Finding The Tea Qi 2016 Yunnan Sourcing "Xiao Hu Sai Village Wild Arbor Raw Pu'erh Tea Cake

The Little Tea Venerable continues his journy through the red dust of the world, meditating on the fact that he, too, is clay holding water. And speaking of that-

Kind of an odd one today. Looking over my notes, it feels much more of a harsh evaluation than I feel about it now. With some time and distance from it, this is the tea from the sampler that (so far) I have liked the least and enjoyed the most. I'll get into the steeps and then explain at the end.

First Steep- The tea was still pressed into a single dense fragment of a cake. Gently breaking it apart and weighing the leaves was surprisingly satisfying. Counted to ten. Very pale gold color. I get hay barn on the nose from the dry leaves. Brewed, I get a bit of funk. A bit more cloudy than yesterday’s tea, and none of the little white hairs floating. Almost completely flavorless. I don’t even get “tea.” Examining the gaiwan, the leaves appear to not have completely opened. There is a mustiness to it, not bad, exactly, but I can’t really think what it does smell like. Woody, maybe a hint of dried tobacco, or maybe the smell of the wood lumps you would use for smoking meat.

Second steep- counted to twenty this time, trying to extract more flavor. Still pale gold, getting more of that roasty note. An ancient memory threw up a flag and identified what I was smelling- it was a Japanese green tea I tried years and years ago that had been blended with roasted and puffed barley. Since Pu’erh is actually pretty close to a green tea, as someone in the comments noted, that’s not such a weird stretch. That clay cup gets HOT. 

Getting some menthol cool, which I’m starting to strongly associate with Pu’erh. Not a whole lot of flavor otherwise. Tannins are now appearing, a bit spikey, getting a bit of bitterness but it’s pretty minor. As the cup cools, I’m getting something more vegetal and green. 

Third Steep- counted to twenty five, am I killing the tea by oversteeping? I might be, because the smell is still there but the flavor is practically non-existent. No, that’s not right. As the tea cools I am getting more tea flavor. Still very mild, but I’m getting more sweetness and the tannins have turned from bitter to a mellow, mouth drying feel. Not much menthol, no syrup texture, but it’s trending in a better direction. How very interesting. It really is evolving with each steep, not just thinning out.

Must remember to brew with a little less water. Just tasted what was in the pitcher- bitter, and unpleasantly tannic. Room temp Pu’erh is bad. Don’t drink it.

Steep Four- the pot had gotten cold. Twenty second steep produced sweetness and a little tea flavor, with more pronounced tannins coming in. The color is crystal clear and a vivid gold. Rather pretty in the glass cup. A bit more tea flavor, but nothing really distinct popping out. Nailed the water level, however. 

Steep five- went in hot. Not a whole lot of flavor left in there, but it’s not bad. Crystal clear color, no visible change from steep four. Kept the twenty second steep, and this time no bitterness to speak of, but there really isn’t much to speak of at all in there. 

Steep six- Dead. Boiling water, extra long steep and bupkis. Somehow the cup contained the sensation of drinking tea, without carrying any flavor of tea. I think it was almost more flavorless than plain water would have been. Somehow.

Conclusion- This tea never developed a strong flavor. Not so much muted as hardly present. Definately not what I prefer in my tea- I want to taste it, not be reminded of what I'm not tasting, if that makes sense. It never tasted bad, but in this case, absence did not make the heart grow fonder.

Despite that, I found it very enjoyable to brew and taste this tea. I felt like I was getting the hang of the techniques- how to pour, how to hold things so I don't scald my fingers. I've gone from being quite incapable of drinking something so hot to figuring out how to make it work. There is a rhythem to gongfu tea, I'm finding, both in the brewing and the drinking. It's an active process. Not a fast one, I do see why people find it meditative, but you can't really let that cup sit there forever.

There is a moment to make your move, where drinking your tea is effortless and pleasurable. Too hasty and get burned. Too slow, and it's gone bitter. Waiting patiently for the moment, moving with the rhythem of the tea, keeping the cycle moving and savoring the changes as they come... I felt like the Little Tea Venerable approved.

Would I buy it again? Not on a bet. But it's going to be a fond memory of this journey.