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“I just want to start by saying that I received this tea today in the most amazing mystery swap box from scribbles. Thank you so much for sending me some amazing teas that I can’t wait to try. This...” Read full tasting note
“much thanks to scribbles for this tea experience! i really do enjoy puerhs, overall, but this one (to my surprise) was too much for me! within about 30 seconds of steeping the water in my cup went...” Read full tasting note
One of our best selling Pu’ers. A cooked Pu’er made from ancient trees 100s of years old. The tea is compressed into 5 ½ gram cakes.
This tea hails from Hekai Mountain in the southern part of Chinas Yunnan province. This part of China is fast becoming the cultural hub of the pu’er tea world. In recent years with the region gaining notoriety, the government has made access to the region more of a priority. By creating more roads, lodging and tea related roadside stops they hope to bring in tea loving tourists. The tea is a cooked pu’er meaning it has gone through processing in order to speed up the fermentation process utilized by raw pu’ers which can take years. After the tea goes through regular processing the tea is subjected to high levels of heat and humidity for 1 ½ – 2 months, this causes the leaves to ferment quickly. Next the leaves are sifted through and any unfermented leaves are discarded. After that the leaves are compressed into cakes. In the case of this tea, the leaves are compressed into small individually wrapped cakes roughly 5 ½ grams lending the tea perfectly to individual or small Gong Fu ceremonies.
Other Names: Ripe Pu’er, Cooked Pu’er, Black Pu’er.
Region: Hekai Mountain, Yunnan Province, China.
Appearance: The dry leaves are compressed into small cakes similar in shape to mushroom caps. Their colour is mostly brown with golden streaks throughout. They have a heavy and full bodied aroma. Once brewed, the tea is a rich mahogany.
Taste: Tuo Cha Shu has a hearty and rich texture. It is full bodied and thick with a unique flavour and strong, earthy flavours. Along with its flavour the tea has an incredibly smooth finish, one of the many reasons that make this one of our most popular pu’ers.
Steeping Guide:
Teaware: Glass or ceramic Gai Wan
Amount: 3g /1½ teaspoons
Temperature: 100°c (212°F)
Steeping Time: 1 to 2 minutes for the first two steeps and 3 to 5 minutes for the third and fourth.
*These steeping directions are for a traditional Gong Fu style tea, if you are brewing this tea in a regular cup we recommend steeping for 2 – 3 minutes. This tea can also been re-steeped 4 times.
Company description not available.
I just want to start by saying that I received this tea today in the most amazing mystery swap box from scribbles. Thank you so much for sending me some amazing teas that I can’t wait to try.
This is a pu’erh lovers pu’erh. It is not for the timid or the meek. This tea is big, bold, dark, in your face pu’erh. I like it. It’s more woody than earthy. It is a tiny bit astringent, but that’s ok in the bold flavors. The astringency increased as the tea cools, I liked it better really hot, than later in the cup. The mini-tuocha breaks apart in the first steep, the leave just float up off of it. It’s beautiful to watch. I did think that it was a bit thin – not sure how to explain, it wasn’t thick enough on the tongue. I know I’m talking about the texture of flavored water, how weird is that, but that’s the only way I can explain it. For the big bold flavors, it needed to feel thicker in the mouth. I don’t think this is the most complex or refined pu’erh I’ve ever tasted, but it is just fine for a Wednesday evening.
much thanks to scribbles for this tea experience!
i really do enjoy puerhs, overall, but this one (to my surprise) was too much for me!
within about 30 seconds of steeping the water in my cup went the colour of coffee and i couldn’t see through the sides of the cup. total steep time was maybe a minute?
very heavy, very dense, heavy stick of caffeine on the tongue. i say this WITH cream in it! as i finished the last few sips i discovered there was an accumulation of syrup about 1/2 centimeter thick at the bottom.
it occurs to me that possibly the cooking process that takes place to form puerh bricks changed the nature of the tea that i usually enjoy so much. this tea company is also very young by my standards, having been established in 2009.
afraid i can’t give much of a taste reference other than the word ‘heavy’…. actually ‘HEAVY’ is more accurate. not sweet. not fruity. no liquor that i could pick up and the nutty flavour that normally accompanies puerhs was also undetectable.
again, not sure if it was the cooking process or the tea quality with one.
Sounds delicious. And I totally get you about the mouthfeel. Shu should have a thicker texture like thinned out maple syrup. I often feel disappointed when the flavor doesn’t match up to the mouthfeel.