Jef from Biochi contacted me to try one of his latest teas. I visited his teahouse several times and he has some pretty stellar teas. I always take a chance like this so the 2019 Ripe Puerh Royal is the tea I drank today.
2019 Ripe Puerh Royal
I don’t have a lot of information about this tea. I know it’s a ripe puerh from 2019. The material comes from Jingmai and it’s loose leaf, so not compressed. A final note is that it’s organic, which is always a nice bonus.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a page on the website with over 300 online shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 5g for a 100ml F2 teapot
The leaves have a dark colour; it really looks like autumn. I see smaller leaves, buds and some stems. It looks tasty! The aroma is slightly fishy, but not in a bad way. There is also dry wood and even sweet berries.
Infusion 1 (20 sec): this is a very welcoming first infusion. Not much body to it, but it’s the first infusion. Some dry wood is noticeable and becomes deeper towards the finish. The aftertaste has some of the berry sweetness.
Infusion 2 (25 sec): the colour is darker and it looks thicker and oily. None of the fishy notes remain and it’s sweet. It’s a fairly fresh shou puerh, but it doesn’t bite you in the face. No dry wood anymore and the wood has become a lot deeper. The aftertaste is deep and long-lasting.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): it might seem weird, but I got the impression the fermentation was very clean, despite the fishy aroma. The texture is not as thick, but it flows really well. The flavours are less intense and the finish and aftertaste are sweet and warming.
Infusion 4 (40 sec): I boiled fresh water and the flavours are more intense again. There is a certain sweetness and the wood has more traces of dampness now. It’s definitely on the forefront.
Infusion 5 (50 sec): the wood is still going strong and flows through my whole body. This is such an interesting puerh. The underlying sweetness is also noticeable and flows through the infusion into the aftertaste. The finish also has some hints of betel nut.
Infusion 6 (60 sec): more of the same since there are no big changes. One thing that changed is that the sweetness has increased towards the finish. Pleasant and peaceful infusion.
Infusion 7 (long): the colour is lighter and more of the same flavours.
Conclusion
The 2019 Ripe Puerh Royal is a really fresh shou puerh, but it didn’t taste like one. It was subtle and did not bite your face off like other fresh shou puerhs.
It went from dry wood to damp wood with a sweetness and some hints of betel nut. Perfect tea to relax and wind down with, especially on a cold day.
If you want to buy this tea, you can do so over here.
