Customer Reviews
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The best rewards come to those who are happily persistent!
Review by Theodore -
I have got a bit of a thing for young sheng pu, and most of my tea drinking friends think its a little weird. I search out the most mouth watering, bitter and sweet cakes I can find with the most amount of energy, and the highest vibrational value. Since discovering The Tea urchin's teas I have been at a bit of an intersection with my tea desires, as every single one of their cakes is a wonderful example of the origin of the leaf itself, and this holds true for every one of their single origin cakes fall or spring.
The one cake that gives me the most struggle and delight though is the 2012 Lao ManE, I see that others must know this to be true as well, because there are only 9 available cakes left at the moment of writing this. This cake starts out bitter as can be, with a fierce bite for me on every single one of my attempts of drinking it, a wrestle of flavor and qi. Yet by the 3rd steeping without fail every single time I am rewarded with one of the sweetest tea treats that I have have known. I am usually happily tea drunk by the 5th steeping, and onto things that I love to do with my life. This tea is a companion, a friend that tells you what you know you need to hear, but sometimes has a hard time getting through to you. I have a friend that only drinks Shu,(we will forgive him) that loves this tea, claiming it to be the only true young sheng to meet his complex desires in tea.
If you have the means by all means please grab on of these cakes while there still around, you will not be disappointed! (Posted on 5/8/13) -
Lao Man E Kucha
Review by Drew - This is a wonderful, dynamic tea. The brew is thick and very smooth. Unlike lesser sheng puerhs, it does not create any dryness or roughness in the mouth. When it enters your mouth the tip of the tongue is hit with a light, sugary sweetness. As you swallow there is a deep ku wei on the sides of the tongue and in the back of the throat. This is a very versatile tea and the bitterness can be eliminated with lower steeping temperatures, however the ku wei adds to the tea’s depth and complexity. (Posted on 12/24/12)
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AWESOME energy
Review by Nick from Psychanaut - This one is a hidden gem. It is described as being blended enough to attain a level of sweetness on top of the associated Bulang characteristics of intense bitterness such that it’s “not just for masochists”–so of course I had to try it. My girlfriend says I have an iron stomach, and I spent much of my time in Taiwan staring out into rain while slurping way too concentrated HM Oolong. At $68 for a cake, I’d say this is a very good value. It has an AWESOME energy to it that plenty of puer at greater prices does not possess. For me, the underlying greater level of bitterness and mouthfeel was balanced with just enough sweetness–and in fact, if I want sweetness, I have plenty of Dong Ding, Shan Lin Xi, and so on, sitting in my cupboard, so that’s not what I’m setting out to achieve by improving my Pu-Palate. I REALLY think this one is going to age well and develop hella complexity over time. (Posted on 10/28/12)