Puerhshop

The tea leaf (wet) reminds me of leather goods. The flavor profile is similar, but not really. It’s woody, astringent, and smooth. I try not to push the leaf too much. I start the first few steeps with a quick flash steep (5-10 seconds) until it softens up a bit. If one brews at a higher temperature (200+), one is expected to get a mouthful of bitterness, which this tea, I’ve learned, will never let go. Once you go heavy handed on water temp and steep time, you’ll never have an enjoyable session.

With that said, after you’ve learned how the tea wants to be brewed, it’s not a bad cup. Not my favorite tea, but a good weekly drinker.

I recently when on a ripe sample buying spree at Puershop. I bought 20 samples. Pretty cheap to do at puershop, though their teas are often mediocre. This was one of their premium ripes. It was pretty good, smooth and nicely fermented. It did lack character and complexity, but it was still a solid tea. But the price is too high at $47. I would definitely buy some if it were $30.