2023 Space Girls Raw Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

Space Girls is an ongoing series of raw puer by Crimson Lotus Tea. For the 2023 Space Girls version, you get a tong of four 50 gram cakes. This gives you the tong experience for a low price and you won’t be stuck with a lot of tea. The tong fits in my hands. I love opening tongs. It is almost like I’m doing something I shouldn’t, like it should stay incased. The cute artwork on the wrappers is done by Stasia Burrington. Each cake has a different space girl on it. The compression is on the tight side, not… Continue reading, hoot!

2022 Night Shift Shou Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2022 Night Shift is a shou puer blended to be mysteriously dark and creamy tea. The wrapper features Aztec style artwork by Seattle artist Jose Rodriguez III. Leaf and Steeping Method The leaf has earthy and hot dirt in a muddy summer scent. As usual, I went gongfu style with 1 gram of leaf per 15ml ratio, 2 rinses, steeped with boiling water. After the rinses, the tea shifted to an almond nutty scent. Tasting of 2022 Night Shift Shou Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea First, Second, and Third Infusion: Night Shift is a silky textured tea… Continue reading, hoot!

2020 Believe Sheng Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

Today’s tea is Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2020 Believe Sheng Puer another cool young sheng with a space themed wrapper! 2020 Believe is described as “crisp IPA style bitterness”. Sadly I just have the sample pack – Believe is cool enough to own just for the wrapper – but thankfully Crimson Lotus Tea does good sample packaging. Leaf and Steeping Method The dry leaf has a soft zesty scent. My gongfu ratio is 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, steeped at a boil. After a rinse, 2020 Believe continues the tangy scent, opening up more of pomelo citrus… Continue reading, hoot!

519 Shanghai Sheng Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

Back in early 2020, during the height of the pandemic and post Lunar New Year sales. Bloody everyone I know, including myself, lost tea packages coming from China. All the packages circled around China, before settling in Shanghai on May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19 上海市, 已交航空公司运输 Shanghai, has been handed over to airline transportation), then no news ever again. There were a lot of tea packages in that had the 5/19 Shanghai tracking stamp, but I also knew of those buying products from China getting hit too – so many businesses were affected and as far as I know, no seller… Continue reading, hoot!

2019 Nevermore Shou Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

Today’s tea is Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2019 Nevermore Shou Puer. I purchased Nevermore as I enjoy Crimson Lotus Tea’s shou and this one is promised to be dark and bud heavy, similar to the 2008 Bulang I had way back in 2015. Leaf and Steeping Method 2019 Nevermore has a dark, earthy chocolate scent. I used a gongfu ratio of 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, steeped with boiling water. After a pair of rinses, the leaves smell like a forest of birch trees and moss. Tasting of 2019 Nevermore Shou Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea First,… Continue reading, hoot!

Roam, Big Red, & Intergalactic Black teas from Crimson Lotus Tea

Crimson Lotus Teas, who does some amazing puer, made their own Dian Hong black tea cakes! I got all three samples – Roam, Big Red, and Intergalactic. These black teas are blended by Crimson Lotus Tea, all with different flavor profiles. Crimson Lotus Tea’s Roam Dian Hong Black Tea Roam is labeled as the daily drinker blend out of the batch. The leaves have a malty and honey straw scent. All black teas today I gongfu styled at 1 gram per 15ml leaf to vessel ratio, steeped with boiling water. After an infusion, this has a strong tannic fruity scent.… Continue reading, hoot!

2020 Baby Dragon Sheng Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

Today’s tea is Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2020 Baby Dragon sheng puer. Baby Dragon is “Slumbering Dragon lite” as it has a blend of wild Kunlu and other mountains to make it a bit more affordable. The wrapper artwork is A+. Stasia Burrington‘s work is enchanting! I only have a sample of this tea, so I do not have the wrapper art, but I do own a Baby Dragon shirt! Leaf and Steeping Method Unwrapping Baby Dragon’s packaging emitted a strong herby floral scent. Upclose in the hot gaiwan, the dry leaves smell of straw and bruised peaches. My young sheng… Continue reading, hoot!

2020 Honeybomb Sheng Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

This is for all the sweet sheng drinkers out there – Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2020 Honeybomb Sheng Puer! Honeycomb is an inexpensive Jingmai blend of young and old trees as well as huangpian (yellow/ ugly leaves) material with a focus on having a sweet profile. Leaf and Steeping Method The leaf has a sweet weedy scent. As usual, I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size ratio, gongfu steeped with boiling water. After a rinse, the tea smells of maple leaves and hay. Tasting of Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2020 Honeybomb Sheng Puer First and Second Infusion: 2020… Continue reading, hoot!

2020 The Way Shou Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

I am guilty of buying tea for wrapper art and concept. I didn’t even see what Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2020 The Way Shou Puer was made of, I just clicked buy. My nerding of Star Wars knows no bounds. The Aurebesh looking font is hella cool. 2020 The Way shou is a blend containing ample LaoManE and promised to be dark and rich. Leaf and Steeping Method The leaves smell acidic cinnamon and earthly. I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu style steeping in boiling water. After a rinse, the leaf smells of hot earth,… Continue reading, hoot!

2006 Troublemaker Sheng Puer Fang Cha from Crimson Lotus Tea

I completely forgot I had a sample of Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2006 Troublemaker Sheng puer fang cha. While I was reorganizing my tea room, I found the sample packet under my couch, so Troublemaker has North Seattle floor storage. My guess is it fell from my sample basket. Tea hoarder problems. Leaf and Steeping Method 2006 Troublemaker is a bud heavy Bulang, pressed into a 100 gram fang cha square. Troublemaker’s scent is aged, and previously smokey, grandma’s couch. This tea is definitely dry storage here as it lacks that wet basement quality. I went with 1 gram of leaf… Continue reading, hoot!