Everyman Tea Company

tried this one again using 3 grams 200 ml boiling water 1.5 min steep (as directd on website buth half grams/ml)

It seems to be at its best brewed this way. Good for perhaps 3 steeps.

It was not that pleasant in the past when I tried a strogn brew using a big chunk with approx 80 ml water.

I am not particulalry fond of this one. will probably drink it mixed it with some low priced sheng I have on the shelf (fu lu yuan by royaslpuer.com)
on camping trips and other occasions where I dont want to risk misbrewing high end tea.

beautiful cake with faint and very pleasing dry-apricot fruit leather aroma to the dry leaf.

Seems to yield the best results with scalding hot water , approx 3-4 g per 100-120 ml, and about 1+ minute steep time.
Full bodied, sweet floral. In my experience it is not orchid as in low oxidized oolong, more like bouquet of mixed garden flowers.

An enjoyable cake for its educational and novelty value and a good low caffeine alternative.

been enjoying this one very much. It brews best in my burt duan ni clay pot from yunan sourcing which oddly enough looks exactly like the one in the picture.

The aroma of wet leaves for first several infusions is rich and deep.
Using min 15 sec steeps with 90 + water 100 ml/5g yields satisfying earthy brew.
It seems to last for about 5-7 solid infusions and then thins out on a steep curve.
If you keep the temp high and pot warm then there is no silty effect as I mentioned before.

Although I am sure there are more complex shengs out there, I think this one is a good purchase. If you want earthy coffe-like sheng this is probably for you.
Compared to 99 menghai the latter is more nuanced in flavor and aroma, and with a sparkling, (yet less robust) character.

wonderful aged wood aroma to dry leaves.
highly reminiscent in flavor/aroma/mouthfeel appearance of a clean shu pu erh, so it must be well aged.
predominantly wood and earth characteristics. no smokyness, dry mouth or bitterness detected.
the best infusions are the first 3-4, where the vaporous quality is most predominant. afterwards, it becomes a bit ‘silty’/cloudy much like many shu pu erhs that I have had.

broken up cake has been sitting paper canister for 2 days now.
Was easy to pry open with a makeshift pu erh pick made from a filed broken tipped screwdriver. (how romantic) resulting in only 5g of broken leaf+ dust.

dropped a 7g chunk plus a few loose leaves in glass pot, filled to approx 200ml each time.
washed the tea with probably 80deg water and let sit for a few min.

this time the initial warmed leaf aroma was not as stunning as on the first encounter with this tea , perhaps due to the fact that a large chunk rather than more broken up pieces was placed in a pot that was probably not as warm.

enjoyed several good infusions well received a group of five. smooth, well rounded, nice richness and depth. not an explosion of flavor and aroma yet certainly complex and satisfying.

This is it: a pre 2000 sheng with wonderful aged character at approx 22 cents per gram.

aroma of dry leaves in warmed pot is simply fantastic and meets my expectations what aged pu er should smell like:
musty but not dusty or moldy, with undertones of tobacco, wood, earth, tangy aged fruit (menghai character?) and a vaporous velvety character.

now the challenge is to bring out this aroma and flavor as much as possible in the actual infusions.

I tried it once with approx 7 grams in about 120 ml 20 second steeps.
and once again with about 3g of broken leaf 100ml 1 minute steeps.

the second time it was more hearty, savory, and creamy. notes below are from first session.

balanced, plesant cha qi:
smooth and comforting to the stomach, and after initial warmth and slight sweating on first 2 infusions, there is a cooling sensation in the outer regions of the upper body. clear, stable mind, no jittery caffeine jolt.

flavor and aroma are a satisfying yet less intense version of the warmed leaf description above. if these can be intensified with proper brewing and/or ageing, then this could very well be an ultimate pu erh experience by my humble standards.

I love this tea and it is currently at the top of my re-order list.
If you live in Israel and want to try it drop me a line :)

Review based on free pre-release sample.

Super sweet. Honey, floral, slight pomegranate. Very clean and refreshing.

Review based on free pre-release sample.

Rich earthy aroma on the dry leaves.
Cup presents a very forward astringency – almost like alcoholic spirits. Distinct woodland mulch, earthy, with a slight pepperyness on the end. Pepper becomes much more prevalent on later infusions. An good orthodox pu-erh.

Review based on a free pre-release sample.

Semi-ball rolled oolong. Sweet, slightly roasty aroma on wet leaves. Sweet brown sugar on the start, clean and crisp mid-cup, slight floral notes. Slightly creamy, nutty finish. Gentle roastiness on the aftertaste.

Very comfortable, easy drinking oolong. Clean, elegant and balanced example of a roasty style oolong.