Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: compresse, dark
Ingredients: puerh tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: brassy gold
Have you ever heard of purple tea? I previously reviewed one from Kenya but I had never heard of purple tea being used to make puerh. Although it is raw, the cake was so dark it appearance that it could almost (but not quite) pass for shu. Jalam Teas noted on their usual postcard that this is a somewhat different varietal from the standard Yunnan big-leaf Assamica. Harvested by the Hani people, it is purported to aid in ailments of the heart. The taste had the familiar vegetal sharpness but it seemed to be somewhat less astringent. There was also a fruity quality that I found very interesting. It’s hard to explain because I do not mean to say that it was overtly fruity. Ah, the complexities of tea. I did around 6 or so consecutive infusions but definitely could have gone a few more rounds. My boyfriend Jason tried it and was not very impressed but he generally doesn’t like anything remotely green. After steeping the leaves were quite a bit greener but they still had a fairly dark color.
You can find out more about this tea here.