In Nature, White Moon Puerh Tea

In Nature Description:
The White Moon, also known as Yue Bai Guan, is an exceptional blend, as it has very soothing and aromatic properties, while offering an endless amount of health properties. This Fresh Puerh has its roots in the old tradition of the Yun Nan Region where the locals are dedicated to cultivating and finding new blends of its most popular teas, the Puerh.

A delicious treat, White Moon tea is fresh and can be enjoyed hot or cold.

My Review:

I’m glad to be at work today. Well, I am kind of just glad to be. Ok, it’s not that serious. It stormed all night. Usually that knocks me out, but last night I couldn’t sleep. It was very dark and pouring this morning, when I left home. The lightning was awesome. I live on a one lane road about a half mile off the highway. This morning it was like driving through the jungle. Leaves, limbs, puddles. Puddles? Puddles! I haven’t seen one of those in ages. Now they are everywhere. I get to the highway, thinking I got it made, except the road is so black and wet. There is steam hovering just above the pavement. Am I in my lane? Am I going to drive into the ditch? I don’t know. I can’t see… Here comes a car. Now I really can’t see. I hope they can. Then the lightning strobes and it lights the world up like daylight for a moment. Followed by the dark. My eyes aren’t adjusting fast enough. What a ride. Made it safely. I need tea.

This type tea as I understand it, has only been around for about 10 years. It is very unusual in that it does not readily fit into a normal tea classification. It is picked like a white tea, and frankly it looks and smells like white tea. It is allowed to whither, but not in the sunlight. That means it does oxidize somewhere between a green and a black. Then it is post fermented like a puerh. This is not from the province of Puerh, so technically it is a dark tea, which simply means post fermented, and not puerh.

The leaf on this is very cool. Some of it is very silver like fine white tea. Some of it is very dark like black. The scent of the dry leaf is fresh hay. I used my wooden spatula to extract a scoop and a half for this tasting as the leaf is large and fluffy. The water was heated to just boiling. This was hard for me to do because I am thinking white tea which takes much cooler water for a good tasting cup. This is puerh which takes boiling water. The instructions say to do a rinse. I did not. I steeped for two minutes instead of the recommended three – four. I am such a rebel.

The brew is a deep golden color in my press. It looks darker in the cup. The fragrance is like a field of wild flowers. Yeah, I know, it sounds awesome. It is. The taste is very similar to white peony but heavier. White peony is very subdued and delicate. This is like its rock and roll cousin, though it is still delicate compared to a black or typical puerh. As the cup cools, I notice a light smoke flavor. At first I thought it was my imagination, but the cooler the cup got the more it could be tasted. I like it.

The second cup remains white tea flavored. The smoke is not present in this cup as it cools. This is developing a sweetness. There is no hint of astringency.

The third cup has a even deeper more complex flavor. This is the first cup that I really notice any earthy raw puerh traits. Still no hint of astringency.

Cup number four has wonderful creamy feel. The taste has a mild nuttiness. It is no longer white tea but has morphed into warm earthy tones. There is no hint of bitterness or astringency. This is just mellow goodness.

Cup five (all 12oz) continues with a some of the white tea traits returning. Pretty sure this would go another round but I am stopping here.

If you like white tea and are terrified of puerh, then this is your tea. I know you hear that all the time. I am serious. There is nothing scary or unfamiliar about White Moon, and it just happens to be really good.
This wonderful sample was provided by In Nature.

Visit In Nature website.

sTEAp Shoppe, Antioxidant Berry Burst

sTEAp Shoppe Description:
Young Hyson Green Tea Antioxidant Berry Burst is the perfect way to drink you green tea. Lingonberry, Raspberry and Goji berry with metabolism busting Cinnamon. This is the perfect way to start drinking green tea or for the green tea lover to enhance their experience.

Young Hyson Green Tea, Goji Berry, Raspberry, Cinnamon, Organice Wild Lingonberry

My Review:
sTEAp Shoppe offered 20 of us on Steepster the opportunity to sample their tea and participate in a live virtual tea tasting held on the forum September 23, 2012.
I was confused by this one. I expected it to be my favorite of the samples. I had a preconceived idea of what this would taste like without knowing what was in it. So, I set myself up for failure. To me, while this was quite fruity, it went through my senses as a mishmash of flavors. I couldn’t figure out what I was tasting. Then I read the ingredients on the website and found out I was tasting raspberry and lingonberry. What is this lingonberry? I know no lingonberry. Next, I read the always valuable reviews on Steepster.

Now that I have a better idea of what is in this blend and how others perceived it, I thought I would have another go at it. Steeped per instructions. The brew has a slight purple tint. There is a very light tartness that I now know comes from the lingonberry. I taste a fair bit of cinnamon. The main flavor though, and the one I couldn’t separate out before, is raspberry. That should be obvious but it blends seamlessly with the gojiberry and other ingredients to where my unsophisticated palate couldn’t place what I was tasting. If this were decaf my wife would probably love this. It is not something I would buy but I would never turn down a cup if offered. I think it is tasty, it just doesn’t grab my interest. Thanks sTEAp Shoppe for the sample.

Visit sTEAp Shoppe here.

sTEAp Shoppe, Smokey Mountain sTEAp

sTEAp Shoppe Description:
This is a smoky robust Tea is a blend of Organic Lapsang Souchong, Organic Se Chung Special Oolong, Organic Assam flowery Orange Pekoe. Each tea brings it’s own flavor profile and combined they create a smoky floral tea. With the addition of Chicory you will experience a coffee like tannins, Organic Cocoa Nibs & Organic Vanilla Bean introduce a smooth rich flavor and aroma and the Fenugreek seed helps bring all these unique flavors together as one with it’s milky sweet flavor. This tea has a muted smokey flavor yet rich and creamy with coffee undertones.

Organic Lapsang Souchong, Organic Se Chung Special Oolong, Organic Assam flowery Orange Pekoe,Chicory, Organic Cocoa Nibs, Organic Vanilla Bean, Fenugreek seed. Naturally Caffeinated

My Review:
sTEAp Shoppe offered 20 of us on Steepster the opportunity to sample their tea and participate in a live virtual tea tasting held on the forum September 23, 2012. This was an unexpected bonus tea sample for all of us.

Looking at the dry leaf you can tell it has pieces of vanilla and cocoa nibs. It also has lapsang soushong and oolong for the tea base. Interesting.

In the sip, the smoke is heavy by my standards, but it isn’t overwhelming and it never feels like someone dumped an ashtray in your cup. This is a good kind of smoky. It blends really well with the other flavors. There is a bite in the back of the throat. The smell, the bite, and the aftertaste remind me of rooibos – though this is better and more complex. A few more sips and now this reminds me of the smell of sawdust when you are running a dull circular saw through a fresh piece of pine – kind of woodsy, kind of burnt.

In cup two the smoke does not diminish, rather the oolong just comes out of hiding a little more. It gives it a nice floral note. The throat bite is not so noticeable in this cup. This is maybe even a little better than the first. If not better, at least different. Nice.

I went three cups with this one. It was lighter than the first two. Though the smoke still stands out this is a civilized cup. A pleasant ending to this tea.

One thing I noted is that if you let the cup get cold, the taste of this tea perks up even more.

It is pretty intense. Unless you are a huge smoky tea fan, I am not sure you would want it everyday. That being said, it is different than the normal fare and just happens to be really good.
 

Visit sTEAp Shoppe here.

sTEAp Shoppe, Green Apple Tea

sTEAp Shoppe Description:

Gun Powder Loose Leaf Green Tea combined with the brain boosting power of Ginko Biloba with the alertness only mint can bring makes for a spectacular day at the top of your game. A caffeinated, vibrant brain boosting cup of wonderful tea.

Green tea, Peppermint Leaf, Ginko Biloba Leaf and Stevia Leaf. Naturally Caffeinated

My Review:
sTEAp Shoppe offered 20 of us on Steepster the opportunity to sample their tea and participate in a live virtual tea tasting held on the forum September 23, 2012.

The dry leaf looks pretty fine in my sample. I am suspecting it got a bit crushed in the mail. It smells kind of like ginger (kind of peppery). I used a large spoon for my mug and heated water for green tea and steeped for 3 minutes.

As soon as water hit the leaf I could smell mint. I am not a fan of spearmint in tea, or candy, or even gum. It’s just not my thing. Surprise, this is peppermint! Peppermint I like. The brew is golden green in the press and a bit darker in the mug.

The sip is interesting. The mint is the main flavor, then directly under it is a peppery ginger flavor. There is no ginger listed so this must be the ginko biloba I am tasting. This has a sweetness to it from the stevia leaf. The green tea fills out the flavor, Green tea and mint are in the aftertaste.

If I were to ever want to sip mint tea this is one I would definitely consider. Bonus it leaves your breath feeling minty cool.

Visit sTEAp Shoppe here.

sTEAp Shoppe, Mind Boost Mint Tea

sTEAp Shoppe Description:
Gun Powder Loose Leaf Green Tea combined with the brain boosting power of Ginko Biloba with the alertness only mint can bring makes for a spectacular day at the top of your game. A caffeinated, vibrant brain boosting cup of wonderful tea.

Green tea, Peppermint Leaf, Ginko Biloba Leaf and Stevia Leaf. Naturally Caffeinated

My Review:
sTEAp Shoppe offered 20 of us on Steepster the opportunity to sample their tea and participate in a live virtual tea tasting held on the forum September 23, 2012.

The dry leaf looks pretty fine in my sample. I am suspecting it got a bit crushed in the mail. It smells kind of like ginger (kind of peppery). I used a large spoon for my mug and heated water for green tea and steeped for 3 minutes.

As soon as water hit the leaf I could smell mint. I am not a fan of spearmint in tea, or candy, or even gum. It’s just not my thing. Surprise, this is peppermint! Peppermint I like. The brew is golden green in the press and a bit darker in the mug.

The sip is interesting. The mint is the main flavor, then directly under it is a peppery ginger flavor. There is no ginger listed so this must be the ginko biloba I am tasting. This has a sweetness to it from the stevia leaf. The green tea fills out the flavor, Green tea and mint are in the aftertaste.

If I were to ever want to sip mint tea this is one I would definitely consider. Bonus it leaves your breath feeling minty cool.

Visit sTEAp Shoppe here.

Esgreen, 2009 Ripe/Shu Zhuan Tea Brick

Esgreen Description:
This tea cake is made for celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China. Totally 5688 pcs available. A rare 500g large brick. Very collectible

Shape: Zhuan Cha/Tea Brick
Type: Shu Cha Ripe/Cooked
Vintage Year: 2009
Weight: 500g
The Region of Harvest: Yunnan Province, China
Plant Type: Yunnan Big Leaf Bush
Tea Factory: Gu Jia Tea Factory
Brand: Mai Jing

My Review:
I need to start with an explanation. The sample label was mistyped as 2005. This is a 2009 vintage ripe puerh. I only point this out as I think the title of this page at the top of your screen may show the wrong date. If so, sorry, it happens, and I don't see an easy Blogger fix. If it reads correctly, ignore my babbling.

This is the fourth sample I have tried supplied by Esgreen. The generous sample was a solid chunk of brick but it came apart pretty easy. The leaf color reminds me of walnut shell with bits of milk chocolate mixed in. I used about 4g based on my guess that this is a 12g sample. I poured a small amount of boiling water over the leaf and swished for a few seconds then poured it off. I seldom do a rinse but this leaf seems so solid I thought I should soften it first.

After the rinse, I waited maybe 30 seconds for the leaf to awaken, then poured boiling water over it. I steeped for one minute. The brew seemed light caramel with ruby tints until I moved the press and the heavier dark brew in the bottom mixed with the lighter top layer. Now it is all dark ruby tinted. The nose is heavy earthy leather. A bit musty.

The sip is much lighter than I was expecting. It is leather with a lighter wood taste that tingles the sides of the tongue. As it cools the whole inside of my mouth is tingling. It is very sweet and feels gooey. Yep, that’s my technical term for it. The feel is not milk or cream but it has substance – so it’s gooey. The slightly musty earthy aroma mixed with the sweet leather taste is a good combination.

The aftertaste is strong leather that quickly dissolves into sweetness. There is a sense of coolness on the breath. This could just be coincidence, but my lungs feel more open and I can breath more freely.

Cup two at one minute is very similar to the first however, the flavor is a little more intense.

Cup three at two minutes yields a darker cup. In the press it still has a ruby tinted caramel color. In the mug it looks like coffee. It is bright and clear, shiny with no oily film. This is not getting weaker, just more mellow. This is the best cup so far.

Keep in mind, I use a hybrid brewing method. Eastern brewing usually involves a large amount of leaf in a tiny gaiwan of about 100ml (about 4oz) and flash steeps of 10-15 seconds. Using a gaiwan, I would be nine cups into this tasting at this point. Traditional western brewing uses a teapot of multiple cups and 3-4 minute steeps. I am using my press and 12oz water (about 350ml).

At this point I spread out the leaf in the bottom of the press and removed the lid so it could dry and left it till morning.

Cup four on day two is a little lighter in color and feels like melted chocolate on the lips. The taste is mellow leather with a mineral finish and subtle hints of chocolate. Better than yesterday. A good start to the day.

With cup five the leather has disappeared, to be replaced by a light metallic mineral taste,. This is still a flavorful cup.

I am stopping with cup six (that’s 72oz total). I steeped this for four minutes. The brew is lighter in color but still plenty dark. This is mushroom, a hint of leather, and light chocolate.

I thought this one started a bit ordinary. As I continued to brew, it morphed through some interesting changes. A nice shu.

Visit the Esgreen web site.

Esgreen, 2000 Liu An Dark Tea

Esgreen Description:
Shape: Loose Leaf
Category: Dark Tea
Vintage Year: 2000
Weight: Around 450g(1lb)/Bamboo Basket
The Region of Harvest: Si Hui City, Anhui Province, China
Tea Factory: Cha Yuan Tea Factory

A traditional Liu An dark tea recipe. Very special and different from Guang Xi dark tea. This tea was wrapped tightly into a bamboo basket. The loose leaves of this tea are strong and tight. The tea soup is clean in dark amber color. And the flavor is earthy with a very special mint note. Smooth and sweet. This tea has been stored since 2000. 12 yeas vintage makes it really mild and mellow. Very comfortable in stomach.

Another interest thing about this tea is, if you don't like the typical earthy flavor of dark tea, you could tear off part of the wrapping bamboo leave and brew it together with the tea leaves. The bamboo leave will give you a very fresh yet very special tasting experience.

My Review:
I love it when a tea causes you to ask questions and do research. This sample from Esgreen had me scratching my head. What is it? How do I prepare it? The sample contained a generous chunk of loosely compressed leaf. It looks like puerh, so why is it called dark tea? There were also a couple large strands of bamboo leaf in the sample. Why? Do I use it or is it just for looks?

Here is what I think to be correct. All puerh is dark tea but not all dark tea is puerh. Dark tea refers to the method of post fermenting the tea leaf. Puerh refers to a specific region in China where the tea is grown. This tea originates from the Anhui Province. Once the tea is compressed it is wrapped in bamboo for aging and storage. The bamboo does add a light flavor, if brewed with the leaf.

Ok, on with the tea-

I took half the sample and half the bamboo, and placed it in my press. This calls for a rinse to wake up the leaf. I chose not to do this. Instead I increased the first steep time slightly. I used boiling water and about a 30 second steep. There is a mild earthy nose to the liquor which is medium orange/brown.

The sip is interesting. I wish I had more experience to better describe it to you. The first thoughts I had were mellow and rich. Those two descriptions don’t seem to go together but you have to trust me on this one. When it is hot it has a pleasant earthiness to it and only hints at leather. There is a slight tingle on the sides of the tongue but this is not bitter and does not seem the least astringent. It seems to coat the entire mouth with a sense of slickness though not in an oily way. I am also getting a feeling of grit (slick and grit - two more descriptions that shouldn’t go together). I hate to use the term because there is nothing gritty in the tea. This is a sensation not an actual thing. This may be the bamboo or the lack of a rinse to wake up the leaf. As it cools the earthiness and grit subsides and the leather picks up. I also notice a cooling like menthol or mint would give, without the actual flavor.

Mug two is a lot like the first except there is a bright note like wood. I am not sure what element the bamboo is adding so I am going to remove it for the next cup and see how that changes the profile.

Mug three has a beautiful caramel orange tint. It is clear and almost sparkly. The bright wood flavor is not present. On cup four I will but the bamboo back in to verify that is what it adds to the profile. This is nice mix of earth and leather. It is getting a little sweeter each time. A really good cup.

The bright wood note is back with the fourth mug. I am now convinced this is the flavor the bamboo adds. It is quite a bit milder now and mixes well with the sweet cup.

Esgreen says this will steep up to 10 times. Maybe so, but I am sloshing when I move from 48oz of tea, so this is where I call it quits. This is one of, if not the, most interesting post fermented teas I have yet reviewed. At $19/lb this is an excellent value.

Visit the Esgreen web site.