Erik Dabel Send Message

Time for the 2nd and 3rd steeping of the Nannuo Shan Shou Pu-erh 2001 harvest I bought the last time I was in the City and could drop in to the good folks at Red Blossom Tea Company in Chinatown.

I figured I should add a bit of steeping time, since yesterdays 1st run I kept it short at 1:00. So for the 2nd steeping I upped it to 1:30. Nope. Came out of bit on the bitter side. Just a tad. All the flavors were still there, the sweet, the malt, but the color and feel where much darker, much thicker, and the taste was more bitter than sweet and malty. May have ruined number 2.

So, for the 3rd steeping, I did not add more time, I kept it at 1:30. Yup, back to that great balance and taste. That being said, I don’t think these leaves will have a 4th steeping in them. I will probably still try, just to find out. But the color is much lighter today, more of a light orange/red, with none of the amber and black from the 1st and 2nd.

It’s still very good, but the aroma, taste, and mouthfeel are getting a bit mixed, it’s harder to tell the individual flavors apart. It’s still sweet, it’s still a bit malty, but the mysterious dark feel is gone, and the malt is hanging on by a thread.

Realistically, it tastes like a high quality Pu-erh from a store shelf. Like, the best you would get from a grocery store selection. Of course, this is the 3rd steeping. Just imagine how good it is on the 1st!

Damn this heat wave. Early October and it’s 97 degrees today. Not exactly hot-tea-with-breakfast weather, but oh well. I seem to straddle the line between tea elitist and tea junky. Either way I’m OK with it.

Up for today is the 1st steeping of the Nannuo Shan Shou Pu-erh 2001 harvest I bought the last time I was in the City and could drop in to the good folks at Red Blossom Tea Company in Chinatown.

This is a straight up, damn good, full flavor, big and bold Pu-erh. Nothing special, no added flavors or spices, none of that unneeded crap. Just straight up great leaves.

I felt like the first time I brewed this tea a few weeks ago I steeping it a bit too long, so first the first steeping, after the rinse, of course, I steeped this for the short end of the recommended time, only 1 minute. Perfect.

In that short steeping time it still came out a deep, dark, amber, reddish black color, with a strong, sweet aroma containing hints of malt and fruit.

The taste is simply incredible. It has so much delicate sweetness, while still kicking forth a big, dark, malty taste. Even the finish is dry and clean.

I do recommend the much shorter steeping time, there is so much flavor, anything over 1:30 would ruin the delicate balance between sweet and dark malt.

This review is for the 2nd and 3rd steeping of a blend of this Shou Mei white tea and Red Blossom’s Lapsang Souchong black tea.

Yesterdays 2nd steeping was wonderful, even better than the first. The 1st steeping, in my opinion, had too much Lapsang taste, too much campfire smoke. I wanted more balance. The 2nd steeping took care of that. The campfire smoke was much more subdued, and the white tea background was able to pop through.

Now on to today’s 3rd steeping. I upped the steep time to 1:15 from 1:00, everything else is the same. Just under 3 tablespoons of Shou Mei white with 1 teaspoon of Lapsang Souchong black.

The color is still golden straw, just a tad darker, closer to a green tea color. Almost looks like a filtered hefeweizen, for those beer fans out there.

The aroma also reminds me of the fruity, almost banana-y beer. The 1st steeping aroma was all campfire, but now the balance is much better, the white tea is actually more in front, and the thick, malty smoke of the Lapsang is secondary. Still has that same dry, clean finish.

Taste and mouthfeel are exactly the same as yesterday’s 2nd steeping, it hasn’t lost any of it’s power, strength, or balance. I still have a strong sense of malty campfire smoke from the Lapsang, but the Shou Mei is much more present. It has an almost bitter, dry aftertaste, but still crisp and clean. 3rd steeping and it’s still kicking nice and strong.

The next time I do this blend, I might try rinsing them separately, and giving the Lapsang some extra time to possibly clean off some of that extra campfire.

This review is for the 2nd and 3rd steeping of a blend of this Lapsang Souchong black tea and Red Blossom’s Organic Shou Mei white tea.

Yesterdays 2nd steeping was wonderful, even better than the first. The 1st steeping, in my opinion, had too much Lapsang taste, too much campfire smoke. I wanted more balance. The 2nd steeping took care of that. The campfire smoke was much more subdued, and the white tea background was able to pop through.

Now on to today’s 3rd steeping. I upped the steep time to 1:15 from 1:00, everything else is the same. Just under 3 tablespoons of Shou Mei white with 1 teaspoon of Lapsang Souchong black.

The color is still golden straw, just a tad darker, closer to a green tea color. Almost looks like a filtered hefeweizen, for those beer fans out there.

The aroma also reminds me of the fruity, almost banana-y beer. The 1st steeping aroma was all campfire, but now the balance is much better, the white tea is actually more in front, and the thick, malty smoke of the Lapsang is secondary. Still has that same dry, clean finish.

Taste and mouthfeel are exactly the same as yesterday’s 2nd steeping, it hasn’t lost any of it’s power, strength, or balance. I still have a strong sense of malty campfire smoke from the Lapsang, but the Shou Mei is much more present. It has an almost bitter, dry aftertaste, but still crisp and clean. 3rd steeping and it’s still kicking nice and strong.

The next time I do this blend, I might try rinsing them separately, and giving the Lapsang some extra time to possibly clean off some of that extra campfire.

Home made blends! My first time taking this step, and I started with the two most opposite teas on my shelf. This Lapsang Souchong and the light, woodsy, nutty, white Organic Shou Mei, both from Red Blossom Tea Compeny. Let’s see how this goes:

I used mostly Shou Mei leaves, about 2.5 (maybe close to 3) tablespoons of it to only one teaspoon of the much more potent Lapsang Souchong. I figured that might give me a decent balance, especially with the short 1 minute steep time of the white Shou Mei, instead of the 2 minute + time of the black Lapsang Souchong.

Now to dig in:

The aroma right off the bat is dominated by the smoky, campfire Lapsang. It’s not as in you face as when I brew the Lapsang alone, and it does have that light, almost airy smell of the Shou Mei.

First sip is all Lapsang. It is a nice flavor though, it’s s much more subdued and light compared to a cup full of Lapsang leaves. The first taste is all Lapsang, and it dominates the pallet, but I can certainly taste and feel the lightness of the Shou Mei, followed by that woody, earthy, nutty taste. I would like to have a bit more of that in the balance, so next time I will probably cut down the Lapsang leaves to 1/2 or even 1/4 teaspoon. It’s that potent.

I think, in the end, what I have done is actually make a REALLY good Lapsang Souchong by giving it a light white tea base. I’ll certainly be mixing these again.

Home made blends! My first time taking this step, and I started with the two most opposite teas on my shelf. This Shou Mei white tea, and my uber smoky, campfire-esque Lapsang Souchong. Let’s see how this goes:

I used mostly Shou Mei leaves, about 2.5 (maybe close to 3) tablespoons of it to only one teaspoon of the much more potent Lapsang Souchong. I figured that might give me a decent balance, especially with the short 1 minute steep time of the white Shou Mei, instead of the 2 minute + time of the black Lapsang Souchong.

Now to dig in:

The aroma right off the bat is dominated by the smoky, campfire Lapsang. It’s not as in you face as when I brew the Lapsang alone, and it does have that light, almost airy smell of the Shou Mei.

First sip is all Lapsang. It is a nice flavor though, it’s s much more subdued and light compared to a cup full of Lapsang leaves. The first taste is all Lapsang, and it dominates the pallet, but I can certainly taste and feel the lightness of the Shou Mei, followed by that woody, earthy, nutty taste. I would like to have a bit more of that in the balance, so next time I will probably cut down the Lapsang leaves to 1/2 or even 1/4 teaspoon. It’s that potent.

I think, in the end, what I have done is actually make a REALLY good Lapsang Souchong by giving it a light white tea base. I’ll certainly be mixing these again.

4th steeping and wow, I can’t believe how well these leaves are holding up. It still has the same clear amber color, the same crisp and clean aroma with those same earth and grass hints, even that ever so slight sense of ocean is still right there.

The taste is not quite as crisp and clear as the 1st. I don’t get as much differentiation between the flavors, they are a bit more mixed up and blended. They are all still there, and really close to just as strong as before, but I have to think just a bit more before spotting the earth and the grass.

It is still just as sweet and smooth as the first steeping, maybe even a bit smoother, as it has given up some of the crisp dry 2nd taste and aftertaste.

But damn, a 4th steeping and it’s still kicking. I might just go for a 5th!

3rd steeping, and it’s still going strong. If you get the process right on, it’s just as good as the 1st. Just don’t get the water too hot, I pull it off the stove at the first sign of bubbles, and don’t let it steep over 1 minute. I recommend 45 seconds for the 1st and 2nd steeping, 1 minute for the 3rd and probably 4th. I’ll let you know tomorrow.

Even though this is the 3rd steeping, this tea still has the same earthy, grassy aroma that I fell in love with the 1st time. So fresh and clean, with a dry finish, and a hint of ocean in the mix.

The taste is also just as good as the first steeping. Each individual flavor is still there and accounted for. Earth, grass, just the right amount of tartness, and that nice dry finish.

The only the that is different between the 1st and 3rd steepings, at least that I notice this time, is that the dry finish is not as clean and apparent the 3rd time as it was the 1st. No big deal, not better or worse, just a tad different.

This is a straight up great, solid, every day green tea.

2nd steeping. Usually, the 2nd steeping gives a bit more mixed flavor, the balance is still there, but the individual flavors have melding together some. Not today with this green tea. It really does smell, taste, and feel just like it did yesterday. the light, earthy, grassy taste and feel, with a faint smell of ocean breeze, it’s all still there. Delightful.

I did let the water reach a boil instead of catching it when bubbles first started to form, and I let it steep for 1 full minute instead of the recommended 45 seconds. Maybe those did the trick? Still learning…

Time out, edit: Did I really steep yesterdays 1st steeping of these leaves for a full 2 minutes? Um, wow. My bad. No wonder today tastes lighter and the individual flavors are just as noticeable, even though it’s the 2nd steeping. No wonder…