Oct 13
Review: Norbu Tea 2008 Yi Wu Mountain Bamboo Roasted Pu-Erh Tea
Norbu Tea, Pu'er Tea, Wu Yi Tea, Yunnan Tea Add commentsTroy’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "A very approachable puerh for Oolong fans, puerh virgins, and tea newbies, but appreciable by pretty much anyone."
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9/10
Like most quality puerh, this, my first, sampling from Norbu was very visually interesting. Part of the Gimmick quality of Pressed Puerh revolves around the diversity of form, leaf pattern, and the rich history that seems to come along with every chunk of this wonderful Chinese invetion. This particular Puerh gets its tightly packed cylindrical form from the Bamboo sections it is steamed, roasted, and aged in. The leaves are long, large, and run the gamut from dark purple, to pale green. More interestingly, it smells like honey. I'm a great fan of cured nectar and bee goo, so this was an immediate plus.I've read quite a bit of bad press about the quality of Bamboo roasted Puerh in the past, but since this is my only representative sample I have to say, it fairs very well. Its sweet, not in a sugary, overpowering sense, but rather just a mild touch of sweetness that leaves a wonderful sensation on the tongue long after the tea has passed to more acidy pastures. Like any puerh, there is a definite earthy quality, a touch of rich earth that reminds you the leaves have technically been sorta-kinda composted, but its very mild in this case, and not at all off-putting. I know it seems odd to say something is "Composted but thats fine and groovy" but you'd be amazing how many unsavory sounding process are at work in most your processed foods, and yet they are all equally fine and groovy.
What none of the other reviews I perused indicated was the taste of black peppercorns. I was totally unprepared for the hint of much welcomed spice, even if I had no clue it'd be there. The other side of the Schwartz is that I did find the peppery quality grew to an almost ash like flavor if left to steep too long. This tea should really be brewed more like a green or lighter Oolong, in which case the strongest component is the honey like flavor mentioned before, I'd also recommend brewing in a Gung-Fu style if you'd like to extract more than a few steeps from this. I brewed this tea in a small pot with the same leaf to water ratio I'd use for black or green tea, and was able to get three good steeps.
For those who are convinced that Puerh must be made from mud, dung, and bat guano pressed together, I'd submit this as a far more pleasant, and only mildly earthy, experience. It really tastes more like a green tea than anything else. I wouldn't recommend this tea for aging, but drunk young its very approachable and definitely something anyone can enjoy. I've read that this method comes from the Dai peoples native to Xishuangbana china.. I wonder what else they've gotten so utterly right?
— To purchase Norbu Tea 2008 Yi Wu Mountain Bamboo Roasted Pu-Erh Tea, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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October 13th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Mmmmmmmm bee goo! This sounds like a good place to start with a puerh.