Sunday, June 22, 2008

2007 Menghai Feet of Crab Pu-erh Tea (Year of Green Puerh)

Yunnan Crab's Leg Pu-erh Tea (勐海螃蟹脚茶饼)
Year of Green Puerh tasting kit - Puerhshop


Puerhshop description:

There is a special plant that grows on the ancient tea tree called Crab Legs or Feet of Crab, since its shape of the stems looks like a crab’s legs. Another name of this plant is known as Unicorn Grass. It is claimed that it has many health benefits, for example, get rid of poisons, strength the body, thin the blood and reduce high blood pressure. This cake is made by mixing some feet of crabs with premium Menghai tea leaves. Most feet of crab tea cakes are just spreading a layer of Crab Legs on the surface of the cake to cut the cost, this cake, however, is tightly compressed with the Crab Legs inside out. The Crab Leg by itself is expensive.

This is a great value at current price. Highly recommended to Pu-erh tea collectors.

  • Green Pu-erh Tea
  • Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
  • Premium class
  • Loose tea leaves
  • Caffeine: Moderate
  • Special-Reserve
  • Model: Feet of crab - 4688
  • Manufactured by: Chuncheng Tea Factory

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

5th Infusion - 30sec

6th Infusion - 20sec

7th Infusion - 30sec

8th Infusion - 60sec

Im not really sure where to start with this one. The color of the soup was orange golder color, with a mild floral scent.

The taste of this sheng is very very young. What I mean by that is that it is very potent. The astringency or bitterness has blown the roof off. The aftertaste is the same, just alot of bitterness.

I am not sure if I put too much in. I covered about 1/4 of the gaiwan, but after my last serving, the gaiwan was up to the brim with leaves.

Qi - I broke a slight sweat, and had that same drawn back feeling. More like when your lost in the moment, but mellowed out.

By the time I got to my 8th serving, I have had enought of that powerful bitterness and was ready to throw it all away. But I know that wouldn't be right, it just needs some time to age.

I am going to try this again in a few years and hopefully that bitterness will have left the building.

Rating: 5/10


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Rob,

thanks for the nice review.
Just so you know, Crab's Feet is not really tea!
At least it is not Camellia Sinensis, but a different plant that grows on the tea trees! I got some too, I'm looking forward to trying it.

Regards Michael