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Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 10:42 am
by thommes
Yes you read the title correctly. I'm looking for a shou puer where you taste it and say, "nothing special," or less. I'm not looking for puer with bad taste, I'm sort of looking for puer with little taste? I've been drinking puer almost exclusively for a year now. It's been great. However, before puer, I mixed my own blends of "black" tea using rosehips, osmanthus flowers, mint, chamomile... not all together mind you. Besides having a ton of those types of ingredients, I mean I have a POUND of osmanthus flowers alone, I'm missing the taste as well. So I'd like to get a shou puer on the cheaper side that I can use as a blend, or where I can add some other ingredients for flavor. I know I could do that with any puer. I'd just prefer making a blend from a bottom shelf puer.

One thing I just thought of, I could actually try with the shengs that I have as well. I'm not a huge sheng fan, but maybe some osmanthus flowers might add some taste that I could appreciate.

So if you guys have any suggestions on a cheaper shou/sheng that could work, I'd appreciate you sending them myway.

Re: Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 12:08 pm
by wave_code
good ol' Golden Sail, tends to run about $1/100g and can probably be found in your local asian market. I actually quite like the stuff for making a large strong morning mug when I can't really taste anything subtle yet anyway.

Re: Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:54 pm
by debunix
I just played a little with two Yunnan Sourcing shou puer that I enjoy for earthy, plummy, tasty but stolid performance in thermos brewing, 2011 YS Man Tang Ong Gong Ting, and 2011 YS Hui Run of BuLang. Both were a bit bitterly earthy and did not complement the fruity osmanthus on first infusion, that was probably too long.

Tried a second set of infusions, and this time a 30 second infusion with each of these was quite nice. The Hui Run BuLang was the better of the two.

Ignore this if you've already realized this: Osmanthus gives all of it's best in a short infusion, and gets a little bitter when it sits a long time (like when I put it in a thermos); the shou is obviously very different. I would recommend infusing the shou first for a while, then adding the osmanthus, and not trying to break up the shou and blend them in a jar in advance.

Re: Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:30 pm
by LeoFox
15 Years Aged Golden Melon Ripe Pu-erh Tea Tuo from YS.

Nothing offensive but also quite boring. There is some dried plum, some red bean cake sweetness...but nothing to write home about.

Re: Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:36 pm
by thommes
LeoFox wrote:
Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:30 pm
15 Years Aged Golden Melon Ripe Pu-erh Tea Tuo from YS.

Nothing offensive but also quite boring. There is some dried plum, some red bean cake sweetness...but nothing to write home about.
LOLOLOL..... I rather like that one. :D Or maybe I like it for the price? I'll have to go try it sometime this week.

Re: Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:39 pm
by LeoFox
thommes wrote:
Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:36 pm
LeoFox wrote:
Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:30 pm
15 Years Aged Golden Melon Ripe Pu-erh Tea Tuo from YS.

Nothing offensive but also quite boring. There is some dried plum, some red bean cake sweetness...but nothing to write home about.
LOLOLOL..... I rather like that one. :D Or maybe I like it for the price? I'll have to go try it sometime this week.
I wonder if it would go well with roses

Re: Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:44 pm
by thommes
LeoFox wrote:
Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:39 pm
thommes wrote:
Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:36 pm
LOLOLOL..... I rather like that one. :D Or maybe I like it for the price? I'll have to go try it sometime this week.
I wonder if it would go well with roses
I'll let you know. I might use that puer to play with. Osmanthus, rose hips... try them both. Different sessions.

Re: Looking for a dull shou puer

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 8:01 pm
by Stephen
You might try a loose leaf puer for easy blending. Generally cheap and easy to find too. I recently tried a sample of YS Everyday Drinker shu puer, that might suit your needs. Some herbs that are commonly combined with shu puer are chrysanthemum (ju hua), and sometimes gynostemma (jiao gu lan.) I think osmanthus, jasmine and rose petals are pretty commonly combined with various types of tea too.