Haiwan shu

[Ti]

Has anyone tried this tea from Haiwan?

I bought one of these at least a year ago (can't tell by the box, it's all written in Chinese) and its been laying around ever since with the rest of the pu. Today I decided to try it.

It's like trying to prise open a block of pine wood. Brewed it in a gaiwan. This doesn't taste anything like any shu I've had yet. There's no pond or compost flavor and it's not offensive at all. Thick, black like coffee even after six infusions, actually, I looked at it in the sun and it's a deep red color, little or no aftertaste. In fact, to me anyway, it doesn't taste like tea. I had a heck of a time trying to find something to compare it to and the light bulb finally came on. It tastes pretty much like like Postum.

[Drax]

Heh, sounds interesting.

All I can make out are the orange characters, which basically say pu erh fang cha (方茶) -- which is "square tea" (hence the shape). I can't tell you any more than that, though...

[Salsero]

This doesn't taste anything like any shu I've had yet. There's no pond or compost flavor and it's not offensive at all. Thick, black like coffee even after six infusions, actually, I looked at it in the sun and it's a deep red color, little or no aftertaste. In fact, to me anyway, it doesn't taste like tea.

Some shu tastes like this ... I like it. I have often thought of Postum, but I usually rephrase it as "roasted grain." Generally, I feel that the more pond, fish, rubber, compost or other "off" tastes in the shu, the less I care for it.

This sounds like a good, basic shu. A year or two of laying around can convert an iffy shu into a better one. Often those questionable tastes dissipate with time.

Where did you find it?

[oldmanteapot]

This doesn't taste anything like any shu I've had yet. There's no pond or compost flavor and it's not offensive at all. Thick, black like coffee even after six infusions, actually, I looked at it in the sun and it's a deep red color, little or no aftertaste. In fact, to me anyway, it doesn't taste like tea.

Some shu tastes like this ... I like it. I have often thought of Postum, but I usually rephrase it as "roasted grain." Generally, I feel that the more pond, fish, rubber, compost or other "off" tastes in the shu, the less I care for it.

This sounds like a good, basic shu. A year or two of laying around can convert an iffy shu into a better one. Often those questionable tastes dissipate with time. ?

Yeah... I'd agree with Salsero. Though I've not tasted any Postum before. But generally young Shu taste a little odd, but let it age... give it time and you'll be surprised what a wonder it can turn out to be.

Cheers!!

[Ti]

This doesn't taste anything like any shu I've had yet. There's no pond or compost flavor and it's not offensive at all. Thick, black like coffee even after six infusions, actually, I looked at it in the sun and it's a deep red color, little or no aftertaste. In fact, to me anyway, it doesn't taste like tea.

Some shu tastes like this ... I like it. I have often thought of Postum, but I usually rephrase it as "roasted grain." Generally, I feel that the more pond, fish, rubber, compost or other "off" tastes in the shu, the less I care for it.

This sounds like a good, basic shu. A year or two of laying around can convert an iffy shu into a better one. Often those questionable tastes dissipate with time.

Where did you find it?

Sal, I got it from Holy Mountain. Seems kinda' pricey now that I'm more familiar with the cost of sheng-n-shu. I thought of "roasted grain" but then the Postum thing showed up.

I don't go for the pond, fish, rubber, compost or other "off" tastes in the shu either. But I'm still wondering what rubber flavor in tea is? I've tasted all the other flavors it is attributed to have, but I have no reference point for rubber flavor.

So, if these are good shus, where can I get more broken-in shus with similar characterisics?

[Salsero]

I'm still wondering what rubber flavor in tea is?

A couple years ago I had some Menghai shu that tasted just like the smell when you walk into a store that sells automobile tires.

[tony shlongini]

A couple years ago I had some Menghai shu that tasted just like the smell when you walk into a store that sells automobile tires.

I just love that description.

[hop_goblin]

I'm still wondering what rubber flavor in tea is?

A couple years ago I had some Menghai shu that tasted just like the smell when you walk into a store that sells automobile tires.

HAHA I have had one of those but mine was intemingled with horse dumplings and tires!

[Ti]

This reminds me of my "rubber flavored tea" thread from about a year ago. I ask a question and I get goofy answers. I'm not ruling out "tastes like tire store" since I don't know what I'm looking for taste-wise and have no reference point. Maybe I should look for a Goodyear or Firestone or Hoosier stamp in the tea cake? Does this tea come with white walls around the indentation on the bottom?

[JAS-eTea Guy]

I'm still wondering what rubber flavor in tea is?

A couple years ago I had some Menghai shu that tasted just like the smell when you walk into a store that sells automobile tires.

Must have been fermented in the auto tire factory.

[Ti]

This reminds me of my "rubber flavored tea" thread from about a year ago. I ask a question and I get goofy answers. I'm not ruling out "tastes like tire store" since I don't know what I'm looking for taste-wise and have no reference point. Maybe I should look for a Goodyear or Firestone or Hoosier stamp in the tea cake? Does this tea come with white walls around the indentation on the bottom?

I think the actual quote was it tastes like the smell you get when you walk into a tire store. Which thankfully I have yet to experience that taste phenomena in tea, it is quite likely as I hate to get all scientific but so much of "taste" is actually smell.

I mean another common one you'll see on the green tea thread alot is "it tastes like grass!" Now I don't know anyone that goes out there and just eats their lawn, but you can imagine if you ever just cut down really tall grass in the spring time, the smell of fresh cut grass, can sorta lead you to understand what grass would supposedly taste like.

Of course there are the unlucky ones of us, who for some reason or another have accidently gone face first into grass and came out with a mouth full of grass, they can probably give a more accurate taste of grass, but for most of us understanding the smell of grass can lead to an ability to say something "tastes grassy"

I found out that menthol/camphor was a taste in pu and was readily able to identify it once I learned that it was prevalent in some pu. I know what grass / vegetal taste is. I can identify pond ect. But rubber? I've never tasted 'tire store smell' in tea, and I know about the inter-changability of taste and smell.

[Ti]

Ti,
With certain smells, I almost feel it comes more into your luck with shipping and storage... etc... I have had a tea that smelled/tasted rubbery before, but then again all the tea in that package that wasn't sealed air tight had somewhat of a rubber tire smell on it. It could just be that a few of us are getting unlucky that our tea (puerh especially as it tends to not be sealed air tight), may have somehow hitched a ride next to a large box full of fresh rubber.

I can't say I've ever had a rubber smell/taste that didn't fade away with letting it get aired out.

But I do not know if others have.

Tasted 'rubbery'? By 'rubbery" I assume you're referring to the smell of tires as the basis for rubber smell/taste? Other people on this forum alluded to the same thing but it sounds to me like a joke.

I suppose the possibility exists that pu shipped in close proximity to a shipment of various vehicle tires might pick up the smell / taste but I haven't experienced it.

I have been in the Topps bubble gum factory where I saw lots of ( from what I can remember, 2' x 2' x 4' ) blocks of a somewhat clear translucent rubber base used in making bubble gum. I'm not sure but the blocks seemed to be a raw product. The blocks were stamped with the 'GOODYEAR' logo. I don't recall any 'tire store' smell about the place. There was the obvious BAZOOKA bubble gum fragrance everywhere, but the rubber blocks themselves didn't smell like tires. Nor does bubble gum tasted like tires. Chew the added flavor out of it and the last lingering taste isn't of tires which, supposedly being an inherent quality of rubber, would seem to be the last flavor to become depleted.