So I’m not sure what I was expecting when I ordered it, but this was a bit of a suprise. Like all the other teas from Teayama, this one came in a ziploc-style bag:
http://i.imgur.com/Jg4MBlf.jpg
But when I opened the bag, there was only this weird shrinkwrapped ball:
http://i.imgur.com/YNVClBO.jpg
When I started opening the shrinkwrap I realised the contents were kind of crumbly, so I opened it out onto a plate. This is when I realised that I had an entire (small) mandarin orange peel filled with puerh:
http://i.imgur.com/hUMSCs4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pDzuWDS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/taGlENJ.jpg
Neat. Anyway, I tried to pick out the tea leaves because I wasn’t sure whether or not I was supposed to also steep the orange rind. 3g in 10oz boiling water x 4min, steeped in a mug because I’m lazy. Now my only experience with puerh has been David’s Tea blends and the like, so I think it’s fair to say I’ve never really had good puerh so I have nothing to really compare this to. It has that rich, earthy, shou puerh taste. The influence of the mandarin is fairly mild, I think. There a bit of tangy, citrusy flavour but I’m not sure if I’m just tasting that because I’m looking for it. Maybe that bit of bitterness on the aftertaste is also from the citrus. Interesting!
Flavors: Bitter, Citrus, Earth, Tart
Did you rinse it ? usually twice for shou :-)
Mmm, that’s a good point. I didn’t rinse it. Next time! :)