Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark, tightly compressed
Ingredients: puerh tea
Steep time: 10 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: very dark, almost opaque
I’m usually a sheng drinker but recently I’ve stumbled upon quite a few shou that really grabbed my attention. This inky dark number from Crimson Lotus Tea was definitely one of them. After a quick rinse, I started out with the recommended flash infusions of about ten seconds. I couldn’t believe how dark the liquor became so quickly. The taste was deeply earthly and sweet with surprising hints of spice. What I enjoyed most about this tea was the texture. For the first five or six infusions, it had a delicious syrup-like thickness. Further in it became lighter with fruity notes that lingered long after each sip. The exact fruit was hard to put my finger on but blueberries would probably come the closest to what I experienced. By gradually increasing your steep time it is possible to make 5 or 7g of this tea last for hours. This would be a great shou for puerh newbies because it’s easy to brew and seriously tasty. Do yourself a favor and pick up a brick for $30 instead of the scary fishy junk that you’ll find in Chinatown or on eBay.
2008 Bulang Imperial Grade Shou / Ripe Puerh sample received with order purchased from Crimson Lotus Tea.