It’s been a while since I’ve written a tea review.

A long while.

Too damn long.

In the time since my last post, I’ve moved to downtown Toronto (minutes from my university, blessssss), finished my first year of school, made countless friends and connections, and furthered my own personal projects in a big way.

Let’s fuckin’ celebrate.

A year ago I bought a cake of tea from my favourite little shop in Ottawa, World of Tea. At the time of purchase, this puerh from Nannuo Mountain was a fiery vixen with a flare for headache-inducing intensity, and a one-two punch of honey and leather on the tongue. It’s been locked in my tea cabinet for months upon months, and hopefully that time has been kind to it.

For those who don’t know, sheng puerh is a biologically active tea, with several bacterial varieties living and thriving among the pressed disc of leaves. This bacterial activity results in a tea whose character changes as time passes – generally from a bitter infusion I can best describe as “rough” in the mouth, to a honeyed liquor that glides down from lips to throat with amazing ease. This tea is in the in-between stage – pubertea if you will (THAT’S RIGHT, I WENT THERE).

Digging into the far reaches of my storage cabinet, I am greeted by the familiar smell I enjoyed so much when I bought the damn thing – one of light leather, tobacco, and a hint of smokiness that never ceases to entertain my senses. The wrapped and its accompanying nei fei are crinkled and worn, but the tea has been well-preserved.

Breaking off and weighing a seven gram chunk of the stuff, I’m amazed by how dark it’s already gotten. Twisted leaves pressed together in a lover’s embrace since 2006 – fingers crossed that the extra long cuddle sesh has done them well.

I don’t know if the little white porcelain number the tea sits in has a name, but it reminds me of a jockstrap or something. Weird shit, but damn if it doesn’t work well for showcasing the delicious leaves I pay too much for!

A quick note: I’m clumsy as hell with my teaware, and for some reason I really enjoy making tea while under the influence of alcohol and related products. In fact, I like inebriated brewing so much that I’ve literally broken every piece of teaware featured in previous reviews, except for my gong dao bei (the glass pitcher thingy). On the one hand, I lamented my stupid actions and was saddened by the broken glazed memories lying on my apartment floor. On the other hand, I get to buy new goddamn teaware. There is seriously nothing I enjoy more than pining over various asian arts and crafts and brewing instruments for hours at a time. If I die and somebody goes looking through my browser history, they’re gonna be hard-press to find anything that isn’t teaware or tea related.

I live an exciting life, yo.

BUT I DIGRESS. After a quick rinse in boiling water, my gaiwan and related instruments are prepped for brewing. Dropping the clumped leaves into their new steamy home, I’m amazed by the earthy smell floating up on the breeze coming in from the window.

A rinse of the leaves themselves only intensifies the smell – a foresty aroma with hints of smoke and honey in the air. After the leaves have loosened some, the real fun can begin.

The first drinking infusion is done with 100c water and lasts only 30 seconds – already the colour is deep and gorgeous. Liquid honey pours from my gaiwan and my mouth waters in anticipation.

The first thing I notice about this tea is that a year in storage has smoothed it out immensely. Gone are the overtones of catechin roughness that so plagued the infusions of its last try, in its place is a silky smoothness punctuated by the tiniest astringency after the swallow. Just lovely.

The leather, honey, and smoke notes from the smell of the hot leaves carry into the flavour as well. A lasting sweetness plays in my throat after swallowing – a sure sign of good things to come. Pipe tobacco makes an appearances as well, its raisin-esque aroma peeking through just enough to add further interest to the brew.

The second infusion is much the same, but the third is where this tea really shines.

Clearly this tea likes a couple infusions to warm up for the main event. A cooling menthol sensation dances along the back of my throat after swallowing the increasingly sweet and nuanced liquor. Exhalation only serves to intensity the feeling. Menthol cooling is something I absolutely adore in an aged tea, and has catapulted this puerh from decent to amazing, 0-to-100 in 3 infusions, if you will. Take that, Ferrari.

I figure that now is a pretty good time to show off a new piece of teaware I picked up. A good friend of mine is an importer of teas and ceramics, so he had a pretty good selection to choose from when I came asking to buy.

I never expected the cuteness that was to follow.

THAT’S RIGHT, THERE’S A FISH IN MY CUP. The tiniest little sculpted koi sits at the bottom of my teacup in the most adorable way, swimming in whatever infusions I choose to bathe him with on any given day.

I like cute things, okay?

Now, thoroughly tea-drunk and more than 12 infusions deep into this gift that keeps giving, I am thoroughly content.

It’s been a busy year, but afternoons like this remind me that when things get hectic, sometimes its incredibly important to just take some time to put the world away and have a nice cup of whatever pleases you.

Jem