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 gongfu ratio is 1 gram of leaf per 15ml steeped with boiling water. After a rinse, the hot leaf smells of wild herbs acidity with some wisps of fruit and floral.
Tasting of Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2020 Baby Dragon Sheng Puer
First, Second, and Third Infusion: 2020 Baby Dragon Sheng Puer tastes of wild herby zesty Kunlu with lime pith, but has a soft buttery, tangy, dried flowers that morph to a bittermelon bite. After a few moments, there is a cloyingly sweet and herb aftertaste, before shifting into licorice sweetness fully. The texture is silky and a bit sticky, gluing the flavors to the mouth.
Fourth and Fifth Infusion: Among the savory wild herb notes, there are peeks of leafy apricots.
I can feel this tea has a small soiree built in. The back of my eyeballs is having a Lofi beats dance party. This tea is cute and bubbly, but packing some tea qi.
Sixth and Seventh Infusion: Baby Dragon has gone bitter here but there are plenty of resteeps left. The young sheng blend has a high salivation quality with notes of bittermelon, green hay, and apricots, with a wild herbal finish that slinks sweet. At this point, I’m feeling a skull throb as the party reaches my brain.
Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Infusion: The bitterness is calming down and Baby Dragon tastes like apple skins and sour apples, with a herbal note – like someone threw in some stewed tarragon in the apple cider. Each infusion gets lighter and minerally apples before going away.
Comments
Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2020 Baby Dragon sheng puer is a bubbly party Kunlu sheng blend with lots of savory notes and energy. This puer is certainly more approachable and less aggressive than Slumbering Dragon. If you missed out on Slumbering Dragon, want something a bit more affordable, or are a fan of wild teas, Baby Dragon is an enjoyable one.
(tea provided for review)
