Review of 1999 Vietnamese Puerh by Canton Tea Co

by Lainie P on December 23, 2011

(Note: Please read my post here regarding further tea reviews on this blog. This tea is one of a few that I will be reviewing before ceasing tea reviews.)

Name: 1999 Vietnamese Puerh

Brand: Canton Tea Co (This tea is also sold and shipped in the United States by Phoenix Tea Shop, if you live in the US, you can save on shipping time by ordering it online or picking it up in Phoenix Tea Shop’s brick and mortar store!)

Type: Puerh, cooked

Form: Loose leaf

Cost: $14.86 for 50 grams from Phoenix Tea Shop, $5.49 for a 10 gram sample directly from Canton Tea Co, quantity discounts available. (As of December 2011)

Review: This was a tea that took some getting used to: When I first brewed it, it was too light for my taste, lacking depth of flavor. When I decided to give it a steep lasting several minutes, instead of the recommended 20 seconds, I ended up with a fishy, disagreeable mess. I ended up ignoring it for awhile until I brought it out for a fellow tea lover to try. He worked his magic with the leaf, and, viola, we had a nice cup of shu puerh. Thus, I decided to try this tea again in my own home.

Like many shu puerhs, this tea is very much unlike “typical” tea:  The leaves themselves are chocolate brown, somewhat long and decidedly evil-looking: I kept expecting them to take on a life of their own and attack me during the brewing process. The dry nose is dusty, sweet, and with a weird suggestion of biological activity, adding to my fear of activating the leaves by adding hot water.

Fortunately, the moistened leaves posed no danger to my person, and brewed up to an orange-brown liquor with a nose of rich, damp earth. The cup itself is smooth, with hints of fruit, particularly in the finish. Subsequent infusions produced an even richer color and smoother consistency, perhaps with a hint of cocoa in addition to the earthy and fruit notes. While my favorite cooked puerh remains 2009′s 2898 Mini Tea Brick by Long Run, this is also a very nice tea for those who are partial to cooked puerhs. Recommended.

Preparation Tips: This is one tea where following instructions to the letter is important: Short, short steeps, please, at least during the first infusions. On the flip side, once my tea friend and I put 1999 Vietnamese Puerh through its paces a few times, we actually forgot about it for about 20 minutes. We figured that the resulting tea liquor would be fit only to strip paint off the walls, but instead, the cup remained smooth and silky. Yum.

Disclosures: I received a sample of this tea from its retailer, this post is not connected to any affiliate programs.

 

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter

{ 1 comment }

A Transition for Lainie Sips

by Lainie P on November 22, 2011

 

Jade Sword Green TeaGreetings,

Over the past three years I have greatly enjoyed reviewing teas here on Lainie Sips. I’m extremely grateful for the support of my readers, fellow bloggers and the tea industry in this endeavor. I’ve had the chance to sip some wonderful, wonderful teas and try out some amazing teaware and appreciate the willingness of tea companies to provide me with samples of their products.

As some of you may know, I recently accepted a part-time position working in one of Adagio Tea’s retail stores. Since I am now an employee of a tea company, I am making a few changes to this blog:

  • Within the next few weeks, I will be winding down tea and teaware reviews. I have a few teas  that I do wish to review, since their retailers/producers were good enough to send them to me for review consideration. I am not, however, accepting additional teas for review.
  • I will continue to accept advertising and participate in affiliate programs.
  • I am going to use this blog to focus on writing about tea, rather than specific teas. While I plan to periodically mention some of my particular favorites, the emphasis will be on tea itself: Drinking it, preparing it and enjoying it. I also hope to offer my own opinions on the tea industry and community as well as tea education.
  • I will continue to log my tea drinking, as I am able, on Steepster, which will include mini-reviews of the tea that I drink.

I look forward to taking this blog in a new direction and hope to get feedback from all of you during the change. I also hope to meet many of you at Adagio’s Chicago State Street store, which should be opening soon!

 

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter

{ 1 comment }

Li Shan Oolong Tea from Canton Tea Co

November 20, 2011 Canton Tea Company

Name: Li Shan Oolong Brand: Canton Tea Co Type: Oolong Form: Loose leaf Cost: $10.27 for a 10 gram sample. Quantity discounts available and this price will fluctuate according to US/UK exchange rates. (November 2011) Review: Mmm. This one is lovely. I’ve only tried a few Li Shan oolongs, so I don’t have a lot [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →

Sale on Skillet Bacon Jam Set from WeDeal

November 19, 2011 Chicago Tea Garden

Hurry! Some time ago, I reviewed Skillet Bacon Jam, using it to make my beloved peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, which I paired with the Chicago Tea Garden’s incomparable Keemun Hao Ya A. I am pleased to announce that the jam is on sale for a very short period of time. The good folks at [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →

Tezpur Blend TGBOP by Peter Asher Coffee and Tea

November 19, 2011 Black Teas

Name: Tezpur Blend TGBOP Brand: Peter Asher Coffee and Tea Type: Black tea Form: Loose leaf Price: $7.50 for 2 ounces (November, 2011) Review: This is one of the tastiest Assams I’ve had in a long time, and at this price, I won’t mind stocking up. Tezpur Blend TGBOP is, as its name suggests, made [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →

The du Hammam From Le Palais Des Theis

November 18, 2011 Green Teas

Name: The Du Hammam Brand: Le Palais Des Thes Type: Green tea, flavored Form: Loose leaf Cost: $15.00 for 3.5 loose leaf tea in a bag (as of November, 2011. Other packaging options and tea bags are also available.) Review: I’ve long maintained that the French produce the best flavored teas and this offering from [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →

Tea Sales This Weekend

November 18, 2011 Tea Sales and Special Offers

  Our friends at Teas Etc are having a birthday sale: Take 30% off your order this weekend (through Monday) with code BIRTHDAY at checkout. If your order is $60 or more (after the discount) you’ll get free shipping, too! TeaGschwendner is offering 15% off orders of $40 or more through Wednesday, November 23rd. Use [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →

Company Complaints

November 5, 2011 Updates

I moderate comments here on Lainie Sips, largely to prevent spammers from advertising their dubious wares, but also to prevent the occasional pointless and inflammatory comment from sullying my pages. This is not to say that I don’t appreciate hearing from readers who disagree with my reviews and opinions, but some commenters either write things [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →

Golden Moon Tea Bundle at 20% Off Via Mariel Hemingway’s Open Sky Site

November 2, 2011 Golden Moon Tea

  Heads up, Golden Moon Tea lovers! You can get 20% off a bundle of three teas from Golden Moon from Open Sky The three teas in this set are White Ginger, GenMaicha Matcha, and Pu-Erh Chai. They come in Golden Moon’s beautiful tea tins and make great holiday gifts. (Or, why not treat yourself?) [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →

S.D. Bell’s Natural Leaf Tea

October 25, 2011 Black Teas

Name: Natural Leaf Tea Brand: S.D. Bell U.S. Importer: Best International Tea Type: Black tea, blend Form: Loose leaf Cost: $7.95 for 125 grams (October 2011), quantity discounts available Review: This is one of the more interesting teas that I’ve tried lately. It is a “breakfast blend” of Assam and Ceylon, put together and sold [...]

Like this post? Please support LainieSips.com by sharing via one of the bookmarking sites below:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • FriendFeed
  • Kirtsy
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Add to favorites
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Read the full article →