Hello hello! Yunnan Sourcing is notorious for releasing the purple variety of tea. Not only do they carry a large stock of purple sheng puer, they also carry purple varietal white and green tea. For their white tea they released a limited amount of Wild Tree Purple “Sweet Ya Bao” White Tea, which is their most rare purple varietal of tea — and also comes from the Jinggu region of Yunnan. According to Yunnan Sourcing’s website, it took 2 people 16 days just to harvest 10 kilograms of this tea. Despite the extensive process of harvesting Sweet Ya Bao, was their effort worth it? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 6 For this session I used 3g of tea for a 60ml gaiwan, and upon opening this tea, the sweet odor of watermelon wafted in my face. Anyways, the first steeps of this tea revealed a sweet watermelon base along with the undertone of cucumber water. As the steeps went on, this tea’s body grew thicker and heavier, due to the texture being very raw to the tastebuds (which was due to how fresh it was). After the continuing steeps, the watermelon base faded away as the strong bodying notes of dill weed made its way to coat the tongue, as it left a humid rosebud mist in the cheeks. Steeps 7 - 12 Ya Bao’s base tasting note of dill weed slowly transformed into a dill weed that was heavily coated with bee pollen. The cucumber undertone mixed blissfully with the floral rosebud aftertaste, which left a lasting sweetness in the mouth. Long after this tea made its way past my throat, a sugar like sweetness radiated from every crevice in my mouth. Up to the very last steep, this tea was still giving out flavor. By the twelfth infusion, I was very tea drunk and was ready to end it here. Conclusion Wild Tree Purple “Sweet Ya Bao” is definitely a purple varietal tea that doesn’t taste like any tea I’ve had before. The tasting notes of dill weed came as a complete surprise, along with the finishing notes of rose buds. This was something that took getting used to, but after a few sessions with Ya Bao, I can definitely say that it’s growing on me. Another aspect of this tea that took me by surprise was how much liquor I was able to draw out of just 3g of tea. For the entire gong-fu session, with just 3g of tea, a little over 2 liters of water was used. The crazy thing about it was that there was still more tea that could be drawn out of Ya Bao. To wrap things up, Yunnan Sourcing did a fantastic job bringing such a strange and tasty tea to light, and is an experience that others should partake in because it shows just how different a tea can really be. This tea was sweet and its longitivtiy definitely makes it worth its value. I can conclude that this tea’s extensive harvest was definitely worth the effort, and is something that I will drink again very soon…

Hello hello! In the tea community, the puer community to be exact, there’s a lot of animal lovers that tend to share love for their pets on social media. Rather if you’re a tea company thats named after a pet, or a blogger that’s named after a beloved animal, the vast majority of us have a loving connection to cats and dogs. However, lately I started to notice a pattern between felines and puer heads. So I had to ask the question to many of our leading tea personalities: are you a cat person? For this survey, I asked fellow puer heads if they were a cat person or not. However, before moving forward, I wanted to specify that a puer head is someone whose favorite tea is puer. Anyhow, I asked this question to see if there’s a direct correlation between puer heads and cat people. I asked puer heads on social media, and even asked tea shop owners, so I could get a wider range of answers. To constitute as a participant, they had to be involved in the tea community for quite some time and had to primarily review, share photos of, or sell and drink puer tea. For the results, I surveyed 20 participants, and these are the results gathered from the survey… Question: Are you a cat person? Yes: 14 No: 6 Percentage of puer heads that associate their self as a cat person: 70% Overall recap, 14 people said they were cat people out of a total of 20 participants. This means that 70% of puer heads identify their self as a cat person. But why is this? As an honorary cat person, my bias says it’s because cats are totally awesome bro. In my honest opinion, there’s no greater joy and gratitude than winning over the affection of a cat. But after some reflection, I noticed that there were a lot of similarities between puer tea and domesticated house cats… Like a cat, puer is picky Like a cat, puer isn't loved by everybody Like puer, cats can be difficult. The time you put into a cat, the time you receive back You can love it to an infinite amount, and yet, you’re not guaranteed its love back Your relationship with puer and with a cat is on its terms, not yours Cats and puer can be cool one day, and be funky the next. Attitude changes weekly, or daily, for no reason whatsoever. No matter how ruined puer or a cat is, there’s no fixing it. Despite the many similarities, there’s a few differences between cats and puer tea that seem obvious. Such as, you can’t gong-fu a cat in a gaiwan. Although a cat will try to conform its body to any shape it lies in, if you pour hot water on a cat, the cat will horribly injure you and you’ll be reported to the authorities for animal cruelty. You can’t be reported for animal cruelty for brewing puer tea, now can you? No you can’t. I was discussing this topic with fellow tea head Andrew Richardson (aka Liquid Proust), and he gave some insight as to why puer heads more commonly identify as cat people. Andrew suggested that a lot of people in the tea community are introverted. After thinking about what he said, it started to make sense. Introverts and cats typically have calming personalities. So by default, you’d expect a hobby that’s often done in solitude would get along with something as docile as a house cat. However, in my experience, many puer heads and many cats are very friendly and laid back. However, you’ll still come across a few crazy ones here and there. There’s nothing wrong with being introverted, and while a lot of us may not have very outgoing personalities, it speaks volumes to willingly share your life through your blog, your social media accounts, through your tea shop, or through your own website. With that being said, you may be pondering the question of if you’re a cat person or not, just remember that it doesn't really matter because you’re part of the reason why this community is so great... Note - Special Thank to Bitter Leaf Teas for providing photos of their kitties for this article ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List of Participants [20 in Total] - Companies - White2Tea, Crimson Lotus Tea, Moychay, Bitter Leaf Teas, Yunnan Sourcing Bloggers - Death by Tea, Tohao Tony, Oolong Owl, Tea Database, Tea For Me Please Social Media - grill_, haveyeawilltravel, boychick2989, darksideoftea, Volkan_houshan, delightfulkiwi, Matu, chaiveck, gooseberryspoon, s.g.sanders_teaman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello hello! White2Tea is always finding ways to innovate when it comes to puer, and in the fall of 2016, they released two 100g bricks packed together that goes by the name of Sister Brother. This duo is an educational experience because these teas are both made from the same material, except Brother’s material was left in the ‘kill green’ process longer than Sister’s. White2Tea pressed the duo bricks Sister and Brother in April of 2016. What’s funny about this is that they were pressed on April 1st. Anyways — White2Tea pressed these teas in the spring but didn't release them until the fall. However, we got a glimpse that resembled the duo back in the August 2016 White2Tea Club. Despite waiting until the fall, was this release worth the wait? Also, do Brother and Sister go together? Lets find out! [Note: Click on photos to enlarge] Steeps 1 - 4 Both tea sessions started with a quick rinse of each (separately, as I don’t promote incestual activity), after the kettle warmed the water to a temp of 185ºf. For both teas, I used 6.6g of tea in a 100ml vessel. The session started with brother, which gave off a light medicinal and hay oily body, and left a date like sweetness aftertaste. To compliment the sweetness of dates, Brother also had a light undertone of sage. However, Sister started out with a sweet and green base with a light and floral aftertaste. Sister then made its way to the back of the throat, and left a light fruitiness that echoed in the sides of the cheeks. Steeps 5 - 8 Brother’s body grew thicker and thicker, which nearly resembled a syrup. The medicinal oily body grew even stronger as the fig’s fruity sweetness became more prominent. With that, the hay and sage aftertaste was louder, and left a vapor in the mouth after it left the throat. Even long after sipping the tea, the sensation of sugar vibrating in the teeth made itself known. On the other hand, Sister’s body kept getting smoother and smoother (ha), almost as if the base liquor was lighter than air as it slid past the throat. The floral base became more notable, as the texture became thicker and oilier. A light sage undertone appeared as it left a soft finish behind in it’s trail. Steeps 9 - 12 Brother’s bliss point hit around the later steeps, as its base transformed into the likeness of a sugar coated fig. The sugar coated fig was presented in an oily texture that felt almost like a broth. Along with the sensation of sugar vibrating in the teeth, Brother left a light medicinal undertone which lasted until the last steep. Meanwhile, Sister’s sweet fruity body took a back seat (ha) in these later steeps, as its body was more medicinal and grassy base. Sister left a sweetness which began to mellow as the floral notes kept getting pushed out. Sister’s body was soft and mellow (ha), and lasted until going away with a kill brew. Conclusion Sister Brother is an interesting experience all together, and an experience that isn’t presented in the market very often, or at all. The experience started with the bamboo wrapping of Sister Brother, which made opening the duo a memorable moment in time. Another fun aspect was seeing how the longer roasted tea (Brother) was fruitier and sweeter compared to the lesser roasted tea (Sister), which was more floral. However, one thing that disappointed me was the fact that these bricks were iron pressed, because for the price point, too much of the tea was reduced to tea dust. Normally I wouldn't care, but the Mensong sheng material presented in these bricks was too fantastic to waste. Overall, Sister Brother is a course I would partake in again, and is one that I would recommend to others. In Puer, there’s a lot of drinking experiences that can only happen while in Yunnan, China. However, White2Tea brought this experience to light and allowed you to expand your knowledge with the different ways of processing sheng puer. To further wrap things up, the wait from spring to fall with these teas was definitely worth the wait. And just like the friendship I have with my own sister, Sister and Brother definitely go together…

Hello hello! Welcome to the second edition of ‘Ask The Oolong Drunk,' where I’ll be answering the questions you send in. Over the past month, I’ve received quite a few interesting questions that I’m ready to answer. But first, I want to thank those who participated in this new segment, and I can’t wait to see how much further this goes. Just remember — there’s no such thing as a stupid question, so do hesitate to submit whatever questions you may have. How do you approach steeping raw puer and how do you adjust your steep timing/temperature during a session? -Ryan For every session I use 1g of tea to 15ml of water. White2Tea had this ratio posted on their site when I first got into puer over a year ago. Of course, you can use as much tea as you want, but this is the method that typically gives you the best session of tea. In fact, I use this ratio for every aspect of tea steeping. For the water temperature, it depends on the tea. For a gong-fu session with puer, white tea, or oolong tea, I use a water temperature of 185ºf. Even throughout the session, I’ll reheat the kettle to make sure it stays at this heat. I brew the tea at this temperature because the tea doesn’t get hot enough to get bitter, and yet, hot enough to get all of the flavor out of the leaf. However, if you’re still concerned about measuring the temperature, then I’d recommend buying a thermometer to measure your water’s heat. For steeping time, I start puer sessions at fifteen seconds (after the first rinse), and oolong sessions at 30 seconds (I start higher here to give the leaf a chance to open up). After the first steep, I progressively add more time until the session is done. It’s personal preference at this point, but just keep tacking on time until you reach a thickness that you like. If the tea is too strong, then decrease the time and if the tea is too weak, then increase the time. You see, there’s not really a right or wrong answer here because it all depends on how you like it. Just remember to try and have fun with it and make it your own. Can you western steep puer tea? -Cassie In my personal experience, shou puer tastes excellent when made western style. For those of you who don’t already know, western style is usually just brewing tea in a mug with an infuser or a tea bag. Anyhow — sheng puer doesn’t taste very good this way and never really comes out as expected. I’m sure that there are some people that enjoy sheng puer brewed western style (God forbid), but for me, sheng puer is very complex and comes out beautifully when made gong-fu style. Since sheng puer is typically more expensive, I wouldn't necessarily want to spend a lot of money on a tea if I couldn't get the most out of it. -The Oolong Drunk “Blissfully Tea Drunk"

Hello hello! Crimson Lotus Tea has been blending sheng puer for the past several years, and they blended a puer that goes by the name of Midas Touch. Midas Touch (which I’ll call MT for short) was originally released in 2015, but due to popularity, sold out rather quickly. In response, Crimson Lotus Tea re-blended this puer for their 2016 line-up. According to Crimson Lotus Tea’s website, MT is blended with three different Jingmai sheng puer teas, and in return, created the tea that gave their name so much attention. Speaking of names, MT got it’s name from King Midas, who according to legend, turned everything he touched to gold. With keeping legend in mind, does this famous puer blend turn your tastebuds to gold when drinking it? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I used 6.6g of tea in a 100mml vessel, and brewed it with water at a temp of 185ºf. At first, the thick and brassy notes of sweet broth hit the forefront of my tongue. As this tea made its way to the back of the throat, a light apricot and lemony tartness trailed behind in its footsteps. As the steeps went on, MT’s body became viciously thicker and oilier. With the thicker body, the clear tasting notes of a roasted leaf pile, mixed with dry cut grass, added to the copper-like body to create a complex infusion. As the fourth steep finished, this teas sweetness grew even thicker and heavier. Steeps 5 - 8 With the continuing steeps, Midas Touch’s body kept transforming as the brassy body started to resemble peat moss — almost like a rainforest in the mouth. The aspect of autumn leaf pile became more noticeable as the grassy notes died down. However, the fruity sweetness began to adopt more of a personality as the lemony tartness disappeared in to the apricot undertone. While steeping the eighth infusion, I noticed MT’s sweetness began to echo in the corners of the mouth, and was getting too loud to ignore. This sweet sensation would only make a sane person want more. Steeps 9 - 12 Midas Touch’s brassy body settled down in these later steeps, as the peat-like notes kept resembling a rainforest more and more. In return, this tea’s oiliness began to dilute. Despite MT’s diluting oiliness, its texture kept getting softer and softer, which felt like a fine velvet cloth being brushed over the base of the tongue. In the later part of the steeps, the apricot undertone progressively vanished altogether. However, this tea’s sweetness hit a bliss point which created a feeling of euphoria within the tastebuds. Given this new sensation, I could feel my body relax all over as my thoughts disappeared into the remaining infusions of Midas Touch… Conclusion Upon finishing the session with Midas Touch, it was clear to see why others have said this tea carries a great deal of energy. This puer blend is fantastic and intoxicating, along with beautifully highlighting the greater attributes of the Jingmai region, such as its characteristics and quality, in such a positive light. Speaking of quality, Crimson Lotus Tea did a fantastic job with the quality of MT as everything was aesthetically pleasing to look at, as much as it was tasty. Overall, MT is a complex tea that’s very easy to fall in love with, partially due to the way this tea’s tasting notes were presented. I personally think that the legend of Kind Midas is not just a legend, because he existed for the brief moment in time I was drinking this tea. King Midas was resurrected in my tea cup, and ended up turning my tastebuds to gold…

Hello hello! I started out on the world of puer about in late 2015. I remember this well because I started drinking puer a few weeks before all of the tea vendors held their Black Friday sales. It was a very magical time of year, and for someone who had quickly been immersed into the world of tea, it felt like a time for celebration. Everybody was posting photos and discussions of all of the stuff that they ordered for Black Friday, especially puer teas. However, ‘puer’ was an alien thing at the time which seemed to get more confusing the more research I did, and could have never imagined there was so much more to it than just ‘tea’. The world of tea can definitely be a scary place, especially when people in the community actively talk about tea like the back of their hand, and there's no one to explain what certain things meant. It’s also easy to get lost in the world of tea because the tea universe is large. However, puer is a kind of tea that’s not widely known by a lot of people, and the ones who are aware of it may still only view it as ‘tea that can get old like wine’. With the following, take a minute to read a simple explanation about what puer is — in an ‘explain like I'm five’ context so you can better equip yourself with the right kind of basic knowledge to navigate the world of puer… Puer First, we’re going to start with explaining what puer is. Puer (pronounced like poo-er) is a kind of tea that has the ability to age and ferment. What this means is, tea can be stored (like a fine wine) in a controlled environment, and supposedly gets better with age. While the exact time period of when puer got its start is largely open for debate, over the past decade it’s quickly gaining popularity in the western market. Since puer gets better with age, you’ll often see that aged teas are more expensive. Another great thing about puer is that there’s two different kinds which are called sheng and shou. Photo: Freshly harvested puer withering on a bamboo mat Sheng Sheng is a variety of purer that’s green in color, and usually has a vegetal flavor. Sheng (which is pronounced like the english word ‘hung’ with the letter ’S’ in front of it) is also commonly known as green puer, because it’s processed and looks similar to green tea. Sheng puer can be aged for further oxidation because sheng puer is a un-oxidized tea. Although sheng puer is similar to green tea, it’s processed in a way that is able to age and slowly oxidize over time. Speaking of processing, sheng is not made like your typical green tea. First, sheng puer is carefully plucked off the tea tree. The tea is handled very carefully as to prevent bruising. Then, the tea is promptly roasted in a large wok in a process called the ‘kill green’ process. This is done to halt the oxidation, and visually shrinks the tea leaves and rids it of its neon green color. Once the tea is halted from its oxidation process, the tea is rolled, rubbed, and shaped into strands. Following this, the tea is spread out on bamboo mats and typically left to air-dry in the sun light. You may be wondering how the process of making sheng puer allows the tea to oxidize. This is mainly in part due to the fact that the tea is quickly dried out from picking. In green tea production, the tea is typically roasted or steamed long enough to kill any living enzymes within the leafs. Once green tea is done cooking/processing, its dried and stays stagnant. However, since the ‘kill green’ process in sheng puer doesn’t completely cook the leaves throughout, and is quickly dried out, not all of the enzymes in puer are killed. Since not all of the enzymes are killed, it slowly oxidizes over a slow and a long period of time (which is further explained below). Long story short, your tea is still alive. Photo: The 'kill green' process taking place in a wood-fired wok Shou Shou puer is the other kind of puer tea (pronounced like the english word ‘show’, but with less emphasis on the ‘W’. IT’s also pronounced like ‘show’, but both are technically correct). Shou puer is dark in color, and typically earthy in taste. Shou puer is also commonly known as cooked tea, or post-fermented tea. Tea thats been post-fermented, and identifies as shou, is processed completely different from its counter part. First, just like sheng, the leaf is plucked off of the tree. The tea is carefully handled before it makes its way to be weathered. Then, the leaf is completely processed into sheng. Now, unlike sheng, shou takes a much different route in the following steps. Next, shou puer is piled in a room in a humid, dark, and in a aerated condition. From there, the tea is turned and mixed in a process that typically lasts from two to three months. This process may sound a bit peculiar, and you may have done something similar with your garden at home: this is the process of composting— so, over the forty day period, the tea is being composted. However, despite knowing the general process of how shou is made, the exact specifics aren't entirely known because its a closely guarded industry secret. Once the tea has been turned and allowed to oxidize and decompose two to three months, it is then allowed to air-dry where the tea is allowed to settle before being pressed into discs. Unlike sheng puer, shou puer is post-fermented and usually can’t age for as long of a period. Photo: Puer tea being rolled after 'kill green' How It Ages Like mentioned above, puer is able to age due to the process of fermentation. The process of fermentation mainly affects sheng puer, since sheng is still green. Sheng is most affected because although it is still green, it still holds moisture. When sheng puer is cooked in a flash-like setting, referred to above as the ‘kill green’ process, it halts the oxidation. However, when sheng puer goes through its ‘kill green’ process, it’s not cooked enough to make it halt oxidation altogether. Because of this, the enzymes that react due to photosynthesis still lie dormant in the minuscule amount of moisture left within the tea. These enzymes provide carbohydrates and amino acids that are slowly released into the tea throughout time. This also helps contribute to the fact that when sheng ages, it darkens in color and changes in taste. Although Sheng has the potential to age, shou is not typically able to go through this process due to its heavy oxidation. Since shou puer has already been decomposed, and left to oxidize for forty days, there’s not much left that can be done to age it further. However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t change. A newer way of making shou puer is a process in which the tea leaves are not oxidized completely, so after the tea is finished decomposing, there’s still some room left for it to oxidize when storing. Photo: Puer being laid out to dry Differences in Taste Puer typically varies in profile due to where it’s grown. Usually, puer comes from China — the Yunnan providence to be exact, while ‘puer’ from other regions is called heicha. Due to the varying mountain ranges, weather conditions, soil composition, and landscape, the same tea grown in one region will taste noticeably different than another region. Along with this, the age of the tea tree will also affect a tea and how it tastes. Typically, tea isn’t ready for harvest until the tree is seven years old. Past that, it is harvested at any age. Young trees hold a very different profile than old trees, and tea that comes from old tea trees are typically identified as ‘Gu Shu’ (pronounced like ‘goo’ and ‘shoe’, but ‘shoe’ without the ‘E’). Gu Shu teas are typically more expensive, and thats usually because the tea itself gives off a stronger brew. This is because the older the tree, the larger the tea leaf is able to become. To add, older tea trees are able to absorb a larger range of nutrients from the soil due to its larger roots, which affects the depth and complexity of the leaf itself. Photo: Gu Shu tea being harvested off of an old tea tree Shape and Size When exploring the different selections of puer, you’ll quickly notice that there are a lot of different shapes and sizes available to purchase. The most popular, and the most common shape of puer is the disc, which is often called a beeng (pronounced like the search engine Bing). Puer is often stored in a beeng shape, and typically wrapped together with other beengs to create a tong. The traditional size for a beeng is 357 grams, and there are typically 7 beengs on a tong. The purpose of a tong is to store and package puer tea by a bulk size, and there are usually seven beengs in a tong because the weight adds up to 2.5 kilograms. Besides the traditional 357 gram beengs, tea makers are making smaller sizes more popular due to market demands. These sizes include 200 gram, 100 gram, and 50 gram beengs. However, besides beengs, puer is also pressed in a number of different shapes. These shapes include bricks, mushrooms, squares, melons (which looks like a half-melon) balls (almost always 7g), and touchas. A toucha (pronounced like too-oh, and ‘Cha’ added after) is a shape that best resembles a mushroom without its stem. Overall, there are many different shapes and sizes available, and with new innovation making its way to the world of tea, there’s always new and unique shapes and sizes that pop up at every turn you take. Photo: Beengs of sheng shortly after being pressed Conclusion In conclusion, puer is a tea that comes in either sheng or shou.Sheng is a green tea that’s able to age due to the process of fermentation. Along with sheng there’s also shou, which is a kind of puer tea that’s dark in color, and isn’t able to age in the same way that sheng can. Although the exact point in time that puer was created can’t be pinpointed, there is a growing popularity for it in todays market. So with all of this basic knowledge of what puer is, hopefully you can now feel more comfortable with exploring the vast universe of puer. Despite knowing the basics of puer, the puer universe is still so large and there’s so much more to learn, that the best way to learn form tea is to just drink it… Note: Special thanks to Crimson Lotus Tea for fact checking parts of this article, and for providing photos… "Blissfully Tea Drunk"

Hello hello! Brief rundown —Taiwan Sourcing is a website that’s owned by the same man that owns Yunnan Sourcing. Taiwan Sourcing is dedicated to sourcing the best oolongs that Taiwan has to offer, along with carefully selected tea ware. Unlike Yunnan Sourcing, who sells a lot of Chinese Oolongs, Taiwan Sourcing is strictly Taiwanese teas. With that, one of their most prized and renowned oolongs is ‘The Potion’ Jade Oolong, which comes from Qing Xin. For their 2016 harvest of this tea, it broke their record for their most expensive green oolong. So naturally, that made me want to try it. Furthermore, here’s why ‘The Potion’ is an oolong that more than just a tea; it’s a potion itself… Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I used 3g of tea in a 60ml vessel. After heating water to a temperature of 185ºf, the session went underway. Upon the first steep, which started at a thirty second steeping time, the creamy and sweet floral tasting note of gardenia brushed against the base of the tongue. The taste and aroma of this tea kept blossoming with the continuing steeps, and at the third steep began to leave the aftertaste of butter and dairy cream. Towards the end of the fourth infusion, the sweet notes of raw sugar cane kept making its way through the floral gardenia notes, and came together to create profile that was as delicious as it was meditative. Steeps 5 - 8 The texture of ‘The Potion’ progressively got thicker and thicker. The sweet floral notes slowly faded into notes of sugar snap peas. Along with that, the sweetness that was detected earlier kept getting stronger and stronger, and left a radiating aftertaste of pure sugar. To help compliment those notes, the tea’s soup felt like a syrup as the gloopy notes of buttered popcorn became too prominent in the mouth to ignore. Everything up to this point was very enjoyable, and this session kept getting better and better. Steeps 9 - 14 ‘The Potion’ halted its climb and began to level out. The base of butter slowly calmed down, and gave way for the green vegetal notes to move forward. However, when these notes began to die down, a strong yet pleasant undertone of menthol began to make its way to center stage. The cooling aftertaste of menthol was immediately left in the roof of the mouth as the tea continued to settle down. Eventually, ‘The Potion’ resembled a few medicinal properties at this point, but I was too tea drunk to detect anything further. After the fourteenth steep, I was able to put this tea down and call it a night. Conclusion ‘The Potion’ is definitely a potion, and this tea’s body was thick enough to give it its title. This oolong has a relatively high price point, but due to the complexity of the tea, the price seems very well worth it. The Potion is not an oolong I’d recommend to someone whose looking to calm down, because this tea has so much energy that you’ll be tea drunk long after the session is over. In conclusion, I think that ‘The Potion’ Jade Oolong is one of Taiwan Sourcing's best offerings, especially if you're looking for a green oolong. Next time you venture off of Yunnan Sourcing’s site to visit their sister site, hopefully you’ll get the chance to place an order for this oolong and see why it’s called a potion, for yourself… "Blissfully Tea Drunk"

Hello hello! Many teas can be so aggressive and strong, they almost feel like they're as heavy as a bomb. Sometimes, these teas can even be the bomb diggity! Anyways, when you run into a tea that’s explosive in the mouth, and leaves you destroyed in its wake, you can definitely say that it’s a weapon of mass destruction. Now, when looking at newcomer Bitter Leaf Teas, you wouldn't suspect that someone as welcoming and as friendly would unleash something as deadly and as intoxicating for their puer line up, would they? Well, you’re wrong — they totally would. Bitter Leaf Teas released WMD — a Mansa sheng puer that sold out so quickly, barely anyone knew it existed. However, I still have a sample of WMD that I snagged before popularity cleared this tea’s stock. So here’s why this tea is a weapon of mass destruction, and why it should be appearing on your navigational radar… Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I used 4g of tea in a 60mml vessel, and brewed it with water at a temp of 185ºf. At first, the body of roasted hay swam across the base of the tongue, and left a slight bitter aftertaste at the tip of the tongue. After a few more steeps, the base of roasted hay left behind the tasting notes of green grapes and berries on the sides of the mouth, while leaving a lasting sweetness at the back of the throat. As the steeps continued, the tea became heavier and burlier. Steeps 5 - 8 The texture of WMD Mansa became explosive in thickness, as the lubricating based liquor polished up on its tasting notes. The base of hay became sweeter and denser, and the sweetness came together into a nice feeling of green grapes in the side of the mouth. With the further infusions, I could already feel this tea warming up my insides as its power quickly raced to the tip of my head. It was evident that WMD was complex, predominantly due to the fact that the body carried a wide array of tasting notes, carefully across every square inch of space in the mouth. Steeps 9 - 14 This tea was definitely working on its destruction to bring down my cognizance. The intoxicating liquor kept working its strength on my mind and body, along with the progressing tasting notes that it held. WMD Mansa’s tasting notes of hay were slowly fading out, as a creamy texture took its place. Along with this, the taste of green grapes continued to grow like a mushroom cloud in the back of the throat, and left behind a radiating footprint of stevia that seemed to clear out everything in its path. After the fourteenth steep though, this tea had made its target and that target was me! It was time to end the session, and start recovering from the drunken stupor that I was left in… Conclusion WMD Mansa is a tea whose energy could measure up to the energy of a leading politician when facing controversy on twitter. This weapon of mass destruction definitely destroyed any sobriety that it came into contact with. WMD is a tea that is complex in a very special way, and is accessible for many people. However, one thing that stood out about this tea is how strong of a powerhouse it was, and after a year of settling, this tea was definitely ready to unleash. Usually, teas with this level of energy sometimes lack the wildly delicious flavor profiles that weaker teas usually have. However, WMD Mansa was just as sweet and flavorful as it was eruptive. In conclusion, WMD Mansa was one of Bitter Leaf Tea’s best offerings in 2016. Subsequently, WMD Mansa won the award for Best Sheng Puer in 2016, and blew up the other competitors in the same category. Although WMD is currently sold out, there’s a meteoric possibility that it’ll make a comeback in 2017. Next time this weapon of mass destruction makes its way into the black market, keep your navigational radar set to a higher frequency, because this is one forceful tea that you do not want to miss…

Hello hello! Shou puer, especially aged shou puer, is one of those things where you either love it or hate it. Sometimes it’s really hard to turn other tea drinkers on to the idea of aged shou, especially because its already been composted for forty five days. However, despite that shou isn’t for everyone, there are really great examples of this tea that are so good, it’s almost guaranteed that everyone will like it. Now I know that’s a strong statement, but not so outlandish when referring to 2000 Old Warrior by Crimson Lotus Tea. Old Warrior ended up being one of my favorite aged shous, and was awarded the best Aged Puer in 2016! So come find out why Old Warrior still has fight left in it, and will continue to fight for your tastebuds in the coming future… Steeps 1 - 4 For this session I used 6.6g of Old Warrior for a 100ml vessel. Before starting the session, I gave this tea a quick rinse — which washes away any debris left on the tea from pressing. Anyways, the first thing that became noticeable when sipping this tea is the tasting notes of tree bark and fresh mulch. After a few more steeps, the taste of dirt and wood became more prominent as this teas smooth body was overshadowed by its strength. Steeps 5 - 8 Old Warrior kept on fighting, despite its wise old age. The body of tree bark began to smooth out as the compost and mineral notes held its strength. As the steeps went on, this shou went from sharp to smooth in just two steeps. With the smooth body, this tea’s liquor became visually darker with an amber tone. Old Warrior was crisp to the sight, and smooth and rich to the taste. Surprisingly, this aged shou was coming out crystal clear, and held a beauty that most other shou puers don't get the chance to radiate. Steeps 9 - 12 Old Warrior’s powerhouse notes of mineral and compost progressively mellowed out, as the light base of tree bark began to settle in as well. However, the tree bark left an aftertaste that resembled a damp forest. With that, this tea’s soothing and velvety palate came together to resemble something light and medicinal, as this tea was taking me through the last bits of its journey. After the twelfth infusion, this Old Warrior was ready to take a break as it already fought the good fight… Conclusion There is a clear indication why Old Warrior won Best Aged Puer in 2016. Not only is it a great example of how relaxing and enjoyable an aged shou can be, it was also preserved exceptionally well. However, when describing a shou, it can sometimes be difficult to describe something that tastes like dirt and tree bark to be remarkable and appetizing. We as humans don’t associate tree bark with something that taste delectable, but shou puer is completely different. The tasting notes in Old Warrior were presented in such a way that it made the mouth water just by the thought of it, and at its price point it’s almost insane to think that this tea isn’t more popular. In conclusion, Old Warrior is a great tea for all tea drinkers alike, and yet very easy to drink. There are many reasons why this tea is a gem to add to your collection (in part due to the fact that a ruby was actually found in a beeng of Old Warrior!). May this Old Warrior be remembered by many tea drinkers to come, and maybe you’ll get to find out why this aged shou was rated one of the best in 2016… Rating - 9.0

Hello hello! Music plays a great part in everyday life, and sometimes can be more than just a collection of sounds to create a melody. What I mean is: some albums and some pieces of music transcends into the realm of art. When music becomes an art form, many people can connect with it despite their age, nationality, or even era that they live in. In these pieces of work, they can be so beautifully done that you can close your eyes and listen to the album from beginning to end in its entirety, just like sitting in a theatre and watching a movie. Personally, there’s only been a few instances where an artist created something that impacted me in such a profound way — I didn't just listen to it, I felt it. When you’re able to connect with a piece of art that makes you feel such a wide range of emotion, it’s an intimate and euphoric experience. However, there’s one album that broke the barrier from sound to art, and made me feel like I was floating above the clouds. This was an experience that almost resembled a high, which is why we’ll be going over White2Tea’s 2016 We Go High… Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, 6.6g of tea was used in a 100ml vessel, with a heated water temp of 180ºf. After a quick rinse, the first infusion was under way. At first, this tea presented a broth and savory like body with a clean and mouthwatering finish. As the steeps went on, a light bitter sensation started to form on the back of the throat, while dragging a light undertone of fresh milky fig. The tasting note of fig almost resembled an apricot, or a peach, which was held up by a medicinal backbone. With the continuing steeps, the broth became prominent in the mouth, and a tasting note of an autumn leaf pile started to creep out of the woodworks. With the end of the fourth infusion, this ensemble of tasting notes was all over the place as this tea was trying to find its voice. Steeps 5 - 8 We Go High started to get itself together by finding a direction to go in. With the fifth infusion, the tasting notes began to polish off and form an orchestra of complexities. With the broth and savory base, this tea brushed the tongue with the undertones of sweet fruit which started to mellow out. Despite the tones of fig disappearing, a light umami backdrop began to replace it. Along with the sweetness changing, the medicinal tasting profile started to become more prominent, and pushed the notes of autumn leaf pile out in center stage. Steeps 9 -12 Just like before, the base of broth was still present at this point in the session. Unlike before, the undertone of oil stepped up to the plate and let itself be known. The medicinal oiliness danced in the cheeks with the taste of a leaf pile, which left the mouth watering more than ever. While the notes were settling their way to the throat, the leaf pile left a strong room-filling aftertaste of bell and banana peppers behind in its wake. Up until the twelfth infusion, We Go High kept leveling out until there was nothing to level out anymore, and only the savory broth body remained. Technically, the session ended here. However, I kept going and killed the tea until I got every last drop out of it. After steep sixteen, I realized that I was tea drunk beyond belief. Music Makes Us High Growing up, music didn’t play much of an important role in my development into a young adult. However, there were other aspects of my life that called for more attention that wouldn't allow me to get distracted by the media. You see, my parents divorced when I was at a young age, and my father became ill when I was in middle school. My father had blood pressure issues, which affected his kidneys very negatively. Subsequently, he fell into a depression that alcohol could only cure. After my parents divorce, they stayed good friends and I was allowed to visit my father anytime I wanted to. They both held a strong stance that my sister and I could connect with whichever parent we wanted to, without feeling caught between their marital problems. This meant that I spent every weekend with my dad, and growing up, he became my best friend. When we were together, he never drank but saved it for when I was back at home. Unfortunately, the alcohol took a toll on his kidneys. We always knew that his health was failing, but none of it became real until we got the phone call from him. He was in the emergency room, blind. According to the doctors, his kidneys completely failed on him which caused him to go blind. However, if he waited any longer to go the emergency room, he would had died. To prevent any further damage, the doctors put him on emergency dialysis — which essentially is the process of filtering your blood to make it clean again. I was with him in the hospital room when they put an emergency catheter in his groin — which is a device that connects your artery to the dialysis machine. Since he didn’t already had a catheter, they had to fix him with a temporary one until he could get surgery to have a permanent one put in place. I stood by him as he laid in the bed while getting emergency dialysis. Every time he moved, the catheter would unhook. And twice it unhooked, and twice I watched the blood spew out of him all over the wall of the hospital room. A year went by since watching that and I was a mess, but not nearly as bad as my father. He fell deeper into his depression, and became verbally abusive. He quit being the cool father that I grew up to love, and turned into a person that I no longer knew. He yelled more and more, until one point his temper got the best of him. I cut contact with him after that incident. Three months later, they found him lifeless in his apartment. When he died, it didn’t phase me in the least. I was leaving middle school and was preparing for high school, but since I haven't seen him since the incident, I didn’t care at the time. I was in denial, and lived that way until I was seventeen when I started to write about him. I didn't think writing about him would do anything, but knew my anxiety and depression was ruining my quality of life. After writing about him, a wave of emotion came over me as I was crippled with sadness. I sat in my room that evening and cried about everything. I was hurt, angry, lonely, and confused. Everything that I repressed up until that point all came out at once, and it destroyed me. After a few months of exploring these new emotions and working through the confusion I had towards my dad, I came across an album that connected with me more than any other piece art. Ultravoilence by Lana Del Rey was the first album that made me feel more connected with any other piece of art. Upon the first time listening to it from beginning to end, I was completely taken back by how much I connected with every song, every lyric, and every melodic tone. Lana recorded this entire album live, in a room with only 5 other instruments. Everything you hear, especially her voice, was recorded for the first and only time. The intimacy that came through in this album overwhelmed me more than I was expecting. It was more than a feeling of euphoria, it was a feeling of being high. In this album, this woman poured her heart out to sing the complex and complicated feelings of being in a love hate relationship, and described what it truly meant to love somebody who is toxic for you. Until that point, I didn’t think anybody else understood how confusing those feelings were. This piece of music helped me understand why loving someone, regardless of your relationship to them, can be both good and bad to your overall wellness. With my father, it was confusing because he was a really good man. He made friends with everyone he met, and to see him take such a turn for the worst was truly heart breaking. He turned into someone I didn’t know, and if he wasn’t as sick as he was, he wouldn't have been as mentally abusive as he became. He was a tortured soul who didn’t know how his actions were affecting the people that needed him the most. And that’s okay, because he was flawed. He was human and did the best he could, the only way he knew how. I eventually drove nine hours to the beach, and spread his ashes while listening to Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey. Whenever I listen to that work of art now, I envision the sights of the beach. I can hear the ocean, smell the breeze, and feel the sand on the bottom of my feet. Whenever I listen to that album now, and when I close my eyes, Im back at that same exact spot on the beach. I was able to let him go and let go some of the feelings that I held onto, and Ultraviolence helped me through that. It’s a beautiful thing when you can listen to an album and feel the wide range of emotions you feel while relating to the artist. That’s not music, thats art. Conclusion We Go High is a fantastic sheng puer blend by White2Tea, and is one thats very well worth the price point that its listed. Although it’s released as a fall tea, I suspect that there could be a spring tea mixed within this beeng. I also suspect that theres a variation of Mensong puer within this blend, including the base of Jingmai with a touch of Yiwu. Overall I believe that We Go High is a complex tea that can’t be appreciated by all, especially by new tea drinkers because this is a difficult tea to understand. After spending much time with this particular tea, I can conclude that this is definitely one for the books, because it’s great in so many ways. So if you’re up to it, grab a sample of this tea and put on a favorite record because although other people go low, we can go high….

Hello hello! Welcome to the first edition of ‘Ask The Oolong Drunk’ where I’ve been taking your questions that will be answered on here. Thank you for the positive response to this idea, and thank you for all of those who submitted questions. Although I’m only answering a few this time, this series will be continual so keep the questions coming! Do you have any advice on starting a tea blog? - Ryan Long story short, I started ‘theoolongdrunk.com' as a passion project which I used to help expand my knowledge of tea. Over a year later, there’s still so much to lean. Even after all of this time, it still feels like I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to the world of tea. With that being said, there’s a lot of small things here and there thats best learned by personal experience (mainly because your experience with blogging will be different compared to mine). However, there’s one thing that no one really tells you when you get into tea blogging, but seems to be universally known by veteran bloggers. When starting a blog about a very distinct sector of the food/beverage industry, the more specific the topic, the smaller of an audience you’ll reach. Tea is a very specific drink, and even with that, not all tea drinkers are passionate about the drink to want to read about it, much less make a hobby out of it (same goes to chocolate blogs, wine blogs, bread blogs, etc.). So when starting out on your blog, you’re not going to see too much turnover on readership right off the bat. Because of this, I’ve seen many people start tea blogs and stop them after around six months, because they’re not seeing the amount of traffic that they originally expected. There are veteran tea bloggers who have been around for nearly a decade, and they have larger followings than people who are just starting out (or tea drunks who are barely a year and a half). However, compared to other bloggers that have a wider range of content to cover, they’re still not raking in thousands and thousands of page visitors a day. I don't think this is an issue or anything, but my advice to you is to start out having fun with your blog and make sure you’re the one benefiting from it. Even one new page visitor could fall in love with your blog, and just knowing that there’s at least one person who connected to you through your work makes it all worth while. Plus, the bitches man. What is your favorite tea? - Tea Drinker My unofficial official mantra is, “Oolong is my passion while puer is my obsession.” I started drinking tea with a immense love for oolong (Taiwanese oolongs and green oolongs to be specific), but later fell in love with puer. With puer tea, I’m more of a fan of sheng than shou, but both find their way into my system several times a day. Beyond oolong and puer, I don’t have a specific favorites for each, mainly because my favorites change quicker than a ten year old boy with ADHD who just drowned an energy drink. -The Oolong Drunk “Blissfully Tea Drunk"

Hello hello! Starting today, I'm launching a new feature to the website called 'Ask The Oolong Drunk'. This is a new editorial that will be used to answer any of your tea related questions, and published weekly/biweekly. When starting any hobby or newfound passion, sometimes there are questions that you may have that can't be answered by just doing a google search. Sometimes, you need the advice of someone whose experienced in doing that hobby to guide you. How To Ask Click on the 'About/Contact' tab on the toolbar and submit your questions there. In the subject line, please state 'Ask The Oolong Drunk'. I may not acknowledge that I've received your question, but if it gets selected, it will be answered on a new blog post. As far as personal information goes, I will keep your full name and email address private, and will only publicly acknowledge you by your first name. If you don't want to be acknowledged, or want to stay anonymous, then please state it when you submit a question. What Questions Will Be answered? I will answer questions that ask for advice, recommendations, or any complex questions that require more than a simple answer. Sometimes I will answer multiple questions in a post, or just a single question depending on the depth of the question you're asking. I will not accept any questions that include racial slurs, hate speech, derogatory and demeaning insults, or any rude comments. These inquiries will be ignored. Now that the information is ready to go, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask away! - The Oolong Drunk "Blissfully Tea Drunk"

Hello hello! According to the dictionary, by definition ‘art’ is the quality production, expression, or reals, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. Art comes in many different ways, and can be used to provoke a certain emotion because of how it resinates with you. By definition, can tea be art? Personally, I believe so. In the world of tea, especially blended teas such as puer, there is an art to creating a new flavor using natural resources, and can help make you feel a certain emotion. Some of these pieces of art happen to come from White2Tea, and specifically, their 2015 puer blend named ’72 Hours’. Here’s why I consider ’72 Hours’ a masterpiece, and why it made me cry the last time I experienced it… Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, 6.6g of tea was used in a 100ml vessel, with a heated water temp of 180ºf. After a quick rinse (which is done to rid the tea of any dirt or dust), the first infusion was well under way. The first sip of 72 Hours brought a light sheet of sugary infused oil, which progressively got thicker and heavier. It was really surprising because puer usually needs a few steeps to open up in the same way that 72 Hours opened up — just in the first infusion. Towards the end of the fourth infusion, the sweetness became more pronounced and embodied the likeness of mixed berries and apricots. Steeps 5 - 8 As the infusions kept going, so did 72 Hours. This sheng puer unleashed one hell of a body, which was revealed through its lubricating mouthfeel. This piece of art continued to inspire the taste buds as the heavy oil brought fourth the stevia like sweetness with a tasting note that best resembled cotton candy; yes, you read that correctly: cotton candy. As the taste of this delicious carnival treat made its way past my throat, it left behind the aftertaste of freshly-mowed grass. A million things were going on at once with my tastebuds, and they were trying desperately hard to attach to the tea that floated past it. At this point, the tea also carried a punch. However, all of this bliss made one hell of a statement. Steeps 9 - 14 72 Hours began to mellow out around the tenth infusion. While the oily cotton candy sweetness was still present, every single aspect of this tea started to flow together harmoniously, like a well rehearsed orchestra. Everything came together creating a trance like state on the tongue which blasted my tastebuds into orgasmic orbit. Not only that, the combination of everything was so beautifully pieced together that I questioned rather if I was steeping crack-cocaine instead of puer tea. While questioning the nature of this tea, all of 72 Hours’ attributes went straight to my heart and before I knew it, an overwhelming sensation blanketed me. Now pausing for a long deep breath, tears rolled down the sides of my cheeks, almost like boulders falling off the side of a cliff. In fact, every bit of tension I was holding onto, 72 Hours freed me from, and propelled me into the gates of heaven… Conclusion In my lifetime, I’ve never had a drink that made an emotional impact, especially enough to evoke such a loss of tension that it reduced me to tears. While this tea wasn’t on anyones radar at time of release, it’s a damn shame that not too many people had a chance to experience a tea like this. Despite whatever field your hobby lies, or line of work you’re in, it’s easy say that the greats truly stand out. Whenever I say great, I mean Paul of White2Tea. In the world of tea, White2Tea released a sheng puer that showed us it’s more than possible to turn puer tea into an art form. So while this Banksy of a tea is no longer in the market, I sincerely hope you have the chance to experience a tea that’s as captivating and beautiful as 72 Hours, and hopefully you'll get the chance to sip on this work of art for yourself someday. Rating - King

Hello hello! Yunnan Sourcing is a staple for buying puer teas online, especially aged puer. One thing that amazes about the owner Scott is his ability to acquire so many different teas in such a short period of time. Some of these teas are his own, but most of them come from other places. One of those teas is a fourteen year old raw puer brick. Scott explained that the brick was made fourteen years ago for a puer seller, and after the deal fell through, they sat in a warehouse until he found them. After a year of negotiating and trying to acquire this brick, Yunnan Sourcing was able to obtain a small amount to sell on their site. Now that this brick made its way to the United States, I was able to get ahold of a sample to try for myself. This just happens to be the oldest sheng puer that I’ve tried to date, and curiosity was getting the best of me. So what would any sane person do? Eat it? No way — this isn't Cha Gao. But instead, here’s what to expect when you (figuratively) brew this teenager of a Bu Lang brick… Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I measured 6.6g of this brick to brew in a 100ml vessel, with a temperature of 185ºf. After a quick rinse, the first steep was quickly on its way. At first, a very prominent base flavor of leather skid across the tongue - which is a sign of long-term humid storage. The notes of leather were laced with bright hints of apricots, and tapered off with a minty finish. As the infusions went on, the tea quickly got thicker and more powerful. After the fourth infusion, this tea felt medicinal because of its leatheriness. By the end of the fourth steep, my lips were tingling because of how thick Bu Lang’s soup was. Despite this tea’s power, it was also calming and relaxing because all of the tasting notes flowed together beautifully. Steeps 5 - 8 By the fifth infusion, this tea’s body took on a velvety texture that closely resembled beef broth. The brick slowly took on an astringent mouthfeel which left a viscous sweetness behind in its shadows. Bu Lang started to lose its apricot tasting notes, and was feeling rougher than it had before. Unlike the previous steeps, the tea was opening up in a way that its energy hit you in the face like a pissed off girlfriend whose throwing your stuff at you— Oh you know, some of you have been there before. Steeps 9 - 12 Bu Lang was rounding off its sweetness and quickly took on a bitter base, which was mixed with its leathery body. As the steeps went on, more and more of this tea’s body took on an earth-like texture, which reminded me of shou puer. The taste of earth resembled wood and dirt. The soup’s texture was starting to mellow out around the twelfth infusion, but still showing strong signs of humid storage — which was more evident due to its musky after taste. The notes of leather were still clear, and still present until the last steep. However, the sweetness and the fruitiness disappeared altogether. Because of this tea’s roughness, I figured it was best to end the session here. Conclusion 2003 Bu Lang was a great example of how an aged tea should taste. This tea showed clear signs of being stored in a humid climate, which may or may not be pleasant for all. 2003 Bu Lang started out incredibly strong, and was a great experience starting out. The tasting notes were so clear and crisp that you could easily detect them one by one. However, I was a little disappointed how quickly it lost its sweetness and how fast it became rough. Overall, I don’t think that aged puer is for everyone, but if you’re an aged puer enthusiast, this brick should definitely be added to your list of aged teas to try. With everything, this brick is set at an incredible price point, especially given how clean and how old this tea is. Yunnan Sourcing continues to provide excellent examples of how clean and well preserved an aged tea should be. So next time you’re about to place an order, be sure to drop some of this tea in your cart, because this is one experience worth having. Theres nothing like drinking an aged tea with a history behind it…

Hello hello! For this past month, I’ve been sponsored by FarmerLeaf Tea! You’ve probably already seen their ad whenever you click on one of my reviews. FarmerLeaf Teas is a puer company based out of China, and is ran by a guy named William and his wife Yubai. William started selling tea in 2011, but officially opened his very own online store in 2016. He’s been making his way around Steepster, Reddit, and Instagram — slowly gaining popularity for his quality. One thing that helps Farmerleaf stand out is the fact that they own their own factory, and they over-see every detail of the puer process. Now that I’m being sponsored by Farmerleaf, that doesn’t mean that I’ll be doing paid reviews, nor my opinion of their tea will be influenced by their sponsorship. Overall, I’m happy to announce that The Oolong Drunk is now friends with Farmerleaf! If our relationship with Farmerleaf only lasts for one month, or several. months, I can happily say that William is a great person to know and I look forward to our friendship. I encourage you to do the same — reach out to Farmerleaf and see for yourself why they’re so great! “Blisfully Tea Drunk” -The Oolong Drunk