and the Mao Feng is the best- a chocolatey sort of smell to it.
Writing this now I am drinking the Pu-Erh. Earthy is the right word I
think... something of the taste of that smell of ripped up moss...?
Really quite a potent brew though in terms of colour- one teaspoon
easily making a litre pot. Probably should use more for more flavour
but I'm learning....I think getting off coffee was surprisingly easy
but am still surprised at how much tea I can drink without it having
the diuretic effect coffee seems to have.
I might have to get some more Blue of London Earl Grey du Yunnan... I
ran out and miss its subtlety.
I have also now got some Golden Yunnan - the tasting notes say it has
"a fruitiness,almost dry taste that quickly becomes a favourite." It
certainly has a distinctive taste that I really can't quite put my
finger on. Slightly off milk?
Palace Pu-Erh
Organic palace grade of Pu-Erh. Aged for three years. Sweet and Earthy
to taste. Chinese consider this to be the healthiest of all teas.
Background
Pu-Erh teas are a strange anomaly in the tea world. Normally tea
buyers look to buy the fresh plucked spring or summer tea flushes of
any tea. But with Pu-Erh buyers are looking for the best aged tea.
Some fine Pu-Erh cakes are never sold before they are thirty years old
or older at which point they are so expensive only a connoisseur would
buy them. When I say expensive I mean a good cake, about 375g, of
around thirty years old can fetch up to £1000.
Our Palace Pu-Erh is loose and aged for three years. Ageing these teas
brings out a sweetness, somehow richer, stable flavour, not found in
the original Green cakes. In our Pu-Erh the beginnings of the sweet
flavours are starting to show. This gives a very round cup easily
understood by someone new to Pu-Erh. Palace Pu-Erh comes from Yunnan
in South West China. The tea is plucked by the Dai People from ancient
tea trees growing wild in the province. These trees were originally
planted by the Dai 1700 years ago. And there are still some trees to
be found that been dated to around 1600 years old. Many of these trees
will have been used for Pu-Erh production for centuries.
Pu-Erh starts as a green tea that is compressed into cakes as the
cakes age they start to oxidise very slowly. Over time they become
Black tea and our Pu-Erh is a black not a green tea.
Mao Feng Keemun
One of the finest Keemun teas available. Strong, sweet and fruity.
Perfect tea for all occasions. A great gift.
Background
Keemun County in Anxhui China produces many grades of Keemun tea. Mao
Feng Keemun is a hand production tea. Tea masters must work this leaf
tea up to 400 times in pans before it is ready. The finished tea is
tightly rolled and packed with fine flavour. These Keemun teas are
often compared to wine. The comparison is valid if you compare
Keemuns' unique fruitiness with other black teas. Mao Feng Keemun has
an extra quality, fuller body reminiscent of dark red wines. This is
one of my favourite black teas. In Autumn I drink Mao Feng Keemun in
the afternoon. It has an excellent refreshing quality that picks me
up.
