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drank Xingyang Nuggets 2008 Shu by Verdant Tea
149 tasting notes

Backlog from this afternoon/evening.
I’m still not very experienced with pu’er, but I really enjoy this shu. It’s earthy and musty, but very pleasant and comforting, like the smell of the earth in the woods after the rain. There’s a bit of sweetness to it, too. And it lasts for a number of short (< 1 minute) steeps.
3 comments
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Bonnie 12 years ago

Did you western brew or use a Gaiwan? (I like the 30 second steep method with poking the nuggets)

Ag 12 years ago

Western brew (mug and a large filter basket, steeped for ~20 seconds. I haven’t tried poking the nuggets— I should do that. Thanks! :) ). I’ve been meaning to get a gaiwan at some point, but haven’t had much time to do any research on them, sadly. Maybe during winter break…

Bonnie 12 years ago

Gaiwan doesn’t matter as long as you have a brew basket and mug and saucer to put on top or something. You need to control how much water and such. I like to poke the nuggets a little and I read that David Duckler’s Pu-er person in China does this. Try 30 second steeps.

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Bonnie 12 years ago

Did you western brew or use a Gaiwan? (I like the 30 second steep method with poking the nuggets)

Ag 12 years ago

Western brew (mug and a large filter basket, steeped for ~20 seconds. I haven’t tried poking the nuggets— I should do that. Thanks! :) ). I’ve been meaning to get a gaiwan at some point, but haven’t had much time to do any research on them, sadly. Maybe during winter break…

Bonnie 12 years ago

Gaiwan doesn’t matter as long as you have a brew basket and mug and saucer to put on top or something. You need to control how much water and such. I like to poke the nuggets a little and I read that David Duckler’s Pu-er person in China does this. Try 30 second steeps.

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Bio

I have far too many interests. Tea is one of them.

Background in bioethics, medical anthropology, and evolutionary biology with aspirations of eventually going into a medical field. I also have strong interests in theater, computer science, and food (which shouldn’t be particularly surprising).

Brewing
Brewing method is usually Western style for black teas (2-3 minutes at near-boiling), “grandpa style” for shu pu’ers and longjing, and gongfu (with a gaiwan) short steeps for sheng and shu pu’ers (two 5-second rinses, then 5, 10, 15-second steeps with a gradual increase in steep times to taste). The gaiwan is also used for oolongs though I sometimes use a brew basket if the gaiwan is occupied and I’m taking a break from pu’er.

Preferences
I enjoy black teas, pu’er, and oolongs (leaning towards aged, cliff/Wuyi, or roasted/dark), depending on my mood. I don’t usually drink green tea but do enjoy a cup every so often.

Ratings
My rating methods have changed over time and as a result, they’re very inconsistent. For the most part, as of 11 November 2014, unless a tea is exceptional in some way (either good or bad), I will refrain from leaving a numerical rating.

The final iteration of my rating system before I stopped (note: I never did get around to re-calibrating most of my older notes):
99 & 100: I will go to almost any lengths to keep this stocked in my cupboard.
90-98: I’m willing to or already do frequently repurchase this when my stock runs low.
80-89: I enjoy this tea, and I may be inclined to get more of it once I run out.
70-79: While this is a good tea, I don’t plan on having it in constant supply in my tea stash.
50-69: This might still be a good tea, but I wouldn’t get it myself.
40-49: Just tolerable enough for me to finish the cup, but I don’t think I’ll be trying it again any time soon.
Below 40: Noping the heck out of this cup/pot.

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