I always have to have a chenpi orange shou in my collection. When I am sick, I chain drink chenpi teas in heavy quantities as they make me feel better. I had the hankering for chenpi as I am worried about the virus after braving a busy and panicked Costco. With my last order, I purchased a cake of White2Tea’s Dripd O’Bitters.
Leaf and Steeping Method
The cake has a faint orange scent. When added to a warm gaiwan, the sweet orange chenpi orange scent comes off strongly.
By the way, Dripd O’Bitters has quite a tight compression. I had to work hard with a Crimson Lotus Tea’s Bingslayer to pry off pieces.
I used 1 gram of tea per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu steeped in boiling water. Usually, I go heavier on the leaf for chenpi teas as the orange doesn’t contribute as much as the tea, but I got tired of stabbing the cake. This ratio did work out in the end.
The wet leaf smells like it was before water was introduced, which is more chenpi orange.
Tasting of White2tea’s 2019 Dripd O’Bitters Shou Puer
First and Second Infusion: My first impression if Dripd O’Bitters is bitter shou with bitter pithy orange with a smooth creamy texture to make the brain vibrate in confusion. The aftertaste lingers awhile continuing the bitter orange. The bitter flavor in this shou rings similar bells to drinking Lao Man E sheng, having acidic and aspirin taste along with the earthy shou notes.
Third and Fourth Infusion: Dripd O’Bitters continues being bitter medicinal, like chewing a dirty aspirin through the sip, but with a finish and aftertaste of bitter orange pithy peel. After waiting for the kettle to boil, I notice there is a lingering bitter medicinal orange flavor.
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Infusion: After four infusions, Dripd O’Bitters is finally starting to chill out and slowly lighten with each infusion. It sips in slightly sweet and orangy, with mid sips a smooth orange creamsicle before hitting an acidic medicinal numb bitter flavor that lingers.
Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Infusion: I’m on the home stretch with this shou. Dripd O’Bitters still sips in creamy and orange but this tea will never give up being bitter, so the finish is bitter medicinal acid. Each infusion it gets much lighter and more sweet orange as the bitter acid tries to fade.
Comments
If you know you love bitter and medicinal shous, you’ll certainly want to get your hands on White2Tea’s Dripd O’Bitters. The orange isn’t the main flavor, nor does the citrus cheapen the experience as it vibes to brighten and almost enhance the bitterness with its own bitter quality.
Chenpi fans might find Dripd O’Bitters too aggressively bitter as in general these orange teas tend to be approachable, especially for new drinkers.
I am personally not sure whether I like this tea or not – the intense bitterness is challenging to drink but when I’m sick I generally don’t care (or can’t taste anything) and welcome the bitterness like chugging Buckleys.
