Tibetan Brick Pu-erh 2002 250g 'High Grade'

Dry Leaf Sweet, slightly earthy.
Wet Leaf Earthy, sweet and refreshing
Liquor Dark bronze color with thin malty layers on top.

Gong Fu in Porcelain Gaiwan 5oz/5-6g

1st – 10secs Sweet and refreshing with slight earthy notes. As it goes down it feels slightly creamy and very smooth. The aftertaste is sweet and very refreshing.

2nd – 10secs Sweet and smooth that becomes creamy and very refreshing with hints of earthy notes. The aftertaste is sweet, malty, and very refreshing. After a bit of time the earthy note gives hints of what could be a dark/bittersweet chocolate? :)

3rd – 10secs Thicker, creamier and smoother and sweet that slowly becomes refreshing as it washes down. The liquor is smooth and there’s a faint roasty/earthy taste. The aftertaste is sweet and refreshing.

4th – 10secs Sweet, smooth and creamy that is very refreshing. The freshness is very present and everlasting. The aftertaste is still very sweet and refreshing.

5th – 15secs Sweet and smooth with some maltiness and creamy full body that is very pleasant and almost filling. It continues to be refreshing and sweet as it washes down and continues through the aftertaste.

6th – 20secs Sweet and creamy that is very smooth and has some maltiness. It somehow manages to be full bodied, creamy and refreshing at the same time. Sweet and refreshing aftertaste.

7th – 20secs Sweet and creamy that is very smooth with some creaminess and some maltiness. As it washes down it becomes cleaner and very refreshing. The aftertaste is cleaner but still sweet and very refreshing.

Final Notes
I love this Puerh! It is simple and VERY enjoyable. It resembles a few other more expensive Puerhs for half the price! I have to say I’m impressed by the leaf/bud distribution on this one since I’ve seen Tibetan Puerhs that look like someone compressed the leaves from their backyard in Autumn (they are still really good, they just look ‘rough’). I’m going keep re-stocking this one.

Thank you JC for this sample tea!

I’ve had Tibetan Pu-erh before and thought they were supposed to be pretty much the same.

Evidently NOT!

What I drank before was ‘what the men drink who are herding animals Tibetan Brick Pu-erh’ which was a little on the rough side, although
fun to try.

I’ve been reading a book about the Tea Horse Road in Tibet, and slowly writing a story on my blog about ‘Ritual’.
It’s a story about how tea has become a Ritual in my life, and what that means to me.

The tea I decided to pair with the story is this one, a special Tibetan Pu-erh, because of it’s long and colorful tradition. I also wanted to make some Butter Chai Tea! (Can’t use Yak Butter Chai Tea unfortunately!) And this tea is the one to use.

Butter Chai Tea Recipe
A little milk (1/2 c) and salt (1/4 tsp), some butter (2 TB) and water (5 c) and Tibetan Pu-erh (1TB) and bring to the boil then simmer. (You can make adjustments to suit you.)

A tasty broth to stave off cold when treking through snowy mountain passes, donkeys heavy laden with tea… bound for waiting merchants on the other end of the Tea Horse Road. (OK, I’m a romantic!)

Before making the Butter Chai Tea, I made some regular Tibetan steeped (30 seconds) Pu-erh in my gaiwan.
The flavor was smooth and sweet with a refreshing taste. No extreme earthiness or thick mouth-feel.

The mellow flavor made the Butter Chai Tea light and smooth.

Because the Pu-erh boiled and then sat to simmer (the way it would on an open fire) I wondered how it would taste after a bit.
I waited while it simmered 20 minutes on the stove, poured a mug… and the tea tasted just as good as at the first!

Lovely Mild Puerh

Ritual is a story on my blog www.teaandincense.com

I began drinking tea as a way to be still (quiet) because my mind wandered when I tried to pray. I had difficulty quieting a zooming Silicon Valley mind that had rushed for so many years. Like most people I had worried so much about the past and the future, I didn’t know how to meet with God in the present.

Carefully learning to prepare tea several times a day, I didn’t just drink the tea but thoughtfully looked for all that was good in the experience.

First, I smelled the aroma of the tea liquor. Then I gave full attention to the scent of the tea leaves, observing the color of the dry and wet leaves. Finally, I tasted the tea prepared different ways (plain, with sweetening or milk, and after the second or third steeping ). I learned to use different types of tea equipment and the tea names from a vast array of tea previously unknown to me.

……and so on….