Tea and Zen

This is part of my Sample Demolition: Verdant Tea series.

Dry leaf

This is the first time I've ever tasted Shu. In the past when I've had Puerh it's always been Sheng. This being so, I am surprised how crumbly this Shu is compared to Sheng? I don't know if that is normal or not, but it is what it is. I was met with a lightly, smokey scent mingled with something sweet that reminded me of Elderberries and honey or vanilla. Those two notes have been popping up a lot in the tea I'm drinking lately regardless of the type/origin. Honey and/or honeysuckle is very common, but elderberries, not as much.

Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect other than a Lapsang-like flavor with a hint of the aforementioned.

I was pretty close.

Liquor

Since Puerh is a fairly unexplored area for me, take this review with a grain of salt, especially considering this is the first time I'm trying Shu, at least I've had Sheng before.

I rinsed the leaves twice, 100C water, and 5g/120ml, 20sec for the first steep and added 10sec to each additional brewing.

Cups 1-5

The first cup did remind me of Lapsang Souchong, but less potent. I've never been a huge fan of that tea, but it wasn't bad here. The elderberry and vanilla/honey from the aroma was evident in the taste. It was a little woody, reminded me of oak with a hint of nutmeg. The mouthfeel was very smooth with a light astringency. So far, nothing to hoot about.

The second cup was the same. This wasn't a good sign since usually, when a tea doesn't begin to improve on the second or third, it's "meh." That's how I've felt from the beginning.

In the third cup, the smokiness increased a little but that was about it. The sweetness lingers on the sides of my tongue and the back of my throat. It's not very often that sweetness will cling to the top of my pallet at the back of my throat, but it did here.

The fourth and fifth were yet again the same.

Steeping leaves

Cups 6-10/Rating

Since I wasn't getting much from +10 seconds, I began to add 15s.

It didn't help. At this sixth cup it was still exactly the same as the first cup. This is when I finalized my decision that this tea was "okay." Very average. I'd give it a 5. It's not bad, but there is nothing special about it either. Needless to say, the following four cups were basically the same. I think it's nice that it made it through 10 brewings. But, it had very little complexity as it's flavor remained the same, the flavors didn't mingle with each other much, the body was nothing special to me, the aroma was sub-par (but not bad), and the tea never flowered into anything worth mentioning.

Wet leaves

Perhaps if I had used 5g/50ml this tea would've been better, perhaps not. The world may never know. The website recommends 4g/150ml so I feel it is safe to assume no.

Before tossing the leaves I did a few cold brewings. Not bad iced. I actually liked it better this way, though just as with the hot, it tasted the same, except I was able to pick up on notes of nutmeg.

If you're interested in buying this tea, you can purchase it here.