Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: The Essence of Tea
Tea Description:
The flavour is thick and pure, with a hint of bitterness transforming into a long sweetness in the mouth. The tea is balanced throughout the mouth and throat, with the strong qi immediately present upon drinking.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m finding this pu-erh to be quite unusual from the pu-erh I’ve tasted in the past. Not that I would consider myself to be a connoisseur of tea by any means … I’m more of a novice when it comes to pu-erh. But I have tried a good number of pu-erh, and it is from those experiences that I can say that this one is a bit unusual.
The sip starts out sweet and smooth – nothing unusual there. But at the point where the palate begins to recognize and appreciate the sweetness, a savory bitterness arrives, and I find the contrast compelling. I don’t find the bitterness to be a distasteful one, so I find myself wanting a different word to replace “bitterness,” because so often it is used to denote an off-putting flavor, and this is not off-putting.
There is an overtone of smokiness to this pu-erh that melds pleasantly with the earthy tones. It has hints of woody notes in the background, and even some hints of mineral. As I continue to sip and throughout the infusions (I steeped this tea six times), I found that the aforementioned bitterness developed into more of a a sour note, which seemed to complete the sweetness in a very pleasing way.
This is a most intriguing pu-erh… I find the balance of flavor and contrasts to be so interesting that it keeps me sipping with curiosity. It also makes me wonder how different the 2010 Mansai Puerh Tea from The Essence of Tea might be from its younger sibling. Perhaps this is a tea I will have to try at some point.
Xiping Anxi Tie Guan Yin from The Essence of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Essence of Tea
Tea Description:
This Tie Guan Yin comes from an old plantation on Lao Cha Shan, YaoYang village, Xiping, Anxi. We’ve struggled for a while to find a traditional, authentic Xiping, Tie Guan Yin that is grown without chemicals. So many Tie Guan Yin’s are grown intensively and need large quantities of chemical fertilisers. This is grown naturally, without any chemical fertilisers and pesticides and has been processed in a more traditional style than the modern super green oolongs, being very lightly oxidised then rolled and very lightly roasted.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Even though I’ve had a lot of Tie Guan Yin Oolong teas over the years, I’m still amazed at how different they can taste from one Tie Guan Yin to the next. Taste is affected by so many factors, from where it is grown, to how it is grown and harvested, and how is is processed after harvesting. Even with each new harvest, Tie Guan Yin grown on the same estate can taste different.
This particular Tie Guan Yin was harvested in 2011, and even though it’s been almost a year since it was harvested, I am impressed with how delicious it tastes. It is sweet and smooth, with a pleasantly silky – almost broth-like – mouthfeel. The floral notes are crisp and clear, reminiscent of honeysuckle and orchid.
There isn’t a strong vegetal quality to this cup, instead, I taste more of a slight toasty note to the background of this Tie Guan Yin, which highlights a hint of nutty flavor to the cup. This accents the honey-like sweetness of the cup. There is relatively little astringency to this, and no bitterness.
A lovely, spring-like tea to enjoy on this gorgeous spring afternoon.