Kuura Esprit De Corp 2023 Tea Club – Spring Raw Sheng Puer

This is my most anticipated teas of the year – the Kuura Esprit De Corp 2023 Tea Club. When they announced it, I didn’t even hesitate to join. I’m a sucker for limited quantities, and there were only 50 spots. This club has 2 shipments, which include 3 teas, a teacup, tea cloth, and “surprises”. I was also able to add on other Kuura teas to ship with the club. The first shipment, which arrived in September, included a booklet, teacup, and 200g raw sheng puer cake. The cup has delicate walls and a griddy unglazed texture on the outside.… Continue reading, hoot!

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!

2023 March White2tea Club feat. Lapsun, Predawn Dark, and Harlequin

The 2023 March White2tea club arrived with a selection of oolongs. But also included are a couple of new roasted White2tea teas that are teas that are not typically roasted – Predawn Dark Roasted Shou, Hareliqun Roasted Sheng, as well as Lapsun, a puer material black made into Lapsang Souchong. All these teas come in both 8g mini balls and 200g cakes. I figure most would be more interested in reviews of those teas, which you can get outside the White2tea Club, so let’s do those! 2023 Predawn Dark Roasted Shou Puer Predawn Dark is a White2tea shou blend roasted… Continue reading, hoot!

Owl’s first tong – Bitterleaf Tea’s 2022 Body & Soul Black and Shou Puer

10 years of drinking puer and I never officially tonged, until this one tea. I’ve always enjoyed drinking something new. There are always new boutique blends coming. Each year and season is a new flavor. I also have no delusions that my puer cakes are reselling investments. But the day came – I tonged 2022 Body & Soul from Bitterleaf Teas. I just love Bitterleaf Tea’s Body & Soul blend, it is a shou and black tea blend. The 2020 Body & Soul I drank the sample and wish I got more. I have almost guzzled a whole 2021 cake… Continue reading, hoot!

Vanilla Bean Dream Machine from Intergalactic Tea

The creator of Intergalactic Tea stumbled upon one of my tea reviews and was inspired by the unusual vanilla notes. Vanilla notes, naturally occurring, are very rare. Intergalactic tea took it a step further in the direction I like to see – adding actual vanilla bean into a shou blend and pressing it into cakes. I’m sure there is a population that is utterly horrified at flavors added into puer cakes, but that is more for the rest of us. I don’t see it any different than adding chenpi orange or agarwood. Vanilla Bean Dream Machine shou blend has actual… Continue reading, hoot!

Rehoot Review – 10 year Retasting the 2012 Noble Mark Shou from Mandala Tea

Today’s tea is a retasting of the 2012 Noble Mark by Mandala Tea. I started buying a lot of puer in 2013. Now that it is 2023, I’ve had teas in my storage for 10 years. A lot of shou back then had more of a mushroom profile. Or it was the bad fishy kind or mini touchas that tasted like cardboard dirt water. Noble Mark showed me good puer and got me to fall in love with the inky, creamy, and earthy flavor of fermented puer. Storage As I mentioned earlier, this cake has been in my storage for… Continue reading, hoot!

2023 January White2tea Club feat. 2022 Charlie Shou Puer

One of my favorite tea club months of the year! The 2023 January White2tea club is a 2022 Charlie shou cake! This is the last Charlie for the White2ea club. I am sad, but same time this tea has been great every year, it should be a staple for everyone. The leaves smell a bit funky earth. This is a fresh press, so it is to be expected. I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, double rinsed, and gongfu steeped with boiling water. 2023 Charlie’s slight funk commanded an extra rinse to help it along. After… Continue reading, hoot!

Tangerine Dream Machine Chenpi Shou from Intergalactic Tea

Today is new to me vendor, Intergalactic Tea. They carry some unusual puer blends that are my jam. But let us start with something easy – a chenpi shou. Lately, there has been a chenpi drought, not many new chenpis have come out and my stash is dwindling. Some mornings I just need orange shou to start the day. Tangerine Dream Machine is an aged chenpi bulang shou, which is a good pairing. I am a sucker for cute wrapper art. Leaf and Steeping Method The square has a sweet orange scent. I used one 7 gram square, in a… Continue reading, hoot!

2022 December White2tea Club feat. 2022 XXXmas Sheng Puer

Yes, this is April and I’m drinking a Christmas themed tea. Over the last few years, the White2tea club has a XXXmas Sheng made out of huangpian material for December. Though, probably for the best that I waited to drink this tea as it had ample rest. As always, the wrapper art is fun! Leaf and Steeping Method The leaves have a sappy grass scent. As usual, I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu steeped in boiling water. After a rinse, this tea smells spruce leafy with some young shengy floralness. Tasting of 2022 XXXmas… Continue reading, hoot!

2022 November White2tea Club feat. Canton Cannon and Autumn Badger Stamp

For the 2022 November White2tea Club we got an Autumn 2022 Old Arbor sheng mini cake, Badger Stamp. In addition, Canton Cannon, a heavily roasted Tieguanyin. Canton Cannon This tea was absolutely difficult to photograph – the rolled balls are inky black and shiny, and my camera was just so angry at it. Canton Cannon has a deep roasted scent. In a hot gaiwan, the scent is powerfully charcoal. My gongfu ratio is 1 gram per 15ml, using boiling water. A rinse opened up the leaves to almost burnt pastries. A sip of the rinse and I know I’m in… Continue reading, hoot!