I was very excited to see 2022 December Old Ways Tea Club has multiple Fo Shou teas! For this month – Cousin’s Fo Shou, Friend’s Fo Shou, and 2022 Tongmu Old Tree Charcoal Roast Black.
Old Ways Tea read my mind as I’ve been craving the big honking leaves of Fo Shou (aka, Buddha Hand) and I’m always up for more hongcha.
Cousin’s Fo Shou
For both Fo Shous, I used a 90ml tea vessel, so a very strong 1g to 12ml ratio or so.
Cousin’s Fo Shou leaves are fragrant, like a bag of juicy fat raisins.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: Cousin’s Fo Shou starts off sweet juicy dark raisins, and that taste of the surface of a pretzel – it is biscuity a bit saline, and a bit caramelized. The tea is highly aromatic of dried fruits with a buttery texture. It’s so smooth and easy to drink.
Fourth and Fifth Infusion: As Cousin’s Fo Shou steeps on, it is getting astringent to dry my teeth, but tasting of smooth minerals with a cooked fruity aroma. The final infusions are tree sap resin, boiled bruised stone fruits, and amber minerals.
Overall, Cousin’s Fo Shou is super easy to drink with some unique notes that are savory but rich and fruity. This tea has a super smooth snuggly tea thick with aroma and body.
Friend’s Fo Shou
This one smells of darker raisins with a bit of toast. More I smell, the more these smell like those chocolate-covered raisins.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: Friend’s Fo Shou is potent – it is full force concentrated bruised apricot skins and dried brown apricots with a driftwood background. The aroma is a honey floral, leaning towards soap at this intense steep.
Fourth and Fifth Infusion: Friend’s Fo Shou is getting jammy, developing an apricot aroma sweetness melded with boiled-out frankincense and wood. The tea is brothy and meaty, despite starting to wane in flavor. Texture wise, Friend’s Fo Shou is buttery there’s a body feel in this tea as it is whacking my chest.
Sixth and Seventh Infusion: Friend’s Fo Shou is astringent here, drying a path down my stomach. A fruity aftertaste dominates over the taste of the tea, but the broth is soft and mineral tasting. The last steep was sweet and mineral before the astringency kicks in.
Friend’s Fo Shou is a deep, fruity, rich, meditative tea with plenty of body. Both Fo Shou’s are good, but for this session, it sang to me.
2022 Tongmu Old Tree Charcoal Roast Black
Tongmu smells like sweet and roasted fruits.
I went with less leaf this time, a 1g of leaf to 15ml vessel ratio. This hongcha steeps up crystal clear and fruity.
First, Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion: 2022 Tongmu Old Tree Charcoal Roast Black sips in ultra smooth and sweet. It’s powdery sweet potato crusted in hardened sugar, lightly malted, with an aroma of underripe berries. The texture is thick and buttery. Aftertaste wise, 2022 Tongmu Old Tree Charcoal Roast Black is sweet roasted corn, and other times it’s like caramel corn.
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Infusion: This tea has been so pleasant to drink that I lost track of what was going on. It finished sweet potato and easy going.
2022 Tongmu Old Tree Charcoal Roast Black is sweet, smooth, and easy to drink, with a mineral and comfort food sweet potato. I love how smooth and seamless this tea is. Old Ways Tea does great black teas.
