I have been doing my best to remain open to every single tea I try, as usually only after I write of an entire category of teas do I find one that makes me stand back and reconsider the entire category. This is a sample I received with my last order from the Mandarins tea room, I think I got a few extra samples due to an inventory mix up with one of the teas I ordered. But I am really glad he included it though I am a bit sad for my bank account, I was just about ready to write off all Cooked Puerhs, and puerhs that include cooked among raw leaves such as this brick from the 80's.
But I do not know if it is the cold wet rainy weather out side that is making me enjoy this thoroughly warming earthy tea so much, but for my current mood it seems absolutely perfect. Its coming across as so incredibly smooth with a good bit of camphor and herbs adding the edge that draws you into the taste sensation completely.
So I am on Electric Hotplate take 3, after having the last electric hotplate I bought die on my after about a month, I was hesitant to buy another but my new one came across highly reviewed, especially among people who use it for tea. So I am back in the habit of using my Lins kettle. So I feel more comfortable digging into the few aged puerh samples I have and a young Puerh sample I got from the Official Teachat Tasting Initiative that I am highly eager to try as to my understanding it is not available for sale, but it is a Nannou from The Mandarins private collection.
5 comments:
I also love when a new tea challenges my tastebuds and ideas on tea. I recall my first encounter with a basic green tea, I thought it tasted like grass and immediately hated it. But I kept sipping and came to love its freshness. Of course your example is a more challenging taste! How did you get into tea? Where did you learn so much about it?
Josue and Sarah,
Things that are a completely new taste us can illicit a wide variety of reactions, and sometimes all it takes is a little bit of experimentation and a little bit of "stubbornness" with not giving up on it initially.
I got into tea rather slowly, I started drinking many tea bags, often several times a day especially in winter, then I started to explore loose leaf tea a bit. But then one day it just sort of clicked and tea was no longer just something I drank, it was something that was viewed almost as a necessity.
"Smooth, camphor, herbs," yes! -- hadn't focused on the tastes until I read your review. I'm sorry MTR says it's not in stock any longer, darn. I also suffered a bit of mix-up in my order from MTR, but his teas are amazing.
...Amazing...Exquisite, rather, and lovely presentation, rapid shipping, and quick, courteous response to any questions or problems. I can still barely believe the way TMT knows tea, makes instructions and tasting notes available, and offers others a chance to learn so much.
At first I had the same problem with all green teas, but after a while it went away. Greens can still feel harsh sometimes. Did you experiment again with this one, and did leaf amount make the difference?
Rebekah,
I have not placed another order with The Mandarin Tea Room since I tried this sample, and the sample I got was really only enough tea for one session, a long session though, but still only one session.
I am sure I will end up trying this tea again in the future, but as of yet I have yet to have gotten back to trying this tea.
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