New me, new tea....

After years of this blog being stale.  I have decided to post here again for my journey through this new life.  New reviews will be up for Matcha.  Stay tuned.....

2001 Yiwu Zhengshan Old Tree Pu-erh Tea (Spirit of Yiwu)

2001 CNNP Yiwu Zhengshan Old Tree Pu-erh (易武正山)

This is a lightly aged authentic CNNP (China National Native Produce and Animal By-products Imp. And Exp. Corp., Yunnan Branch) product. The liquor has started to show a beautiful reddish/amber color and quite pleasing to the eye, not cloudy or hazy but truly wonderful. The taste was woody and floral, smooth and lasting, with a silky finish.

It is regretable that the tea is still a great tea, but it was damaged by rough handling during the shipping. The original packing was smashed badly. Now we offer it at 20% off.

• Pu-erh Tea Cake 357g/12.6 ounces
• Unfermented or raw
• Vintage 2001
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate

My thoughts:

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

5th Infusion - 15sec

6th Infusion - 25sec

7th Infusion - 45sec

8th Infusion - 60sec

The smell of this soup is a honey floral scent. With a beautiful golden amber color. I can now respect Puerh to the biggest extent. All my other reviews were on 1 - 2 year old shengs with the majority of bitterness. This one is almost 9 years old and there is a major difference here.

It is amazing to see the aging process take effect on sheng. This is one delicious treat. There is no bitterness at all. Drinking this puerh is very smooth and sweet. There was a hint of honey and wood. The aftertaste was as if there was honey resting in my throat.

Qi - This puerh gave me a strong buzz, but mellowed out.

This is one you would want to purchase. Normally it would cost $47.00, but due being damaged this aged sheng is $37.60 I am going to jump on this one shortly.

Rating: 8.75/10

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

2006 Arbor Yinhao Tuocha (Year of Green Puerh)

Premium Arbor Silver Buds Tuocha

This is a small tuocha made of raw materials from Mengku, Lincang area. The infused liquor is very aromatic and has a pretty and clear golden color. Good sweetness and a light pungency go nicely hand in hand.

Vintage 2006

Factory Kunming Chuncheng Tea Factory

Form Tuocha

Genre Shen/Green/un-Cooked/Unfermented

Typical Weight 50 g

• Model: Yinhao tuocha - 6111
• Manufactured by: Chuncheng Tea Factory
  

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 15sec then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 12sec
2nd Infusion - 10sec
3rd Infusion - 15sec
4th Infusion - 20sec

5th Infusion - 20sec

6th Infusion - 65sec

7th Infusion - 60sec

8th Infusion - 120sec

This is my first puerh having first thing in the morning. The scent of the wet leaves was the normal beautiful light floral scent. The first cup's color was light amber with a little bit of cloudiness.

Taste: At first was very astringent and mildly sweet. This sheng has a nice and smooth aftertaste.

QI - The feeling of sitting back from myself.

This is my first having 8 servings all the way through. By the time the 8th serving came, the flavor had left and didn't say goodbye.

In conclusion, this is one of the best sheng I have tasted to date. These tuocha's are affordable and delicious. What are you doing reading this still? Go get some of this goodness.

Rating: 8/10

2007 Old Banzhang Arbor Pu-erh Tea (Year of Green Puerh)

Yunnan Pu-erh Tea (老班章乔木生饼)
Year of Green Puerh tasting kit - Puerhshop

Puerhshop description:

This cake is made by using 2007 Spring materials. The naturely tea leaves with large portion of tips and buds are plucked, panned and kneaded, sun-dried in an open field, and then steamed, finally compressed into a fine tea cake all by hand.

You might say, another 'Old Banzhang', also 'Arbor' (Qiao Mu)? It cannt be good if it sells at such a low price! Our take on this cake is that it was mis-labeled and exaggerated by a small tea factory. For its price, it is truly a bargain, considering our sinking dollar and uprising inflation. A tea is a tea, how bad it can get. You may even like it.

• Green Pu-erh Tea
  
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Medium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Manufactured by: Yunnan Shiyuan Tea Factory
• Model: Old Banzhang Arbor - 4368
  

My thoughts:

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

The scent of the wet leaves had a floral/honey mixture. This time I did get a hint of what I thought was melon.

There was some bitterness with this tea. Tasted like a TKY x 3, with a less buttery taste. Nice and smooth flowing through my mouth. The aftertaste was the usual, young sheng bitter but nice.

The color was a nice golden amber as you can see in the picture.

Qi = There was slight tingling and zoning out, with a warmth sensation in my chest. Slight perspiration.

This was a nice experience in whole. Put on some relaxing music and sip this stuff and you will be mellowed out.

This cake is available now for $11.20 from the Puershop. Not a bad deal, I think I might have to pick this one up.

Rating: 7.5/10

2007 Menghai Jewel Pu-erh Tea (Pride of Menghai)

Yunnan Menghai Jewel Pu-erh Tea

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop

This cake is a QS certified Green product made by Nanqiao Tea Factory, a tea factory located in Menghai, Xishuangbanna. As a batch # 701 product it uses 2007 early Spring raw material with a real nice floral smell, and the aroma was very soothing. It had variable hints of honey, floral, fresh grass and the slightest melon.

It is a Gold award winner in Chengdu like Nanqiao 753, some believes that it would become a prized collectable.

• Manufactured by: Nanqiao Tea Factory
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Model: Nanqiao Menghai Jewel - 217

My thoughts:

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

The aroma coming off the wet leaves has a nice scent of floral, hint of sweet honey, and I got nothing of melon.

The first sip hit me with bitterness, and a strong flow. The liquid has a potent aftertaste while swallowing. Left a lingering peppery buttery taste on my tongue way after finishing the last cup.

The color was a beautiful golden liquor.

There were no "qi" effects for this puerh.

This is a 2007 puerh and has the potential to be something big a few years down the road. For right now, I am going to put this one on the shelf and age a bit.

Rating: 6/10

2007 Bulang Spring Tips Pu-erh Tea Cake (Pride of Menghai)

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop
Yunnan Bulang Spring Tips Pu-erh Tea (布郎春尖生饼)

Puerhshop description:

This cake is made by using 2007 Spring materials. The naturely tea leaves (mostly buds and tips) are plucked, panned and kneaded, sun-dried in an open field, and then steamed, finally compressed into a fine tea cake.

It brews a golden liquor with refreshing floral scent, a great starter tea cake because of its value. It beats drinking a green tea!

• Manufactured by: Yunnan Shiyuan Tea Factory
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 20sec

This sheng is probably the best I have had so far. The leaves after the 1st infusion had a hint of honey and flowers. There was barely any bitterness with this one. Has a very smooth finish to it.

Qi - This tea had a nice mellow sensation. No tingling or spacing out.

The soup has a very nice golden amber color.

Rating: 7.75/10