2017 Rooster King by Yunnan Sourcing

Hello hello!

Earlier this year, Yunnan Sourcing released a beeng of shou per called ‘Rooster King’, which is a shou puer blend that features an angry cock on its wrapper… giggity. Anyways, Rooster King is a ripe puer blended from six different regions and made from different material aged from 2014 to 2016. So what is this tea like? Is this tea as unique as its description makes it sound? Let's find out!

Beeng Price - $25.00

Steeping Parameters - 4.5g of tea for a 65ml vessel

Water Temperature - Boiling

Steeps 1 - 4

At first, this tea gave off the base tasting notes of earth and dirt. After a few steeps, a composted autumn leaf pile tasting note made itself known. The texture was light, but as the steeps went on, it became increasingly heavier yet smoother. However, by the fourth steep this tea turned dark brown in color — almost black.

Steeps 5 - 8

Rooster King kept opening up, but still had the base tasting notes of composted leaves and earth. However, as the number of steeps increased, the body of this tea also grew thicker and thicker. Rooster King was thick and left a light syrup-like aftertaste in the back of the throat. The closer the eighth steep got, the sweeter the aftertaste became.

Steeps 9 - 14

Rooster King was as earthy as ever, as its tasting notes were as heavy as it was smooth. The aftertaste was sweetest at this point, and the longer the steep, the sweeter and maltier the aftertaste became. However, the sweetness was very subtle, and to me, best resembled maple. Anyhow, after the fourteenth infusion this tea was ready to be put up, and the Rooster King didn’t rule the roost anymore…

Conclusion

2017 Rooster King is a shou puer released by Yunnan Sourcing that consists of six different tea regions and made with aged material from 2014 through 2016. Anyways, at first, Rooster King started off as very earthy, but as the steeps progressed it became smoother and sweeter. Although the sweetness was very subtle, the texture and tasting notes were all around balanced. One thing I like about this tea is its energy, because for me it was very relaxing and meditative. Another thing I like about this tea is its price point, because for $25.00 you get 250g — which is one hell of a deal considering the tea’s depth and easiness to drink.

However, despite that this tea is easy to drink, something about it still felt a little humid and could benefit from resting in a pumidor ( humidor for tea) and will continue getting better with time. Overall, this was nice shou that made each sip more memorable than the last. So while Yunnan Sourcing’s large selections can sometimes be overwhelming, hopefully Roster King makes for an easy choice…

disclaimer - This tea was sent to me by Yunnan Sourcing for review. Although this tea was sent to me, this review was not paid for, and wasn't shown any mercy when reviewing ;)