drank Unknown Puerh by Red Leaf Tea
3462 tasting notes

When Red Leaf made this puerh packet available to us way back when they said they were including a large number of cubes of puerh and one very fine quality tuo cha. I have logged the “every day” type and now I am finally having the good stuff.

This is a shu. I gave it a rinse and it was still quite compact. I gave it a longish first steep, maybe 35 seconds. The resulting tea was medium brown but tasty. The tuo cha fell apart at that point and the next steep was maybe four seconds, yet the tea was nearly black! At no point in the many steeps we drank did it ever become bitter or hard edged, though. It was lightly earthy with the very faintest horse barn and definitely no fishy aroma or taste. And when it finally gave up, it really gave up! One steep was dark and then BOOM! Pale. I knew it was time to retire these leaves, but the three of us enjoyed a liter of good shu out of that little bitty tuo cha.

Confession time: I am going to Ireland on Sunday. I have never been on a plane. I have no rain gear or luggage. I need shoes. I am about to panic and am wondering if I will get airsick which would be absolutely humiliating.

Also, I am a homebody. I love being home. I don’t want to start wishing I was back here in just four days when I am staying two weeks.

Suggest some places for a quick little plane ride that would be fun to see. We really love the countryside and small towns more than big cities and someone suggested Sterling, Scotland. Any other suggestions from you well-travelled Steepsterites? Any travel suggestions?

caile

I don’t have any travel suggestions, but I wish you a safe and enjoyable trip! :)

Terri HarpLady

Have an awesome trip!

boychik

You will not be airsick. The planes are awesome nowadays. I only suggest to have a gum or hard candy in the beginning and at the end when you land. Enjoy your trip!

Cwyn

I’ve been to England on the cheap but not Ireland. Take one luggage bag, a small one, and make sure it has wheels. I found I had to walk a lot with my luggage, train depots have stairs. Elevators and escalators are not ubiquitous like they are here, we North Americans have to walk far less when we travel here. I brought wash and wear clothes and was glad I did, dryers don’t work as well over there and wash machines reek with mildew, I hand washed with soap leaves. Unless you bring your own teapot, I brought Folgers coffee in tea bags, I didn’t find good tea at all.

yyz

Lost my first note so I’ll try again. So many destinations are available to you within a short flight from Dublin. Even to go as far as Croatia is under 3 hours and Turkey is just over 4. The summer I lived there my coworkers and I travelled to various places throughout Europe and North Africa, so if these destinations interest you, you are most likely limited by cost, frequency of flights, and or documentation. Within Ireland we mostly travelled by ground transportation. Belfast is only 2 he’s a way and cork about three.

If you enjoy hiking there are two popular trails accessible on the dart system. http://www.irishtrails.ie/Trail/Howth—-Bog-of-Frogs-loop/110/ and http://www.irishtrails.ie/Trail/Bray-to-Greystones—-Cliff-walk/654/. Popular trips among my coworkers were to the Giants causeway, the cliffs of Mother, the ring of Kerry or the Dingle Peninsula, Cork and Waterford, but really there are many towns and historical sites that are within an easy distance of Dublin.

Cwyn

I’m a shameless tourist, would love to see Avoca where Ballykissangel was filmed.

ashmanra

Thank you, everyone! I am hoping to be in Dublin long enough at the very beginning to hit a tea shop and get something good!

gmathis

Earplugs are useful, both on plane and in unfamiliar hotels. So excited for you!

Donna A

Ireland is absolutely on my bucket list. Spent 2 1/2 weeks along the Mosel and Rhine rivers in August and loved the towns and small cities in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and France. So bicycle and walker friendly. And all the people were super friendly. My husband also loved Scotland a few years ago but I wasn’t able to go. I think you’ll have a great time, especially if you get out into the smaller towns.

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Comments

caile

I don’t have any travel suggestions, but I wish you a safe and enjoyable trip! :)

Terri HarpLady

Have an awesome trip!

boychik

You will not be airsick. The planes are awesome nowadays. I only suggest to have a gum or hard candy in the beginning and at the end when you land. Enjoy your trip!

Cwyn

I’ve been to England on the cheap but not Ireland. Take one luggage bag, a small one, and make sure it has wheels. I found I had to walk a lot with my luggage, train depots have stairs. Elevators and escalators are not ubiquitous like they are here, we North Americans have to walk far less when we travel here. I brought wash and wear clothes and was glad I did, dryers don’t work as well over there and wash machines reek with mildew, I hand washed with soap leaves. Unless you bring your own teapot, I brought Folgers coffee in tea bags, I didn’t find good tea at all.

yyz

Lost my first note so I’ll try again. So many destinations are available to you within a short flight from Dublin. Even to go as far as Croatia is under 3 hours and Turkey is just over 4. The summer I lived there my coworkers and I travelled to various places throughout Europe and North Africa, so if these destinations interest you, you are most likely limited by cost, frequency of flights, and or documentation. Within Ireland we mostly travelled by ground transportation. Belfast is only 2 he’s a way and cork about three.

If you enjoy hiking there are two popular trails accessible on the dart system. http://www.irishtrails.ie/Trail/Howth—-Bog-of-Frogs-loop/110/ and http://www.irishtrails.ie/Trail/Bray-to-Greystones—-Cliff-walk/654/. Popular trips among my coworkers were to the Giants causeway, the cliffs of Mother, the ring of Kerry or the Dingle Peninsula, Cork and Waterford, but really there are many towns and historical sites that are within an easy distance of Dublin.

Cwyn

I’m a shameless tourist, would love to see Avoca where Ballykissangel was filmed.

ashmanra

Thank you, everyone! I am hoping to be in Dublin long enough at the very beginning to hit a tea shop and get something good!

gmathis

Earplugs are useful, both on plane and in unfamiliar hotels. So excited for you!

Donna A

Ireland is absolutely on my bucket list. Spent 2 1/2 weeks along the Mosel and Rhine rivers in August and loved the towns and small cities in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and France. So bicycle and walker friendly. And all the people were super friendly. My husband also loved Scotland a few years ago but I wasn’t able to go. I think you’ll have a great time, especially if you get out into the smaller towns.

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Bio

I am a music teacher, tutor, and former homeschool mom (25 years!) who started drinking loose leaf tea about fifteen years ago! My daughters and I have tea every day, and we are frequently joined by my students or friends for “tea time.” Now my hubby joins us, too. His tastes have evolved from Tetley with milk and sugar to mostly unadorned greens and oolongs.

We have learned so much history, geography, and culture in this journey.

My avatar is a mole in a teacup! Long story…

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