pu-erh of the day. Sheng or Shou

i got a free sample of 2013 Yunnan Sourcing “San He Zhai” Raw. Im on my 4th steep and i like it a lot. No smoke(I like slight smoke ), very smooth and not bitter at all. Lets see how it will progress.
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/rawpu-erh/2520-2013-yunnan-sourcing-san-he-zhai-raw-pu-erh-tea-cake-400-grams.html

TeaUrchin’s Mang Zhi 2011 Autumn— delish. Sweet, full mouth feel, slight astringency to round the taste out. Tasty.

Black Dragon Pool Tea Co. 100g ripe tuo, 2011, from Da Li. Camphor and clarity. A deluscious tea with minimal tannins and zero funk. The only downside to this tea, imho, is that it won’t last for many infusions. Might be best for on-the-go types who want pu’er ripe but haven’t the time to fiddle with PSP, proper steeping protocol. hahahahaaa. Really, really gorgeous.

2009 Wu Liang Lan Xiang by Yunnan Sourcing
This is now 5 years old. It is a nice gentle and interesting tea with good staying power. Somewhat fruity, especially in later steepings. It has probably mellowed out since it’s youth. It lacks a little on body and punch, but is a nice tea nonetheless.

I have tried the Feng Qing 2009 “Pu Er Tuo Cha” from Yunnan Sourcing at least twice now, and I think so far it is my favorite cooked pu-erh. Admittedly it’s one of the few pu-erh’s I’ve tried that is not a mini toucha or a sample. There is nothing off putting about it, the liquor has a very dark red color, a strong aroma, and a bold, somewhat spicy, flavor.

Inspired by Yang-Chu’s note I pulled out a 2003 Mang Zhi sheng puerh sample from the aged pu-erh sampler of the zhi zheng tea company. My note in the database (made today) reads: “Today this tea brewed a clear coppery color with a shy aroma but a complex flavor of citrus, sweetness, metal, and alfalfa. Not a powerhouse tea, but one of subtlety and depth.” A nice write-up with pictures of the area can be found here: http://teaurchin.blogspot.com/2012/04/wondrous-tea-gardens-of-mang-zhi.html

Having Yunnan Sourcings “San Ke Shu” tonight.
Ordered a sample of this a while back and now I am finally around to it. It has a very nice aroma to the dry leak when opening the bag. I got 10 grams from it and broke out the Gaiwan.
I gave it a quick 5 second wash and took off with it. The first infusion was a little weak as i probably didn’t let it steep long enough. 5 seconds short. Tried again doing 10 second steeps and it brought out the punch of this one.
It has an almost fruity aroma to the infusion. It has a good bit of bitterness and a thick mouth feel. The bitter fades and leaves the mouth watering a bit with a semi-sweet tongue tingling after taste. Very stout cha qui in this one , it almost leaves the mouth buzzing in response. Good stout leaf in this one.

Finished off the sample of Mandala’s 2014 Autumn Song sheng cake, it wasn’t a great sample, had a lot of sticks. Then busted out their Yellow Buds which I really like, not too much roast.

Pu-erh tea is the most expensive tea.This tea has health care function to human body. Such as: Lipid-lowering diet, Resisting arteriosclerosis,helps people lose weight, Anti-cancer,Protect the stomach, Nourishing the stomach and Anti-aging effect,Anti-Fatigue, Degrade Cholesterol.you can get more info here:-http://coffeetea.about.com/od/typesoftea/a/Pu-Erh-Tea.htm
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Had my first puerh every this afternoon. A 2007 Golden Melon Tribute Tuocha Sample Shou. Had a slight fishy scent while steeping but, thankfully didn’t taste it. The taste was very earthy and the color a medium burgundy. Brewed western style with 20s steeps after a 10s rinse in a single serve ceramic pot.

Not impressed. I didn’t find the taste particularly extraordinary or appalling. Just earthy and boring. Added a bit of milk and sugar -taboo I know – to the second pot to get it over with faster. Hopefully my other Shou and sheng samplers will leave a better impression.