The weather is slowly changing and Autumn is really here. The nights are getting colder but the sun was out during the day so we got some pretty nice days this week. To warm up in the morning, I brewed the Si Fang Aunt Ming shu puerh from Tea Joint; a tea they sent me several months ago.
Si Fang Aunt Ming Shu Puerh
I don’t have a lot of information about this tea, except that it’s a shu puerh harvested in 2015 by Auntie Ming. I have no idea who Auntie Ming is, but it adds a bit of personality to the tea.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a page on the website with 300 online shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here.
Tea Tasting
- 99°C water
- 5.5g for a 80ml Zini teapot
The leaves have brown tints and I even see some black leaves and copper tints. The colours are perfect for Autumn. The size of the leaves is mostly small or medium-sized. The aroma has a very faint fishy smell, but it’s mainly the comforting notes of wood, rum barrels and a tiny bit of earth.
![Si Fang Aunt Ming Shu Puerh Tea Adventures](https://tea-adventures.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Si-Fang-Aunt-Ming-Shu-Puerh-Tea-Adventures-leaves-min-2-1024x683.jpg)
Infusion 1 (20 sec): the colour is fairly dark already for a first infusion. The liquor doesn’t feel thick, but the flavours are decent. There are very subtle hints of wood.
Infusion 2 (25 sec): the colour is deep, dark and it looks oily. It has some sharp and fresh edges at the start. Once the sharp notes faded, I experienced a comforting warmth of wood and aged wooden barrels.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): this one has a medium texture and is not as sharp at the start. It has pleasant notes of wood with a tiny hint of earth. Overall, it even feels a bit creamy. The aftertaste is noticeable and feels like creamy wood.
Infusion 4 (40 sec): the freshness at the start from the previous infusions has disappeared and it flows really well now. It’s not that earthy anymore, but it has more notes of wood and even some dark chocolate.
Infusion 5 (50 sec): the liquor seems to be getting thicker each infusion. The dark chocolate is really coming through now. Right from the start, I’m getting some bitter notes similar to eating very dark chocolate. There is also an earthiness present.
Infusion 6 (60 sec): this is the most comforting infusion so far. The bitter chocolate has moved to the back and there are slightly creamy notes of wood again. Pleasant and relaxing.
Infusion 7 (long): again, really comforting infusion. Thick texture with notes of wood and a slight earthiness.
Conclusion
The Si Fang Aunt Ming Shu Puerh was definitely an interesting tea. It started out with fresh and edgy notes but slowly grew into something warming, relaxing and comforting.
The early infusions had bitter flavours, similar to dark chocolate. Towards the end, it became softer with creamy notes of wood and damp earth.
This is a good everyday shou, but don’t start a session when you’re in a hurry! This one goes the distance and the later infusions are the best, in my opinion.
If you want to buy this tea, you can do so over here.