel in the brew. The cacao scent becomes more rich, and its almost like eating a dry hot cocoa packet. The qi was not overly powerful, but it was a nice head buzz with some scalp prickling. This sensation builds a little bit, and it follows throughout the session. I recommend this brew. This is perfect if you like dry, rather than silky, chocolate tones in shou.

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Very good tea from pu-erh.sk. A nice golden amber colored broth, citrusy and bold. A good bitterness. Clean tasting and bright, moderate qi. A durable fine tasting find!

This is an organic plantation tea from pu-erh.sk. I found it to be very good. The first steep was like liquid beef jerky, smoky and sweet. As I got further into it, some fruitiness came through. The smoke lasted several steps, but it was well integrated into the flavor. It is a durable eye-opening drink, and I get the feeling it will age well. Kind of like a premium Dayi sheng, only organic.

This is an excellent tea with a high price tag from pu-erh.sk. I got a sample of ot with their 2015 sample pack (which I wish other vendors would offer!). The first couple of steps were slightly smoky and savory. Then it got buttery, a little floral, a little bitter, and somewhat fruity. Very powerful, thick, and hearty. It has some of that burnt bitterness similar to Slumbering Dragon, possibly because this tea also is made in part from giant old wild trees. The pictures on the website are cool.

Anyway, very good tea which I would buy in a heartbeat if it weren’t over the top in price. Currently this sells for 309 euros for a 250g cake.

I received a free sample of this tea in my last teaware order. They have wonderful teaware on this site and thanks to boychik for telling me about it and enabling me! ;)

I’m not usually into green tea, but I’ve heard there’s something unique and different about those from Korea, so it was worth a shot! The dry leaf smelled sugary and nutty. Once wet, the leaves are more vegetal in aroma, and there’s some saltiness there too! The tea tastes a lot like asparagus and spinach, nutty and vegetal. It’s a very beautiful tea, with little verdant green leaves and a vibrant greenish yellow liquor. I also felt very warm drinking it. Overall, I enjoyed my session with it.

Got a sample of this with a recent order, it is the oldest pu erh I think I’ve tried. I found it very similar to the 1997 CNNP I got from Streetshop88 that may well have been a fake. The tea was cola colored, with notes of medicine, mushroom, and a bit of earthiness. It had a long huigan. The soup was medium bodied and the leaves were not terribly long lived. In fact, I like the 1997 fake a little better.

I am finding it educational to taste teas of this age. This one was pretty good, and I was surprised how much it tasted like the other tea I mentioned. Though the 1997 was probably fake, it seems to me it was probably similarly aged. This 1990 was very likely not fake given the reliability of the seller. I have yet to try a real quality aged pu erh from gushu material, I wonder how that would taste.

This is an excellent little number from pu-re.sk. It is very similar to the famed 9016 from 1995, also from the same purveyor, only it costs about one tenth as much. It is stout, slightly musty in the best way, and tastes of burnt coffee. It is hearty, I got close to 10 steeps of dark coffee brew, and could have gotten a bunch more that were light but flavorful. I gave up before the tea did. There is a 2003 version which I will try next.

All in all, it lacks some of the depth and complexity of the 9016, but it is a nice little gem. I just checked the website and the 9016 is no longer there. Looks like I got one of the last ones. Lucky me! Anyway, these are well priced tuos that are interesting and good.

I received a free sample with my recent purchase.
Ive never had a chance to sample Korean green teas. They are not common.
I read on Cwyn’s blog she likes them. Since we share the same passion for pu i really wanted to try. Peter must be a mind reader. he chose 3 samples for me . Yay!
Needless to say i was nervous to try. i didnt know the right parameters. After consulting several teafiends and Peter here what i did.

I heated the kettle to 200F. Pour the water into shibo and pour out into 2 cups. placed 3g of tea into preheated 100ml shiboridashi and covered it for few secs. then i poured water from those 2 cups back into my shibo for 1 min.

1st steep @1min was delicate pale green in color and nutty
2nd steep @1min 15sec it becomes more grassy, no astringency, long sweet and grassy aftertaste
3rd @ 2min taste stronger,grassy,color intensifies and looks like honey dew melon
4th @3min i see resemblance with longjing. tastes like quality chinese green tea without bitterness or astringency. I wish all chinese greens were like this.
Also i begin to notice some slight saltiness and tingling on my lips.

I had 6 steeps in total. i could probably continue but it stopped evolving .

My next step was eating them with tiny bit of soy sauce. It was delicious. I was surprised that after so many steeps leaves didnt become soggy, didnt loose the color. they looked bright green and fresh , delicate and chewy.

It was a great experience, so glad i was able to try. I will definitely pick up some more with my next order from pu-erh.sk

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“One shu to rule them all!”

That’s what I was led to believe by reading a blog post on this shu from the prolific pu erh blogger, Hobbes. He said he thought this tea sets the standard by which good shu should be judged. Them is strong words.

This really is a super tea. The first 5 steeps were thick and dark. It has just enough to of that old bookcase flavor to make it interesting, yet not overpowering. This shu has huigan that you can really taste if you are looking out for it, minty and mentholy, but again, not overpowering. There are hints of chocolate and perfume. It is not sweet. Absolutely no fermentation flavor, it is quite smooth. Just a wonderful flavor.

I took this tea through perhaps a dozen steeps this morning, all for about 10 seconds or so. The first six were very thick, the second six were less so, but still had plenty of flavor. All of these steeps were dark as coffee. When my hand began to shake after reaching for the 12th steep, I called it quits for the time being. The stimulation, or qi, is very nice. I feel wide awake and aware, but it is also gentle.

I’m going to go after this some more later or tomorrow. I bet I’m less than halfway through. I bet I can get a lot more from this shu. This tea has power.

I wish I could afford a tong of this, but it is 139 euros for 250g. I’m really glad to have some of it, and they do have samples available. Keep in mind that this tea brews perhaps twice as much per gram as an average shu, so it is actually not as expensive as it seems. The proprietor was very generous, and threw in a free handmade teacup with my order! And not a cheap one, it was an expensive one that I absolutely love.

I wonder what this tasted like when it was young? I wonder if any of my shus will turn out like this when they are 20 years old?

Update
___________
So I went back for a second round, and it lost a lot of its punch. These later steeps were light, but still had some good flavor. So I wouldn’t say it yields twice as much tea, necessarily, though if you like those light steeps you could probably go on for quite a while.

68/100
6g Gaiwan
28/25g 
Summary: This tea has its best moment in the first 3 steeps, showing an interesting soft and dry texture, with a sweet raisin sweetness; however, it fades after this with bitterness.

Dry: Colourful, loose compression. Aroma is concentrated herby and fruity. Nice aroma.
Hot Gaiwan: Warm berries.
Wet leaf: Hot apples, then hot fruit, and when it cools, slight mushroomy.

5s – Cloudy yellow/light orange. My first sip has a very sweet raisin sweetness. It does not linger. The third sip does linger. Pleasant raisin sweetness. A succinct sweetness. Flavour is mild, with no strong bitterness. I’m not feeling any throat rhyme. It’s not too thin. 75/100
10s – Light yellow/orange. Not so cloudy. This does have bitterness, of course it is raw pu’erh, but it is so mild and met by an almost dry sweetness, which gives it a rather unusual texture of something soft and dry. 80/100
15s – Sunburst orange (light orange). Sweet raisin fruitiness with a very balanced sweetness. Becoming a little astringent. 70/100
20s – Light orange. This has a nice bite; the heat has really gone through the tea. I can almost taste base sheng in the lingering finish. 65/100
15s – Same light orange. The water may be too hot; the Gaiwan really heats up with consecutive brews. Raisin sweetness is getting some bitterness and astringency. There are some sour lemons in the finish.
20s – Raisin sweetness. The texture of soft and dry has gone.
30s – Water has cooled in kettle. This tea works better with cooler water temperature. This is less bitter and less astringent, and is pleasantly raisin-sweet.
35s – Lemons – both sweet and sour.
Reboil.
10s – Very light yellow/orange. Very light on flavour – mainly sweet/bitter lemons.
60s – Brighter orange. Base sheng taste – end of session.

I received this tea as a free sample with the purchase of teaware. Peter was so generous . he included 4 samples of shou and sheng. Thank you so much !

This tea is beautiful. the chunk consisted of intact leaves. Smelled so good.
it was roughly around 7g.
Went with my 95ml gaiwan. The tea opened up around 5-6 steep. it is smooth, creamy and incredibly clean taste. Some bitterness,not excessive and easily controlled with short steeps. it gave me so much positive energy. I felt relaxed and happy. A little sleepy too. Today is my 3rd day of drinking it. Still strong.

7g 95ml gaiwan 205F rinse/pause/3/5/3/3/5/7/sec etc

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Congratulations to Teadb.org for reaching their 100th episode. I enjoy watching your youtube videos and reading your articles very much :)

6g using tea strainer.

Dry: Dark, high compression. Mildly sweet.
Wet: Sweet and creamy, then smoky, then milky creamy, then just milky.

30s – Light brown. This was just a rinse as there wasn’t much flavour.

Mashed chunks with a spoon.

5s – Dark brown. Dark tasting; not creamy; smooth; quite intense. Thin.
10s – Thick dark brown. Thicker. Creamy and dark with some astringency. This is in contrast with White2Tea’s creamy and milky 2002 CNNP (Zhong Cha) 7572 Green Label Tiepai Ripe.
15s – Dark brown. Dark tasting and a little astringent. Some chicken shed has appeared.
30s – Dark. Intense flavour. Some sweetness, but mostly dark. Robust flavour.
25s – Dark brown. Loosing intensity, but still dark.
40s – Dark brown. Dark, strong and becoming woody. This is a solid, well made shu with no off flavours. No fishiness too.
50s – Dark lighter brown. Pale in comparison to previous brews. More woody; still dark and intense.
~60s. How does it pair with Camembert of Normandy? Quite well. The sourness of the cheese infuses with the rawness of the tea.

82/100
4g in Gaiwan.

Dry leaf: Dark brown. Med/high compression. No aroma. Square shaped.
Wet leaf: Bird cage/chicken hut old aroma; creamy.

Summary: An interesting aged tea that shows how the development of flavour can distinguish it from other teas that show that raw beetroot flavour.

5s – Light/medium. Lightly earthy. Not particularly flat; it has some roundness in the earthiness.
10s – Medium brown. No bitterness; no astringency. A buttery taste accompanies the still mild earth. Liquor has a grainy texture, which may be the specs of tea leaves.
15s – Med brown. More earthy/soiliness. Very mild with nothing standing out. Finish is subtly sweet; body is soft.
20s – Med brown. Ah that’s better. Raw beetroot has appeared in the finish, which is bright but subtle. A swill around the mouth reveals mild earthiness and mild raw beetroot. The finish at the last sip is spritely; it is slowly gaining pace.
25s – Darker med brown. Much brighter raw beetroot; mild earthy in background. The buttery base sits on the front of the tongue, while the raw beetroot shifts towards the back of the throat in a fashion likened to liquid man T-1000 on Terminator 2 passing smoothly through the bars. Raw beetroot is left in the mouth.
30s – Med brown. Buttery base on the front of the tongue; bird cage has joined the beetroot on the finish. This is interesting: the tone of the raw beetroot has dropped and merged with the bird cage.
35s – Med brown. Grainy thickness. Very smooth; raw beetroot shines again.
40s – Darker med brown. It has some thickness. It is very enjoyable. It is mature in it’s form: it is smooth and has not rough edges. More the bird cage; the raw beetroot has softened.
60s – Med brown. Streams of raw beetroot flavour rise to brightness, then sparkle in the finish. Bird cage can still be found.
3 minutes – Med brown. Soil; buttery; bird cage.

This was a free sample with my order from Pu-Erh.sk. Sample labelled 6 and containing 8g.

4g in Gaiwan.
Dry leaf:
Dark brown; high compression. At a guess, very light herbyness.
Rinsed Gaiwan: Dusty smoke; wood burning.
Wet leaf: Electric smoke; some fruit. The rinse was light brown suggesting some humid storage.

Summary: Tasty with it’s sharp bitterness and early smoothness.

5s – Light brown liquor. Must be humid storage. Liquor is thick; there is a little smoke in the background. There is a balance of honey and tobacco. Incredibly smooth with a delicate soft sweetness.
10s – Light brown liquor. More smoky, peppery smoke and bitterness. This has some Menghai flavour profile, but the smoke is a little heavy and a little thicker than what I expect.
15s – Bronze liquor. There are raisins. It has a slightly bitter, sour finish, and that is when the raisins really come in. The smoke is easy off. The finish is good: it has a good bite with the bitter/sour notes against the sweet raisin fruitiness.
20s – Light brown. It is sparkling on a woody base with a very tasty sour finish. I had a look at the leaves in the Gaiwan and they look like plantation stuff: small green leaves and stems, reminding me of my Menghai tuo. Menghai tuo with humid storage. I’m guessing cheaper leaves have been aged in an environment that has improved the tea greatly.
25s – Lighter brown. The bitterness/sour flavour stays with you and there is some tartness. This tea is juicy and makes the mouth water with its crisp, sharp bitterness.

Dry leaf: Slightly fishy; smoked fish.
Wet leaf: Burnt wood; not strong in aroma.

5s – Medium light brown liquor. No fishiness. Subdued, creamy milk and some background milk chocolate. Soft.
10s – Medium brown liquor. Multi-layers. Earthy floral sits on top of a creamy, wooden base.
15s – Darker medium brown liquor. Creamy sweet, burnt wood with something interesting in the background…
20s – Medium brown liquor. Solid, sweet and creamy Shu.
25s – Medium/dark brown liquor. Not so creamy now. It has some bitterness and an almost treacle like taste. That flavour in the background appeared briefly – chicken shed?
30s – Medium/dark brown liquor. It is milk creamy, but it also has some dark chocolaty notes.
35s – Medium brown liquor. Light on flavour.
Reboiled kettle.
2 minutes – Medium/dark brown liquor. Solid; some cardboard.
35 minutes – Medium/dark brown liquor. Wet wood; mild creamy.

3g in Gaiwan.

Dry leaf: Loose leaves; looks like dried grass.
Wet leaf: Smells like sencha with hints of high mountain Dayuling.
Summary: A Korean green tea, which provides a sencha-like flavour with an unusual boldness.
Note: This is my very first Korean green tea so my description might not be that good.

No rinse. First brew is well below boiling; then each subsequent brew has a slightly higher temperature.

40s – Very faint yellow liquor. The aroma is quite strong. The flavour is sencha-like with a grassy sweetness. It tastes very much like sencha with the grassy sweetness, seaweed and umami. The sweetness roof and back of the mouth. The liquor has some thickness to it. The finish is very smooth and lingers for some seven seconds. Very pleasant.
55s – Faint yellow/green liquor. The lower temperature is really bringing out the soft sencha-like sweetness. Swirling it around the mouth reveals a range of sweet flavours. There is no taste of artificial sweetness; it is mainly fresh.
1 minute 10 sec – Very light green liquor. Liquor is fairly thick; sweetness has a little astringency.
1 minute 25 sec – I have increased the temperature and it has capped the sweetness and gives it more boldness and astringency.
1 minutes 40 sec – Poured from the kettle, which boiled minutes ago. It has taken the hot water well. The sweetness sparkles a little and it is active in the mouth. It is bold and stimulating. It’s interesting how this tea has taken the hot water; sencha would have tasted overly bitter at this high temperature, plus it would not have lasted as long. I find sencha (from O-Cha) generally makes 3 good brews.
1 minute 30 sec – Boiling water. Still sweet, but more like the base for Genmaicha without the roasted rice.

Dry leaf: Small chunks, lots of dust/tiny bits of leaves. The aroma is earthy and light raw beetroot
In a rinsed Gaiwan: Burning wood; very dusty; toasty.
Wet leaf: Pigeon loft / Chicken shed; church; some bright notes like subdued polish (Mr Sheen in UK). I know the aroma of polish as I just polished an hour ago.

Summary: A tea with an aged flavour, well controlled; some peppery smoke develops; an Islay whisky finish develops.

5s – Light brown liquor. Very bright on the first sip; it feels like it sizzles in my mouth. Flavour has some pigeon loft / chicken shed, but it has dry fruit and has cinnamon on the swallow. Soft and almost chalky mouth-feel. The finish lingers with some chicken shed, and the feeling I get is peaceful. Snow has landed softly on the ground to rest.
10s – Medium brown liquor. Not a thick mouth feel. Perhaps the chicken shed is the storage flavour? This reminds me of 1980’s Tong Qing Hao Tea Cake by SampleTea. There is a little bitterness on the swallow, which adds a nice finish to the body which is smooth, chicken shed and remarkably controlled. This differs from younger shengs in that there is no harsh bitterness and is not as bright; this tea is very mellow in tone. I can still taste the chicken shed when finishing the cup, when swallowing and when breathing out.
15s – Darker brown liquor. It’s interesting that I seem to feel the effect of the tea while it is in my mouth and before I swallow, almost as if swallowing is superfluous. It makes me feel relaxed.

Reboiled kettle.

20s – Darkish brown liquor. Some spice and peppery smoke give it a kick. Chicken shed faintly, but still in the background. Thin liquor. It is fruity, rather than woody; wet rather than dry, and fresh more than stale. The finish is slightly drying, spicy and has some similarities to an Islay whisky finish: that being slightly smoky, strong, some tobacco and complex.
25s – Medium/dark brown liquor. Definitely some dark chocolate, even glimpses of 100 cocoa. The smoke is fairly dry, but not overwhelming, though it does give some heat.
35s – Some sharpness appearing.
40s – Almost raw beetroot. The spiciness reminds me of 2005 Wild Tree “Ye Sheng Cha” Raw Puerh Tea Brick of Dehong by Yunnan.

6g in Gaiwan this time and here we go :)

Interesting pairing with Ardbeg.

4g in Gaiwan.

Dry leaf: Colourful; smells of straw/hay.
Wet leaf: Med/high compression. Bright, hot strawberry jam; concentrated herbyness.

Summary: I rate this highly because of the hardcore bitterness and energy. This tea produces the thickest liquor I have come across so far.

Note: I have previously given one of the White2Tea teas a low score for being singularly green – 2012 Ruiyuan NanNuo Old Arbor. That may have been due to my lack of tea experience at that time. This Naka tea is not singularly green and that is why I score it highly. If I ever buy some more of that same White2Tea tea, I will re-review it and possibly score it higher.

5s – Light yellow liquor. Very thick and soft in the mouth – interesting. Complex. There is a light lemon flavour, which suggests an easy drinker, but underneath there is a whirlwind current beginning.
I’m beginning to feel energised: my head feels lighter; my ears have almost popped. Is that the tea or the gin (Hendricks) I had earlier?
10s – Pale yellow liquor. Bit cloudy. Thick and lemony. It is quite bitter on the swallow. It is sweet until the swallow.
15s – Pale yellow liquor. Cloudiness gone. Interesting mix of sweet and sourness; the sourness is the dominant one. I’m getting energised from this tea. It is smooth, lemony, thick and goes down nicely. On each swallow it seems to add more energy.
20s – My head is beginning to race. I was slightly dazed watching this one being poured into my cup. The Streets – ‘Lights Are Blinding My Eyes’ has appeared in my head. That tune is taking over the more mellow -Manu Chao ‘Bongo Bong’. This is one powerful tea. I feel heat in my chest and face. On the swallow it was astringent and bitter; the tea is reminding me that it is strong.
25s – It’s easy drinking now. Lemony with bitterness. Mouth is left dry and bitter.
30s – Lighter yellow liquor. Astringent and bitter, with lemons. The bitterness goes under the tongue; the sweetness hits the roof of the mouth. On the swallow the whole mouth becomes dry and bitter before becoming dry and sweet with sugary sweetness.
Re-boil kettle.
35s – Some bitter raisins have appeared. Lots of bitterness. What started as a gentle, sweet, drink is now hardcore sheng. Peter (the seller) said this is hardcore and he is correct.
~40s – Bitterness on the sip, some sweetness, then heavy on the bitterness.
40s – I can taste some base sheng material, so the end is close.
1 minute – Colour is fading. Mainly bitter, which fades slowly into some sweetness.
2 minutes – Bitter with steady sweetness.

Dry leaf: Loose leaves; dark, dry and twig-like. Aroma is very much like milk chocolate: it is smooth and creamy/milky.
In hot Gaiwan: Not much; subdued dust.
Wet leaf: Cooked pastry, sweet, oil.

Summary: This tea is very good. It has aged into something very interesting to drink with it’s aged flavours and moreish texture.

Rinse was dark brown.

5s – Med brown liquor. It sizzles in the mouth. I have drunk nothing like this before. Very smooth, soft and supple. There is no bitterness. It evokes a sense of calm as it reveals it’s flavours gently, melting and subtle sweetness, before disappearing. The finish leaves a constant low buzz; the mouth is left dry and I can almost hear the buzzing after taste.
10s – Med/dark brown liquor. There is a lot going on here. There is a small amount of bitterness; there is a warehouse/musty flavour. There is some beetroot developing, but not much. As an aged tea I am not getting any church/bird cage flavours.
15s – Darkish brown liquor. Rolling it around the mouth reveals some old flavours such as mustiness and a hint of the British Library – the Ancient Greek section. The form is interesting: it is smooth and simple at first, and then on swallowing it seems to reverberate/oscillate/fluctuate up and down subtly.
20s – Darkish brown. It has a fizzy, lightly spiciness on the sip. Liquor is not particularly thick. It lingers quite strongly of the flavour of the tea.
25s – Darkish brown. There is some dark chocolate and a little spice, then some bitterness. It fades away slowly, leaving the mouth dryish and full of the flavour.
50s – Darkish brown. Brewed for longer increases the bite, gives more thickness, and gives more bitterness, which gives it a better mouth action.

How does it pair with Camembert? Not so well, as the ammonia taste of the cheese swamps the tea.