2014 New Amerykah 2 is a raw/sheng pu’er from White 2 Tea, Beijing based online tea seller.
I snagged a sample of this tea from the 2014 USA/Canada Reddit Traveling Tea box. I have some other teas from White 2 Tea in my possession already, but I really wanted to try New Amerykah. Is it weird that I wanted to try this tea purely because the art on the pu’er wrapper is SO FREAKING COOL. LOOK AT IT. NERDGASM.
This is the first time I’ve reviewed something out of a traveling tea box, but I figured I might as well jot some notes and take photos while I steep my tea, just in case.
The description on the sample didn’t sound appealing to me – bitter. Uh oh. Whatever, the power of amazing packaging! So for a strong, thick and bitter tea, I’ll need a good Tea Owl assistant. Hmmm.. when did this one grow a mustache?
Dry Leaf
Lightly sweet earth scented tea with lots of browsn and olive green leaf with the odd silver leaf. So pretty!
Steeping Instructions
I did 1 gram per 15ml tea to water ratio, in a gong fu style steeping using a gaiwan. I decided to start at 185 f as it’s a new raw pu’er. 185f seems to be my lucky temperature for new raw pu’ers. I started with a rinse and mostly did 10 second steeps until the later infusions.
Tasting of White 2 Teas’ 2014 New Amerykah Raw Pu’er
First Infusions: 2014 New Amerykah came out a light pale gold cup of tea that has a strong stale hay scent. Sipping… wow that is flavorful! Very strong flavor for me doing a 10 second steep with a lower temperature. It’s sweet – lots of golden straw hay notes with a creamy thick texture. In the background I’m getting a bit of a gritty finish. A sign of things to come?
Second Infusions: Oh boy, an even stronger scent. My tea tastes more concentrated. More hay notes with a mineral like, bitter sweet acidic finish. The bitterness, exploding my brain, tastes pretty good because of the contrast between smooth thick texture and the hint of sweet. The bitterness is around a 3 or 4/10.
Third, Fourth and Fifth Infusions: There is a tobacco scent which comes through intensely from the steeped tea leaves.
With each infusion 2014 New Amerykah gets stronger in flavor, still keeping the early flavors I mentioned. Oh my! So intense! I’m still doing 10 second steepings by the way.
Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Infusions: So YOLO, I cranked the water temperature to boiling. Oh hoots that’s strong tea! Thick. Bitter. Intense. As if this tea wasn’t ruggedly handsome already. Bit of floral too that lingers for awhile after each sip. Interestingly the intense bitter tobacco notes have lightened, making room for the sweet floral. The creaminess now is just a soft texture on the lips. There is also now an astringency begins adding some gritty texture end of sip, a 3/10 on the Astringe-o-meter. Here is a perfect example of how bitter and astringency are not the same as these mid steepings of New Amerykah has both elements.
At first I kept sipping New Amerykah Raw Pu’er for the thick cream contrast now I’m here for the sweet floral aftertaste contrast.
Tenth and Eleventh Infusions: Whoa a twist! 2014 New Amerykah Raw Pu’er changed here – it’s gotten sweeter and lost a whole bunch of bitterness. Still mineral. Lighter texture too. No more tobacco notes. The tea is still astringently gritty still but really good. Best steepings!
Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth Infusions: I’ve finally broken from the 10 second steepings, opting for 30 seconds and finishing with 1 minute steepings. The tea is getting sweeter and drier – 5/10 on the Astringency rating. The sweetness is mineral amber with a gritty dry cheek finish. The final steepings get a creamy kinda smokey honey notes. That awesome floral aftertaste that lingers is still present.
Comments
I would say this is the most intense raw pu’er I’ve had. I’ve had medicinal, sweet, floral, vegetal and smokey but this one gets the intense award. For majority of the steepings the tea is sweet bitter, tobacco, thick and super strong flavored – not for the weak of heart. However, the longer you go with this tea, the better it gets – 2014 New Amerykah 2 tea finishes with a light, sweet but dry steeps.
Totally not for a new pu’er drinker – this one tested me, but it paid off at the end – White 2 Tea‘s pu’er doesn’t disapoint! If you love that rich, full flavored teas like blacks and ripe pu’er – 2014 New Amerykah 2 would be the raw pu’er you need to try.
Bonus: I don’t even know… Owlstash?
(tea technically provided for review, it came in a traveling tea box)
