Review: Norbu Tea 2009 Lao Mansa Sheng Pu Erh Tea

Dec 04

Review: Norbu Tea 2009 Lao Mansa Sheng Pu Erh Tea

Lynn’s Teaview Snapshot

"Given the olfactory pleasures of this tea, I was surprised that I couldn't seem to wring a better flavor out of it."

Lynn’s Teaview:	5/10
Other Teaviews:	Troy gave it 8/10, Katie gave it 7.6/10
Your Reviews:	Add your review »

Norbu's teas have excellent provenance. This one was harvested in late March, 2009, and compressed on April 13. It was grown on Lao Mansa tea mountain, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna.

This sun-dried pu ehr comes in a compressed disk called a bing. Once broken up, the leaves are a medium olive green, about half an inch long, and smell very sweet and earthy. On Norbu's recommendation, I brewed them gong fu style in an eight ounce Yixing teapot, using one quarter cup of leaves and water just under a boil. I rinsed the leaves first, quickly pouring off the 'foot water' into the catch basin to help keep the pot warm. For the first cup, I used the Yixing rule of thumb of pouring hot water over the pot (which sits in the basin) and waiting just long enough for the water to evaporate from the sides of the pot. This took about 30 seconds. While the deep golden result smelled very nicely of earth and fine tobacco ash, it tasted very bitter.

Rechecking the directions, I saw that they recommended a first steeping of 10 seconds. The leaves were open now, and a nice fresh green. I tried again, but with the same results. Nice aroma, bitter taste.

For the third steeping, I poured on the hot water and almost immediately poured the tea off the leaves. The color and aroma were holding strong; like many pu ehrs this one really stands up to multiple infusions. Actually, the aroma was more of a sweet, honey-like fragrance now. And finally, I had the flavor more under control. Very earthy and pungent, mouth filling, with undertones of sweetness. But the finish was still bitter, not the sweet that the website description promised.

The fourth infusion was much the same as the third, with a little more sweetness, but a bitter finish, and so was the fifth. I let this one cool more, and the sweetness was there, but still with that bitter finish. This tea is certainly very well suited to multiple infusions, but without much improvement.

Given the olfactory pleasures of this tea, I was surprised that I couldn't seem to wring a better flavor out of it. I've had good luck with gong fu in the past, too, and with the spring water I use. While I have enjoyed other pu ehrs from this company very much, I didn't have much luck with this one. I'm hoping it was not due to human error on my part; pu ehrs are not my strong suit, though I have had good results with others in the past. Unfortunately I had used up my sample and was unable to do a second run.

— To purchase Norbu Tea 2009 Lao Mansa Sheng 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.