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KiwiDelight drank 2012 Bulang Gushu "Ancient Tree" Shou / Ripe Puerh by Crimson Lotus Tea

371 tasting notes

This review is based off of my third time sitting with this shou. Had a gongfu session with a ruyao gaiwan. 30 second rinse (this piece was tough to decompress). I didn’t bother to keep track of steeping times. It kicked the bucket at around number 10 (ten minutes).

Why?? Why does it have to be overcast/rainy on weekends and when I have time off, but sunny when I have work?? I was planning on finishing off my sample this morning. I guess the timing couldn’t have been better. Other than damp earth and loam, the wet leaf aroma has a note of intense cocoa. The burgundy soup has a full and rich body, and a thick, creamy texture. It’s a bit cloudy for about seven infusions but clears becomes clear afterward. Super chocolately – one of the most chocolate-filled shous I"ve had. Later in the session I also taste prunes and raisins, especially prominent in the aftertaste.

Consistently rich, chocolately, and creamy – this is my kind of shou. I’m in a good mood today.

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Preparation

Boiling 8 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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2 comments

Crimson Lotus Tea
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It’s sunny here today for some reason. Odd for a Seattle winter. That shou should be a good uplift for the overcast days though. :-)

KiwiDelight
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It sure was!

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Crimson Lotus Tea
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It’s sunny here today for some reason. Odd for a Seattle winter. That shou should be a good uplift for the overcast days though. :-)

KiwiDelight
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It sure was!

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Bio

I began drinking tea because its complexity fascinated me. I love learning about its history, its manufacturing processes, and its place in various cultures.

Japanese greens were my first love and gateway into the world.

My favorite teas are leafhopper oolongs, pu’erh (shou and sheng), and masala chai. My favorite herbal tisanes are spear/peppermint, lavender and chrysanthemum.

I’m currently exploring pu’erh, and any Chinese and Taiwanese teas in general. I’m not much into flavored teas, unlike when I first started. The only teas I truly dislike are fruity tisanes and the ones that have too much fruit. I do like hisbiscus, especially iced.

I like to write nature essays. I’m a birdwatcher as well as a tea enthusiast. The kiwi is one of my favorite birds. I also like Tolkien, Ancient Egypt, and exercising.

IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: After two and a half years of having an account here, I will no longer will provide numerical ratings as an addition to the review because the American school system has skewed my thoughts on numbers out of a hundred and the colors throw me off. Curses! My words are more than sufficient. If I really like what I have, I will “recommend”, and if I don’t, “not recommended”.

Key for past ratings:

96-100 I adore absolutely everything about it. A permanent addition to my stash.

90-95 Superb quality and extremely enjoyable, but not something I’d necessarily like to have in my stash (might have to do with personal tastes, depending on what I say in the tasting note).

80-89 Delicious! Pleased with the overall quality.

70-79 Simply, I like it. There are qualities that I find good, but there also are things that aren’t, hence a lower rating that I would have otherwise like to put.

60-69 Overall “meh”. Not necessarily bad, but not necessarily good.

0-59 No.

If there is no rating: I don’t feel experienced enough to rate the tea, or said tea just goes beyond rating (in a positive way).