I try to avoid stuffed citrus fruits because there is a huge difference in quality between them and I never know which one to pick. Teasenz was kind enough to send me a Wild Orange 2009 Ripe Puer so that was that problem solved. My previous experiences with stuffed citrus fruits was to brew all of it and mix the tea with the citrus. This wasn’t possible now because the size of the orange is massive! I think I can have at least three sessions with this one so I just took out some tea leaves and only brewed those.
Do you want to read about the other teas from Teasenz? Click the following links:
- Liu An Gua Pian Tea Tasting (Teasenz)
- Lapsang Souchong Tea Tasting (Teasenz)
- Fujian Silver Needle (Teasenz)
- Anji Bai Cha Tea Tasting (Teasenz)
- Yunnan Gold Tea Tasting (Teasenz)
Have you considered subscribing to Tea Adventures? You can enter your email address in the sidebar and get updates whenever I publish a new article. You never have to miss an article again by joining our mailing list.
Wild Orange 2009 Ripe Puer
The wild orange filled with shou puer tea comes from Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province, China. The purpose of the orange is to take away the earthy flavours and make it more of a fruity brew. As I mentioned above, I usually brew all of it and the peel as well but I think this one is around 25g. The rest is stored away for future sessions and I plan on using the orange peel in the final session to see how this affects the flavour and aroma.
The dry leaves consist of smaller leaves and I see some stalks as well. The colour is deep and darker brown, almost black. The aroma is quite interesting. I’m getting light spices (almost peppery) and sweet orange. The orange is almost like summer in a cup. There are also traces of an earthiness.
The colour of the wet leaves is definitely black. The leaves are larger than before infusing, which is normal but I didn’t expect them to expand this much. The aroma is a very sweet one that closely resembles ripe oranges. Some light spices and a subtle earthiness as well. It almost smells like a rainy day in Autumn.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 5g for a 100ml porcelain gaiwan
- 1 rinse
- 6 infusions
Don’t know where to buy tea online in Europe? I made a list of over 80 online shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here.
Infusions
Infusion 1 (15 sec): the colour is a light brown / darker red. You can taste that this is a shou puer but it’s not really in your face. There is also a pleasant sweetness of oranges, which goes on into the finish and aftertaste.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the colour is a lot darker and the aroma has more oranges to it. The undertone is subtle and earthy while the top notes are sweet oranges. This one is unlike other stuffed citrus fruits I have tried before because it offers a nice balance between the orange and earthy flavours.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): the aroma becomes sweeter and sweeter. I’m getting a soft earthiness in combination with ripe oranges. It’s very well-balanced as nothing is too intense. The aftertaste is slightly earthy and sweet at the same time.
Infusion 4 (35 sec): it’s more of the same flavours, which is a good thing. I’m getting a pleasant orange sweetness but the earthy flavours are a bit less prominent.
Infusion 5 (40 sec): there is an orange sweetness and a subtle earthiness. The finish is really sweet and the aftertaste has a light sweetness to it.
Infusion 6 (50 sec): still the same flavours only less intense. The aftertaste is mainly an orange sweetness.
Conclusion
Normally, I’m not keen on trying stuffed citrus fruits. This one, however, was pleasant and enjoyable to drink. The combination of subtle earthy flavours and sweet oranges worked well, in my opinion. There was a balance and none of the flavours was too dominant or too subtle. I personally like the earthy flavours of shou puer tea but people who are new to shou can find it a bit overwhelming. This tea offers a good alternative as it is both earthy and sweet. If I serve tea to people who have never drunk shou puer before, I will serve this one.
If you want to try this tea yourself you can buy it over here.
