pu-erh of the day. Sheng or Shou

Earlier today I refreshed my Golden Buds Xingyang from yesterday evening, doing a quick rinse to reheat the leaves, & then enjoying a few steepings, before moving on to Butiki’s Ancient Phoenix Tuocha, & then Qianjiashai Old Growth’12 Sheng (Verdant). The sheng was my favorite of the day. :)

Working on a 2007 menghai"adorned in red" from Mandala tea. This tea is very rich with a slight mineral taste that moves on to an almost oak taste as found in a good dry red wine. This tea brews a nice dark orange color with a light floral or citrus aroma apricot or muskmelon. Easy drinking no bitterness or astringency. Brews up nice and tasty. A nice drink for the end of a long and late work week.

Yesterday I started drinking this Haixin Tang 2007 Stone Pressed Sheng (verdant). It was one of the rewards teas, but I accidentally reviewed it as 2006, which was one of the reserve TOMC teas. This afternoon I don’t care about any of that. I gave a short rinse to reheat the leaves, & have been enjoying several steepings. I need to drink more sheng, I need to sample more shengs. It has a really nice head clearing effect on me, which is helpful as I’ve been fog-headed lately.

Today I did a little gong fu brewing for my cousin, who had come to stay and got rather excited at the prospect of proper tea. I’m sure Chinese people would have had a good laugh at my technique, but we still had a good time and enjoyed several steepings of the 2011 Canton Tea Co Special Puerh. It’s a Yi Wu Mountain, Meng Hai Hai tea with big leaves that pick apart quite easily. I half filled my Ben Shan green clay teapot with leaves (I reserve this one for sheng) and set to. We had a great time exploring the changes in its flavour as I resteeped the tea and I expect I shall continue enjoying it tomorrow because it really does have good longevity. All in all, it was an afternoon well spent in good company.

Special dark for me today! Loving it!

Drinking Special Dark. Did a rinse and then a 7 minute steep. It’s definitely recommended. Dark chocolate with almost a hazelnut type background. I love it which is interesting considering I HATE Nutella.

Continuing with the 2011 Canton Tea Co Special Puerh from yesterday. It has lasted very well but I am now up to 3 minute steeps, so I think the end is near. Time to go out in a last blaze of glory with an extra long steep, methinks.

Master Han’s 2012 Sheng, as part of the TOMC bundle.

Currently sipping Year of the Dragon shu in my new glass mug from Mandala that I’ve named Stuart. I’m getting a lot of fruity sweet notes. Like dried dates. And some molasses notes. I’m really loving it so far. And to nerd myself up, sipping tea from a glass mug just makes it somehow better.

Today I sampled Master Han’s Sheng & Shu. I enjoyed both of them very much. Sorry I’m not saying more, but I did write reviews about both.