The 2019 February White2tea club is an exclusive club only puer cake – 2018 Charlie Shou. Charlie promises to be dark and not as sweet as other shous on White2tea’s current lineup. I have been on the lookout for other really dark shous – there has never been a replacement to Mandala Tea’s Special Dark, which was an inky masterpiece.
I left my cake of Charlie to air out for about a month, though I felt it didn’t need much rest other than settling from transit.
Leaf and Steeping Instructions
The dry leaf smells simply earthy, not fishy or funky.
It worked out that I used 1 gram of leaf per 14ml of vessel size. I used boiling water and started with 2 rinses before drinking.
Tasting of the 2019 February White2Tea Club’s 2018 Charlie Shou Puer
First Infusion: 2018 Charlie Shou Puer steeps up a bit cloudy to start. The hot leaf has a strong earth and ultra dark chocolate scent. The early infusions of 2018 Charlie Shou Puer are soft and sweety earthy. I detect no funky notes.
Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion Infusion: It seems this needed 3 rinses and the tea is rocking now. 2018 Charlie Shou Puer’s colour is dark and the flavour is sharply rich earthy and dark wood, almost brisk like. The finish of the sip is milky taste, combined with a thick creamy texture. Some sips have a sweet woodiness to it but the main flavour is the overdrive earth and cream.
By the 4th infusion, the cup of tea is really dark and difficult to get a camera focus on.
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Infusion: 2018 Charlie Shou Puer is still thick and creamy tasting and richly earthly but has a green medicinal like flavour, with a bit of woodsy green wood sweetness. Some sips seem spicy dried herbs, though I sound like my Dad who thinks oregano is spicy.
Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Infusion: 2018 Charlie Shou Puer is fighting to resteep well, I got 5 minutes infusions here and the colour has lost its inky depth. Charlie has retained its milky taste and texture. The notes are oregano, mineral, and strangely quite savory. The shou gets really soft and light each steeping and continuing to not get sweet and hold onto a herby medicinal and cream taste.
Comments
I quite enjoyed the February 2019 White2tea club with 2018 Charlie Shou Puer. I love dark shous and it was interesting to have its strength offset by the creamy quality. The final infusions were interesting and fun. Too bad this tea is club only. I did think Charlie had similarities to 2016 Cream, but Charlie has an earthy overdrive and more savory qualities.
At a later session, I found 2018 Charlie Shou puer is quite good leafed harder. Charlie also does fine in a thermos for extended steepings.
