Hello hello! Crimson Lotus Tea released two teas called ‘Simple Sheng’ and ‘Simple Shou’. I reviewed Simple Sheng a little over a week ago, and this week, we’ll be going over Simple Shou. Simple Shou is marketed by Crimson Lotus Tea as a ‘fantastic’ first shou puer. While Simple Sheng was great for what it was and consisted of higher quality material, it was also intended as a ‘first sheng puer’. So how does Simple Shou hold up compared to Simple Sheng? Let's find out! Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I used 4g of tea in a 60ml gaiwan and used water heated to a temperature of 185ºf. Anyhow, Simple Shou first started off with the base of earthy tasting notes along with tree bark — which left a faint sweetness on the tongue. After a few more steeps, Simple Shou kept opening up and became increasingly smooth. Steeps 5 - 8 Simple Shou kept opening up to the earthy tasting notes of bark, which got thicker and heavier. The taste of dirt grew more predominant, as the liquor became richer by the steep. Towards the end of the seventh-eighth steep, Simple Shou’s faint sweetness disappeared behind the earthiness. Steeps 9 - 12 Simple Shou began to settle down as the notes of bark and earth began to mellow out. The faint sweetness that disappeared seemed to reappear as this tea became lighter and smoother. For the rest of this session, Simple shou became lighter and lighter with each steep, which was relaxing and meditative. By steep twelve, this tea was finished and it was time to move on… Conclusion Simple Shou is a shou puer released by Crimson Lotus Tea that is marketed as a ‘fantastic’ first shou puer. First off, Simple Shou started off very faint, then became rich and powerful. Second, Simple Shou was really easy to drink and was very forgiving if over steeped. One thing I liked about Simple Shou is that it was easy to break apart and didn’t create much tea dust. Another thing I liked about Simple Shou is that it was easy to relax by. However, this tea still tasted a bit humid from pressing and could benefit from resting for a little bit longer. Overall, Simple Shou has a very traditional, yet clean, shou taste. Crimson Lotus Tea did exactly what they set out to do, by providing a tea that’s easy to drink, yet tasty at the same time. I would highly recommend this tea to someone who is brand new to shou, because although it had a very traditional shou taste, it wasn’t aggressive and didn’t have any funkiness to it. Hopefully, if you’re thinking about venturing out and trying shou, you will find this is an easy one to start out with…

Hello hello! In today’s review, I tackle 2017 Turtle Dove by White2Tea (which makes for my first white tea review — ever). 2017 Turtle Dove is a white tea brick released by White2Tea, and in my opinion, has the prettiest tea wrapper out of any tea that I’ve seen. Anyways, Turtle Dove has been raved by many people on social media, such as Instagram and reddit. So I must ask, what’s so special about Turtle Dove? Is this tea as good as everyone else says it is? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 4 For Turtle Dove, I used 4g of tea in a 60ml gaiwan, and used water heated to a temperature of 185ºf. At first, Turtle Dove gave off a crisp floral tasting note, which was quickly followed by a malt-like flavor. After a few more steeps, Turtle Dove got progressively sweeter with each infusion\ Steeps 5 - 8 Turtle Dove unleashed a beast of a body, as its body resembled a thick syrup which brought on the tasting notes of honey. Turtle Dove’s sweetness began to disappear behind the floral notes, as it progressively became more and more bitter with each steep. At the end of the eighth infusion, Turtle Dove resembled a black tea nearly identically. Steeps 9 - 12 Turtle Dove’s body was aggressive, and left a lasting bitter tasting note in the back of the throat. At this point, it was best compared to a black tea or a Wuyi oxidized oolong. Towards the end of the session, my body broke out in a hot sweat as my head became as light as air. Turtle Dove’s aggressive body was almost too aggressive, as my head drifted off into space. It’s safe to say that by this point, I was full-blown tea drunk. Conclusion Turtle Dove is a tea brick by white2Tea, which was later handed out as samples in an 8g mini beeng form. Turtle Dove started out very fragrant and sweet, and ended up being powerful and burly. This tea became surprisingly aggressive, and seemed to turn into a highly oxidized black/oolong tea half way through. One thing I liked about Turtle Dove is that it has a wide array of tasting notes that seemed to keep transforming throughout the session. However, Turtle Dove was substantially more aggressive when brewed gong-fu style when compared to White2Tes's other white tea's (for me at least). Despite this tea’s aggressiveness, I believe that Turtle Dove was intended to be bought for aging purposes. I say this because this tea has a lot of positive characteristics that shows that this tea will age beautifully, and will probably become tamer over time. Overall, I think Turtle Dove is one hell of a deal, because for the price, I can’t hardly get as tea drunk from a tea that is as deep and rich as this. So next time I look to get tea drunk off my ass from a white tea, I'll look no further than this tea right here… disclaimer - This tea was sent to me by White2Tea. Although this tea was sent to me, this review was not paid for, and wasn't shown any mercy when reviewing ;)

Hello hello! The Crimson Lotus Tea exploration continues this week with their 2017 Simple Sheng. Simple Sheng is a 50g mini tea cake that’s iron pressed (which means that it’s extra compacted) and sold as a sheng that’s fantastic for first-time sheng drinkers. Along with Simple Sheng, Crimson Lotus Tea released a 50g mini beeng of the same style with shou puer instead (which I will cover later on). So I must ask, is Simple Sheng really that simple? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? Let’s dive in! Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, 4g of tea was used in a 60ml gaiwan, and water heated at a temperature of 185ºf. Anyways, Simple Sheng opened up to a light medicinal tasting note, which left behind the notes of freshly cut grass. After a few more steeps, the tasting notes of green grass became more noticeable and sweeter than before. Steeps 5 - 8 Simple Sheng’s grass-like tasting notes became deeper and richer. It started to transform into a more green tasting tea, and heavily resembled fresh spinach on the base of the tongue. With the spinach tasting notes, a light floral hint became noticeable on the sides of the cheeks — which humbly resembled a flower petal. Steeps 9 - 12 The floral tasting notes kept opening up, as it became clearer and more detectable. The grass tasting notes began to fade behind the notes of flower petals, and the tasting notes of spinach lingered in the throat. After a few more steeps though, Simple Sheng began to mellow out and was ready to be finished…. Conclusion Simple Sheng is a 50g mini beeng by Crimson Lotus Tea that heavily gave off green tasting notes, such as notes of spinach and freshly cut grass. Surprisingly, there was a light floral note behind all of the green tasting notes which helped tie this tea in all together. One aspect about this tea I liked was its cleanliness and clarity. Another cool thing about Simple Sheng is that the mini beeng is divided up into 6 pizza-slice like part: easy for breaking apart. However, one drawback is that each pizza slice is around 8g. By the time I broke off a pizza slice and broke it apart further to fit my vessel, I was left with around 2g of tea dust. Simple Sheng is made of high quality material and is exceptionally clean and clear for what you receive. I would highly recommend this tea for someone who is new to sheng puer because honesty, when it comes to Crimson Lotus Tea, you are guaranteed to have a high-quality product. This is when you need an experienced tea drinker’s/blogger’s opinion, because I’ve had a lot of teas across many different tea companies and I believe that Crimson Lotus Tea is one of the safest bets for buying a high-quality product. So while Simple Sheng is a called 'simple', you are for sure getting a clean and quality product — which is essential for having a great first experience with sheng puer…

Hello hello! Crimson Lotus Tea released their spring teas not too long ago. Despite getting a late start, they were able to source a wide variety of material including an $80 shou, a tea brick that weighs a kilogram, and a gas station tea cake. Yes, you heard that right - one of their cakes came from material that was sourced from a gas station. This tea cake is called TKG. TKG is a tea cake that was created as a meme from an IRC chat that Crimson Lotus Tea and I belong to, which is a tractor, a video game controller stick, and a emoji. This tea cake is also limited edition, as only 25 cakes are available. So does this tea taste like it was sourced off-road from a road trip pee stop? Is it worth grabbing a beeng before it sells out? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 4 4g of TKG was used for a 60ml gaiwan, and was brewed with water at a temp of 185ºf. Anyways, TKG opened up to the faint tasting profile of an autumn leaf pile, which left a wood bark aftertaste on the sides of the tongue. After a few more steeps, TKG kept opening up and quickly turned into a broth. Steeps 5 - 8 TKG kept opening up to the strong wood and tree bark-like tasting notes. The autumn leaf pile tasting note was more noticeable than before, which heavily resembled a rainforest on the tongue. TKG’s body was thick, yet smoother than it was previously. Steeps 9 - 12 TKG’s wood-like body kept progressing into a more moss-like body. The leaf pile was still noticeable to the tastebuds, as its body was heavier than before. TKG was strong, heavy, and resembled damp tree bark up until its last steep. By the twelfth steep, TKG was running out of fuel. It was time to end the session here. Conclusion TKG is not only a beeng that’s deep in a woodsy flavor, it’s also rich with the flavors that it possesses. TKG is made up of big leaf material, and on occasion of having a session with this tea, I’ll often find a huang pian leaf mixed in there with it! This cake is easy to break apart, and above all, doesn't create very much tea dust when tearing into it. One thing I like about this tea is that it’s flavorful and makes for an above average daily drinker. However, despite being an above average daily drinker, it was still humid from pressing and needs more time to air out. Overall, I think that TKG is a great example of what big leaf material can do for a tea, and is a great example that you can find great puer material in the strangest of places. I think that TKG is great for what it is, and I would recommend it for if you’re looking for something to relax by. However, you must act fast before this tea becomes sold out and hopefully, you’ll be one of the lucky 25 that gets to acquire this tea cake…

Hello hello White2Tea released numerous amounts of tea this year, including a few repeats of previous years productions (such as Pound Cake and Tuhao As Fuck). However, White2Tea released wide array of new tea cakes, and one of them is ‘2017 Fuck What You Heard’. For this year, especially when trying White2Tea’s new teas, there hasn't been very many teas that I liked as much as their 2017 Pussy. White2Tea’s 2017 Pussy was mouthwatering, sweet, and all around good. You could say that its so far my favorite 2017 beeng from white2Tea this year. How will ‘Fuck What You Heard’ hold up to 2017 Pussy? Will it be just as good? Let's find out! Steeps 1- 4 For this session, I used 6.6g of tea for a 100ml vessel and used water at a temperature of 185ºf. Anyways, to start, I first picked up on the tasting notes of sweet freshly cut grass along with a floral undertone, which left a sweet milky aftertaste. After a few more steeps, Fuck What You Heard’s body began to open up more, and became thicker and thicker. Steeps 5 - 8 Fuck What You Heard kept opening up, as its grass-like body transformed into roasted hay. The sweet floral notes from earlier transformed into a thick nectar, which was creamier and smoother than before. After a few more steeps, a medicinal undertone made itself known underneath the nectar like tasting notes. With this ensemble of tasting notes, Fuck What You Heard heavily resembled a moonlight white tea at this point in the session. Steeps 9 - 12 The grassy and hay notes of Fuck What You Heard transformed into an autumn leaf pile, and left a light bitter aftertaste on the sides of the tongue. This tea’s texture turned as thick as soup and was heavier than ever. Fuck What You Heard still had its floral base, but was deeper and richer than the previous steeps. Towards the end of the session, this tea began to taper off and was showing evidence of being done. After the 12th steep, this tea was finished…. Conclusion Fuck What You Heard was a tea that was exceptionally delicate, and with a lower brewing temperature, more of these delicate tasting notes were able to come out. One thing I like about this tea was its complexity, which came as a surprise. Another thing I like about this tea was its strength, and had great body and energy. Hell, even at one point, it started to taste like a white tea! I would definitely recommend this tea for everyone to try, because everyone deserves the chance to try a tea that’s this rich and complex. However, this tea was still wet and still showed evidence of a recent pressing. With a bit of time, this tea will really grow in depth and become thicker and soupier. Overall, Fuck What You Heard was just as good as 2017 Pussy, and in some ways, even better! I hope that when you try this tea you can hear its message loud and clear, and see for yourself what makes this tea so delicate and wonderful… Rating - 10/10 Would I Beeng This Tea? - Fuck yeah disclaimer - This tea was sent to me as a sample by White2Tea. Although this tea was sent to me, this review was not paid for, and wasn't shown any mercy when reviewing ;)

Are you affiliated with White2Tea? - Multiple people Unfortunately, I am not. As awesome as it would be to be paid by white2tea, and as rad as it would be to get free tea from them, I'm not affiliated with them in any way. I write so many reviews of their tea (including writing a blog post about them) because I’m a huge fan of their company. When I first started drinking tea, White2Tea was the first company that I bought from. Every time I shop with them, I’ve never been disappointed with the teas I’ve bought. I guess you could say that I’m a hardcore fan (or #1 fan) of them, and will continue to be… *note - For transparency, I am sponsored by Farmer Leaf Tea and Teasenz though Why do you brew your tea at such a low temperature? - Jackie To clarify, I gong-fu puer tea at a temp of 185ºf. Usually, other bloggers and other puer drinkers drink sheng and shou at a higher temperature - usually to a near boiling temperature. For me, I review and drink teas at a lower temperature because I find the tea is a lot softer, and more delicate, when brewed at a lower temperature. I’m not saying that brewing it at a higher temperature is wrong or anything, but that’s just how I enjoy it. I recommend trying to brew gong-fu puer tea at different temperatures and finding out what you like best. When it comes to tea, there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way when it’s ‘your’ way. Who are some other bloggers that I like to read? - Ryan Oooh, this is a loaded question since I like to read so many other tea blogs! The first blogger that I started reading, and my own inspiration for staring a tea blog, is OolongOwl. I like reading OolongOwl because she’s really smart and has a lot of experience making tea, and I trust and highly value her opinions. Another person I like to read is Cwyn of DeathByTea. One thing I like about Cwyn is that she's wacky, hilarious, and witty. Despite that she’s a natural born comic, she also takes her passion with puer very seriously. One last person I like reading is the TwoDogBlog which is Paul’s personal blog from Whtie2Tea. Despite that I have these three favorites, there's MANY more great blogs that I like to read. Here’s a small list, with links, of the other tea blogs that are also my favorites <3... Char of Oolong Owl Cwyn of Death by Tea Paul of the Two Dog Blog Nicole of Tea For Me Please James of Tea DB Misc. of TChing Hobbs of The Half Dipper Marshal of A Tea Addict's Journal Jordan of Tea Tography Wizzx of ItsFuckingTeaTime

Hello hello! Bitter Leaf Teas released an extraordinary production line earlier this year which included their famed 2017 WMD Mansa, along with their 2017 Secret Garden. This year, they released a tea called ‘Oz’, which is a 2016 Spring Xigu Gushu raw puer. I originally got a sample of Oz, but I’ve been sitting on this sample because earlier this spring, Bitter Leaf Teas said that the tea was still humid from pressing. Now that time has passed, it’s time to dive in to see what makes Oz such a great tea. Does Oz take your taste buds down the yellow brick road? Let’s find out! Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I used 4g of tea for a 60ml gaiwan, and used water hearted to a temperature of 185ºf. Anyways, Oz opened up to the spicy tasting notes of freshly harvested hay. After a few more steeps, a light aftertaste of sweet fruit arose on the tongue, which left a pleasant aftertaste. The tea was very soft, yet thick at the same time. Steeps 5 - 8 Oz continued to open up with the base notes of hay and grass, which left a fruity and sweet impression on the sides of the cheeks. This tea’s body was thick as soup at this point as it was savory to the tongue. After another few steeps this tea’s texture and tasting notes began to mix, creating a harmonious blend which was pleasant in every way. However, towards the eighth steep, the tasting notes of an Autumn leaf pile began to make itself known. Steeps 9 - 12 Oz started to thicken, and at this point, it was at its most powerful stage. My head became lightheaded, and grew heavier with each and every sip. The baste of this tea was a broth-like texture, which brought forth the tasting notes of an autumn leaf pile and roasted hay. This tea’s taking notes became a little more brassy and less fruity in these later steeps. After the twelfth steep, it was time to end the session with Oz…. Conclusion Oz is a tea that’s definitely not a ‘daily drinker’. First off, Oz’s body was thick and luscious in every way and held a wide array of tasting notes. Second, Oz’s price point is $95.00 for a 100g mini beeng, so this isn't something you’re going to want to drink all of the time. One aspect I liked about this tea was that, despite using a smaller vessel for this session, I was still able to get tea drunk off of the 4g of tea that was used. One set back is that, because of how complex and rich this tea is, It would easily go under appreciated by someone who’s not too familiar with drinking puer. In conclusion, Oz is an excellent sheng puer that took my tasting notes down the yellow brick road, and hopefully, will take yours down the same path as well…

Hello hello! For White2Tea’s 2017 productions, they released two tea cakes priced at $109.00. One of those tea cakes is 2017 Magic Mountain DNA (which I reviewed last week), and the other one is 2017 Four AM. Four AM is a beeng that's described by White2Tea to be blended from multiple areas, and is supposedly, “…elegant and heavy at the same time, with a complex character.” So are White2Tea’s claims true? Is this tea as elegant and as complex as they say it is? Also, how does it hold up compared to the other tea listed at the same price? Wake up, because this is Four AM… Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I used 6.6g of tea for a 100ml vessel and used water heated to a temperature of 185ºf. Anyways, the first steep of this tea brought forth the notes of hay, with a medicinal undertone. After a few more steeps, this tea left a light aftertaste of wood/bark lingering on the tip of the tongue. Along with that, this tea’s texture was already as thick as soup. Steeps 5 - 8 Four AM’s body was still thick and medicinal, but its texture grew more thick and viscous. The aftertaste of wood/bark grew stronger and more noticeable — as this tea’s tasting notes were more aggressive than before. It also left a light bitter aftertaste on the tongue, which seemed to last for a very short period of time. Steeps 9 - 14 By the later steeps, Four AM was full on bitter (which was not unpleasant in any way), as its soupy texture was thicker than it was before. This tea’s aggressiveness began to settle down a little, as the ensemble of tasting notes came together blissfully to create a harmonious blend on the base of the tongue. In these later steeps, a faint honey aftertaste appeared to linger in the mouth after sipping on Four AM, which came as a total surprise. By its fourteenth steep though, this tea was depleted of any flavor and the session was over… Conclusion 2017 Four AM by Whtie2Tea was as complex as it was tasty. One of the first positive attributes that I noticed about this tea was that its texture quickly turned into a soup, shortly after beginning the session. Another aspect about this tea I liked was the fact that it was complex and kept changing throughout the session. This tea also had a nice energy, which made me completely tea drunk by the end of the session. However, when compared to the other tea that’s listed at the same price point (Magic Mountain DNA), I liked Four AM substantially better. Overall, I would highly recommend For AM to any puer lover who’s looking in the market for a sturdy, reliable, and a complex drink to help them get through the day. I guess you could say that White2Tea’s claims about this tea are completely true….

Hello hello! White2Tea released numerous amounts of tea for their 2017 collection, and one of those teas includes 2017 Magic Mountain DNA. Magic Mountain DNA is described by White2Tea as being a blend of several areas, with focus of the strength and aggressive feeling of the Menghai region. Along with this description, the cake has a beautiful wrapper of a rainbow colored dragon in front of a colleague of words. With this magical wrapper design, one must ask - does this tea live up to its name by being the definition of ‘magic’? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 4 For this session I used 6g of tea for a 90ml vessel, and used water at a temp of 185ºf. Anyways, at first, DNA first opened up with the medicinal body of sage, and right off the bat, was as thick as a cotton ball. I was initially taken aback by how thick this tea was upon its first steep, mainly because most teas need a few infusions to open up like this. Anyhow — after a few more steeps, the medicinal forefront kept opening up and by the fourth steep, this tea was a full on broth. Steeps 5 - 8 DNA continued to open up with a medicinal base, but in the fifth steep, an undertone of hay and damp wood made itself present. Along with the new tasting notes of hay and damp wood, this tea’s body was as thick as soup, which left a very faint bitter aftertaste. Just like this teas description, it was aggressive and was already bombarding the tastebuds. Steeps 9 - 12 On the ninth steep, this tea’s tasting notes began to even out. However, DNA’s aggressiveness refused to let up as it got progressively more bitter in the later steeps. The medicinal base took on a forest-like profile, which best resembled damp wood. It was savory, and left the tongue drooling for more. With the last steep of this tea, I was so tea drunk that I began to feel tipsy! Conclusion To start, I think that Magic Mountain DNA is a beast of a tea, and for multiple reasons. First, it's aggressive and has a sharp edge to its body. Second, it left a lasting impression in the mouth, and in turn, left me very tea drunk at the end of the session. Overall, I don’t think this tea is for everyone. Although this tea smelled incredible, its tasting notes were very aggressive, and some people might be turned off by that. However, this tea is perfect for those looking for a tea with bold energy. Magic Mountain DNA is enough to get anyone tea drunk, and that is precisely where this tea’s ‘magic’ lies…

Hello hello! Puer tea is gaining popularity throughout the western side of society, and is beloved by many people. Puer tea is intimate, as much as it is personal, because your experience with puer can’t be replicated with someone else's. Puer is very personable, so naturally, you want to be careful where (or who) you buy from. I’ve had a great deal of experience shopping for puer, and for me, there has been more positive experiences than negative. So when looking for guidance, who should you be shopping with when you decide to buy your next tea cake? Well below is my list of the best 7 online puer sellers who meet the requirements of selling a quality product, by being customer friendly, and by being affordable above all else. In random order, here they are. Crimson Lotus Tea Site: https://crimsonlotustea.com Crimson Lotus Tea is a Seattle based company that specializes in tea ware and puer teas. Crimson Lotus Tea sources their sheng and shou puer from various places, and has a reputation for clean and clear tasting puers. One of their specialties is their shou puer, which helped them gain popularity over the past few years. So rather if you’re looking for a jingmai region sheng puer, or a tasty ripe puer, Crimson Lotus Tea is the place to go! Bitter Leaf Teas Site: http://www.bitterleafteas.com Bitter Leaf Teas has only been around for two years, and they’ve already made a name for their self, especially for their sourced sheng puer and their pottery selections. They're primarily known for their sheng puer, which made its debut in late 2015, and has progressively been getting better and better since. Their sheng selection covers all price ranges, along with other teas that help fill your tea needs. Besides tea, they’ve captivated an audience with their pottery, which has customers coming back for more. So when you visit Biter Leaf Teas online shop, be aware of their addicting pottery that happens to make it into many people’s shopping cart. Yunnan Sourcing Site: https://yunnansourcing.com Yunnan Sourcing started out as an e-bay seller, and since then, they’ve been the home-base for nearly every puer drinker that has access to a computer. In fact, many puer drinkers started their tea journey with Yunnan Sourcing because of their wide variety of both sheng and shou puer. They press their own teas, and also sell teas from other famous tea factories from Yunnan, China. Besides being known for puer, they're gaining popularity for their lose-leaf tea varieties, as they carry a wide variety of tea that can’t be found else-wear. So next time you shop with Yunnan Sourcing, be sure to fill up your cart with samples, because there’s a lot of puer in their shop waiting to be tried. White2Tea Site: https://white2tea.com White2Tea is a five year old online puer shop that specializes in house-pressed sheng puer. White2Tea started pressing their own shou puer a over a year ago, and is best at blending teas together from different regions to create unique teas that can’t be grown single origin. These tea blends are highly renown, and even receives a lot of praise for the way their teas are blended. White2Tea is also best known for the way they customize their puer wrappers, which is heavily influenced by western pop culture. Overall, White2Tea has a wide range of shou and sheng puer that is bound to make anybody happy while drinking. Pu-Erh.Sk Site: http://pu-erh.sk Pu-Erh.Sk is a puer company from Slovakia that sources their puer tea yearly from Yunnan, China. Pu-Erh.Sk carries a wide variety of high quality gu-shu (old tree) sheng puer from various mountain ranges. One of their famed teas, NaKa, helped put them on the map in the tea community. Besides NaKa, they sell other teas which are known for their tea-drunken abilities along with their explosive flavor profiles. While selling in-house puer, they also sell aged factory cakes of sheng and shou as well! Besides puer, Pu-Erh.Sk sells a wide-variety of pottery that ranges from all sorts of tea ware. So next time you visit Pu-Erh.Sk, be sure to find out why NaKa is all the rave, and why it helped put them on the map… The Essence of Tea Site: https://www.essenceoftea.com The Essence of Tea is an online puer company that specializes in sheng puer — wild sheng puer to be specific. They sell wild puer teas that sell out quickly, and if you’ve ever had their in-house puer, you’d find out why. Their teas have captivated an audience because of their flavor, their complexities, and of course, their price. Besides selling puer, The Essence of Tea sells lose leaf tea as well, along with a wide variety of yixing clay tea pots. So next time you visit their site, grab a few samples of their tea before they sell out, because you may not get another chance to see what makes them so great. The Tea Urchin Site: http://teaurchin.com The Tea Urchin is a mom and pop online puer shop ran by Eugene and Belle — who have been running the site since 2011. Their specialty lies in sheng puer, along with a small selection of oolongs and shou puer. Eugene and Bell are highly regarded in the tea community for their quality, quantity, and their affordable prices. A lot of other bloggers in the community cover The Tea Urchin’s teas on a regular basis. So whats their secret? Well for one, they sell a quality product that has a lot of flavor. To add, they make their wrapper designs with a modern twist on traditional Chinese tea culture. So next time you’re browsing their shop, make sure to try some of their sheng and oolongs, and see just what’s so great about them! Conclusion In conclusion, there are many great online puer sellers out there, specifically including the ones in this list. There’s a large world of tea out there and sometimes, it’s hard to decide where to spend your money at. In your tea journey, specifically with puer, you’ll run into a lot of dishonest, greedy, and flashy tea sellers that will try to make a quick buck off of you. Hopefully with this list you’ll find that these shops are as honest, fair, and as passionate as they come in the tea community. Hopefully you’ll also come to the same conclusion that I have, and see why these shops are so great…

Hello hello! White2Tea released a tea cake titled ‘Happy Anniversary Baby’ in their 2017 line up. This tea cake is supposed to signify White2Tea’s 5th year being an online teashop. According to White2Tea, this tea will only be on sale for one year before being put into storage for the future. White2Tea also said they wouldn't make this tea half-assed, so one can only assume that it’s going to be a cake worth while. Is that assumption correct? Lets find out! Steeps 1-4 I started off this session with 6.1g of this tea for a 91ml vessel, and used water at a temp of 185ºf. Anyhow, this tea started out with medicinal tasting notes as well as a back bone of an autumn leaf pile. After another steep, brassy notes began to make their self known as this tea’s body was smooth and fluffy on the tip of the tongue. Steeps 5 - 8 Happy Anniversary Baby continued to open up with the medicinal body and leaf pile. As the steeps continued, a brass-like undertone kept transforming into a forest-like tasting note which heavily resembled the Jingmai region. This tea’s liquor was almost like a broth, and deep yellow in color . However, despite its broth like texture, it left a light bitter note on the sides of the tongue which gave this tea a lasting impression. Steeps 9 - 12 Happy Anniversary Baby was strong and punchy, as its medical brassy notes kept progressing into a soft and velvet-like texture. This tea still carried a light bitter-tasting note on the sides of the tongue, but in these later a steeps, a light stevia aftertaste was left in the mouth. After the twelfth steep, this tea gave it its all and was ready to move on… Conclusion Happy Anniversary Baby is one of White2Teas new 2017 productions that has a thick soup and an excellent tasting profile to go with it. Happy Anniversary Baby strongly resembles the Jingmai region of tea, primarily because of the brassy notes that trailed along throughout the session. One thing I like most about this tea is how heavy it was, which is a surprise considering how recently it was pressed. Another aspect of this tea that I liked is that its complex and continues to change throughout the session. In conclusion, I think it’s safe to assume that this tea is definitely not ‘half-assed’ and made with exceptional quality. However, you must jump on the opportunity to try this tea soon before Whtie2Tea stores it away...

Hello hello! Manichee is one of White2Tea’s new 2017 Teas. Manichee was released along with Pussy, which I reviewed last week. In case you didn’t read that review, Pussy was savory, sweet, and had a great profile… heh. Anyways, Manichee is one of White2Tea's new teas that’s described to have a Yiwu character. It’s also described to be sweet and calming. However, this tea sits at a whopping $79.00 a beeng. So for the price, is Manichee as sweet and as calming as White2Tea describes? Lets find out. Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I used 6.6g of tea for a 100ml vessel, and water at a temp of 185ºf. Anyways, Manichee started out by having a soft body of freshly cut grass, and a light medicinal undertone. After a few more steeps, a sweetness came out from the depths of this tea, and worked its way to the sides of the cheeks. After a fourth steep, the medicinal undertone became more prominent as the tasting notes of strawberries/green grapes pushed it forward. Steeps 5 - 8 Manichee’s body became thick as its sweet green grass tasting notes transformed into hay. This tea got progressively sweeter as its sugary fruity notes became louder and louder. After an eighth steep, the fruity notes seemed to take a back seat as a light woody tasting note made itself known. At this point, Manichee was less sweet and became more brassy, almost like something out of the Jingmai region. Steeps 9 - 12 Manichee continued to transform as its texture turned more into a broth than it did a tea. Its soup was deep yellow in color, and almost appeared to be a light orange. Anyways, the medicinal forefront of this tea was smoother than before. However, the light fruity undertones made their self known again as they bled blissfully together with the soft brassy notes. After a fourteenth steep, this tea was done and it was time to say goodbye to Manichee…. Overview Manichee is a 2017 tea by White2Tea that first came off with a strong Yiwu character, but later, gave off suggestive hints of having some Jingmai origins. The fruitiness was an instant standout in this sheng, and gave it more of an edge as far as sweetness goes. One thing I liked about this tea is that its fruitiness mixed beautifully with the medicinal body, and blended harmoniously to give it a balanced blend. Manichee’s sweetness wasn't too sweet, which is a plus in my book. Overall, I think that Manichee is a solid tea but as far as the price point goes, its really hard to tell if tea is worth the price. You see, this tea is still very humid and it’s hard to tell where its character will go in the next few months. It will need more time to settle form pressing before knowing for sure. However, its a good tea now and I would definitely drink it as it is. So while Manichee is no ‘Pussy’, it still holds up as one of the standouts in White2Tea’s 2017 productions… Would I Beeng This Tea? I would wait a few months for the humidity to go down, but yes, I would beeng this tea.

Hello hello! White2Tea released their new 2017 productions just a few weeks ago. White2Tea released these teas and gave them funky names, including naming a beeng ‘Pussy’. Pussy is a tea that’s described by White2Tea as, “…a sweet, heavy, and fragrance forward tea.” Pussy’s wrapped in a beeng paper that’s designed with a high societal woman holding two cats. According to the wrapper, Pussy could be referenced to the slang word of a cat, or a woman's hoo-hah… Or both? Despite this teas name, is Pussy as sweet and fragrant as White2Tea describes? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 4 I used 6g of Pussy for a 90ml vessel, and used water at temperature of 185ºf. Anyways, Pussy opened up to a medicinal tasting note on the first infusion, and left an aftertaste of stevia in the throat. After a few more steeps, Pussy kept opening up to the green tasting notes of freshly cut grass, with a heavy and broth-like texture. Steeps 5 - 8 Pussy exploded in my mouth as the medicinal tasting notes became more prominent. Pussy’s body was more like a soup at this point as its body also brought forward the tasting notes of freshly harvested hay, and also left behind a faint fruity aftertaste that closely resembled green grapes. Along with the fruity sweetness, there was a faint echo of cotton candy that seemed to be getting louder and bolder. Steeps 9 - 12 As I sipped down every last drop of Pussy, the undertones of sweet green grapes became more noticeable in the mouth. With the mixture of these tasting notes, this tea’s fruity undertones more and more resembled cotton candy, and left a lasting sweetness in the mouth. After the last few steeps, the medicinal body mixed blissfully with the cotton candy undertone to create a meditative combination. After my last sip of Pussy, a humid sweetness lingered in the mouth for a lengthy period of time… Conclusion To start, Pussy began as a mellow and soft tea which quickly gained strength after just a few steeps. Even throughout the session, this tea had a strong backbone that held up steep after steep. One thing I like about Pussy is its complex profile that seemed to keep expanding as the session went on… (hehe). Another thing I like about Pussy was that it was deep and quickly turned into a soup, and was more broth than tea. However, if I had to guess, I would suspect that Pussy is a Yiwu and Mensong blend. In conclusion, I'd say that White2Tea’s description of this tea was an understatement, because this tea was more flavorful than one could have expected…. Would I Beeng This Tea?: Yes

Hello hello! White2Tea has a wide variety of different puer teas in their shop including tea bricks, tea cakes, and even a dragon pearl! A dragon pearl is a tea ball, which is around 7-8g of tea rolled into a tiny ball. White2Tea released their first dragon pearl in 2015, and this dragon pearl goes by then name of ‘Smooch’. Smooch is a tea ball that’s blended from Lincang material sheng puer. So does ‘Smooch’ really leave an impression on the lips? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I started with 6.6g of tea for a 100ml vessel (well, a make shift vessel since my tea pot broke), and brewed it at 185ºf. Anyways, Smooch opened its lips by beginning this session with the tasting notes of sweet gardenia along with a pleasant and calming medicinal undertone. As the steeps continued, a light taste of grass was barely noticeable on the tip of the tongue, and held a cotton-like texture that was fluffy to the mouth. Steeps 5 - 8 As Smooch kept opening its mouth, the floral tasting notes transformed into a honeysuckle and bee pollen base, with a biting aftertaste. This teas texture turned into a broth, and as the bite calmed down over the next steep, the bodying note of honey appeared on the sides of the tongue. There was so much transformation going on with Smooch’s powerful kiss. Steeps 9 - 12 Smooch began to calm down after its dramatic transformation from its earlier steeps. The light bitterness dissipated which left room for the floral notes that were present in the bringing of the session. The base of this tea still consisted of honey and bee pollen tasting notes, but the longer the steep, the sweeter this tea became. Smooch almost resembled a faint brown-sugar like sweetness towards the end of the session, which left a lovely impression on the lips which lasted until the very last steep… Conclusion Smooch left an impression on the tongue and on the lips, as its sweetness lingered long after the session was over. Smooch had a smooth and velvet-like body that continuously transformed throughout the entire session. Smooch also showed signs of early aging, which was evident in its texture and its honey tasting notes. Overall, I think that Smooch is a great experience, especially for being a little under $2.00 a ball. In this session, I was kissed by a dragon pearl of sheng puer, and I’m glad it was with Smooch. So pucker up, and hopefully this tea will kiss you in the same way it kissed me…..

Hello hello! Bitter Leaf Teas released a wide variety of sheng puer for their 2017 line up. These teas include Mensong, Mengku, and even Yiwu. However, this year they released a tea from a region that’s new to their shop. This year, they released a sheng puer from the Jingmai region; a region that is known for its boldness and ability to age. So how does their Jingmai sheng puer titled ‘In Bloom’ compare to their other teas? Lets find out! Steeps 1 - 4 For this session, I started out with 4g of tea for a 60ml vessel, and used water heated to a temp of 185ºf. Anyhow, the tea started out with a faint medicinal wood-like body that brushed against the base of the tongue. After a few more steeps, and after the leaf continued to open up, a soft undertone of moss made itself known, and the texture of this tea turned from a light texture to a thick broth. Steeps 5 - 8 The body of this tea quickly became aggressive as the wood and medicinal body became stronger and stronger. With the wood base and the progressive moss undertone, this tea almost resembled a Nannuo sheng puer. Anyways - due to this tea becoming more aggressive, In Bloom left a light bitterness and astringency on the tongue. Despite possessing a light bitterness and astringency, it left the pleasant mist of stevia in the back of the throat that seemed to last long after the tea was gone. Steeps 9 - 12 The wood base of this tea began to settle down into a tranquil liquor that brought a softness to the tongue. The wood body, along with a velvety smooth undertone of moss and stevia, made an impression in the cheeks and left an aftertaste of moss and stevia in the back of the throat. The body was smother than before, and coming down off of its aggressiveness from earlier, was a nice transition. After a twelfth and last infusion, In Bloom’s tasting notes made a full circle and was more flavorful than before… Conclusion Bitter Leaf Teas once again brought a tea of exceptional quality to their site, and released a tea that was as clean as it was smooth. One thing about In Bloom that caught my attention was its complex tasting notes that continued to transition throughout the session. However, for being a tea that’s composed of both old and young tea tree material, you’d expect some sort of complexity to be added to the beeng. Overall, I think that this In Bloom is a great jingmai to try if you’re new to the region, and want to try a Jingmai tea that wont hurt your wallet.