Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Product Description:
Mt. Banzhang is considered the absolute top of the line in pu’er leaf, but Mt. Yiwu is giving Banzhang a run for its money. The art of pu’er in Yiwu is thriving and threatening to take 1st place. Compare this to the American cheese and wine movement that is finally strong enough to hold its own against France. Because Yiwu is not yet as famous, the tea is much more affordable, even certified single origin bricks like this one. Buy a brick if you can and watch this tea age into some of the best. In ten years it may be much more difficult to even obtain Yiwu leaf for import.
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Taster’s Review:
This is Pu-erh? I found myself questioning it the moment I opened the pouch and noted the aroma, which was not strong nor as earthy as a typical Pu-erh. The earthiness is very slight, smelling a bit more like mushrooms to me than earth. The brewed liquor takes on a slightly stronger earthy tone, but, still, not nearly what I’ve come to prepare myself for when I drink Pu-erh. There are lingering notes of wood, reminding me of a walk through the forest – again, not so much of the smell of the earth in that forest, but the trees and the surrounding air which is enhanced with a hint of smoke from a nearby cabin.
The complexity of the aroma translates into the flavor. I taste a fruit note in this cup – something I can’t ever recall noticing in another cup of Pu-erh. It is not a strong flavor, but more of a whisper of a flavor in the background, a mystery that is hidden behind the solid notes of wood and spice. The spice tones start out “almost” peppery – almost but not quite. As I continue to sip, I find that the peppery tones develop somewhat, but it remains a subtle spiced note.
The tasting notes on the Verdant Tea website suggest a hibiscus tone, but I have to say that I don’t really notice hibiscus. Perhaps a hint of tartness from the berry/fruit notes that I mentioned earlier, but as I don’t like hibiscus, and I am enjoying these fruit notes, I don’t taste hibiscus when I taste the berry-like flavor; but I can see where the comparison to hibiscus is made.
It is incredibly smooth with no astringency or bitterness. The body is lighter, delivering a taste that is not quite as heavy as a typical Pu-erh. It has a light sweetness that is not so much the caramel-like sweetness that I’ve come to appreciate in Pu-erh … it’s different, but no less enjoyable. In fact, that this IS different, it becomes even more enjoyable; intriguing me to continue to sip so that I may pinpoint what it is I taste.
Subsequent infusions seem to deliver more complexity. Just as the previously mentioned tasting notes from Verdant Tea suggests, the berry/hibiscus-y notes develop into more of a tart apple taste. I can really taste the cedar notes now. The spice has developed as well, a light peppery note without those high spice notes. A subtle, low pepper tone.
If you’re new to Pu-erh, I think that this would be an excellent Pu-erh with which to start. If you’re a seasoned Pu-erh veteran, I would still recommend trying this Pu-erh for its unique set of flavors, you may find it to be a deliciously different addition to your tea cupboard.
An exquisite Pu-erh (and I really don’t think I’ve used exquisite to describe a Pu-erh before!)
Artisan Revival Stone-Pressed Sheng from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Product Description:
Region – Hekai Mountain, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China
Processing – This is wild picked from one of the most bio diverse ancient tea forests in China. Hekai leaf is known for an orchid-like fragrance absorbed from native flowers. The tea is allowed to sun dry and age loose as maocha for several months to a year before being steamed and stone pressed into bricks. The leaf material for the Artisan Revival brick is from the oldest tea trees, some of which have to be climbed during the picking.
Read more about this tea.
Taster’s Review:
My experience with Pu-erh has been pretty well-documented through the blogs for which I write, because really, before embarking upon writing reviews on tea, I had less than a handful of experiences with Pu-erh, and those tea moments were best forgotten. They were negative experiences, to say the least. Since those times, I have learned better ways to steep Pu-erh and have come to appreciate it.
This Artisan Revival Stone-Pressed Sheng (2006) from Verdant Tea is one of the best Pu-erh teas that I’ve tried yet. The aroma of the dry leaf is quite different from other Pu-erh teas that I’ve approached, rather than that strong, earthy presence, I find this one to to be a little more like warm spice and tobacco. It reminds me of the smell of my father’s pipe tobacco (my stepmother was very keen on trying to get him to smoke a pipe, she seemed more interested in it than he did, though).
For the first couple of infusions, I am tasting a floral note. This is a Pu-erh? There is very little earthy taste to this cup, and what little earthiness that I do taste is on the sweet side, like hints of wood and earth. It is incredibly smooth. So smooth, in fact, that it almost feels like melted butter as it glides over the palate. There is a sweetness that comes from the floral notes, as well as a somewhat honey-esque tone in the background. These honey notes, together with the floral tones give this a very honeysuckle-like finish. Overall, these first few infusions are light, sweet, and flowery, reminding me a bit of those early moments in spring when the air is clean and the plants begin to show hints of life.
With the subsequent infusions, the flavors became more assertive and yet the tea kept its smooth demeanor. It hasn’t become earthy, though, as much as it has become more vegetative. I can taste grassy tones. The aforementioned buttery texture is still there, and I can taste a buttery flavor as well. There are still flowery tones to this tea, but they are a little less distinct with the emergence of the grassy flavor. Still incredibly sweet and delicious.
In the last two infusions (infusions five and six … I suspect that these leaves could very well have submitted even more, but, I was content with the six infusions), I began to note a savory flavor emerge. It was still quite sweet, but there was a savory tone in the background that provided a nice contrast to the sweetness. There are still floral notes. The grassy flavor has mellowed slightly, making for an even smoother taste. There is less buttery flavor to these infusions, but the sweetness remains. If anything, I think the sweetness becomes more intense.
Now, as I sit and contemplate this exquisite tea, I can’t help but think back to those first few Pu-erh experiences with a bit of sadness. If only they had tasted like this Pu-erh…