Horse Blanket - Aged Lincang Shu Puer
Out of all the senses, smell provokes the strongest memory trigger. Taste can follow close behind, but even then, it is the olfactory that does the heavy lifting when that first bite of southwestern casserole brings you back to your childhood.
For many a ranch hand, cowboy or other equestrian, their life and that of their horses are closely entwined. As with bonding with any animal, a person becomes intimately acquainted with their temperament, behavior patterns, feel and for our story, scent.
With this in mind we named this shu in tribute to this bond between animal and rider, a tea whose aroma immediately evokes the smell of a stable, horse, saddle and the blanket that goes underneath.
With notes of sourdough, sugar pine and mole negro, this tea is ready to join you on your next adventure as you saddle up and saunter off into the sunset. Yippy-yi-yo, Yippy-yi-yay.
Location - Yun County, Lincang Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China
Storage - Dry storage in Kunming.
Harvest Time - Late 2000s
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS
- Gong Fu - This tea works great in both porcelain and semi porous vessels. Since it is large curled chunks of leaf, we recommend filling a third to half of the vessel with dry leaf. Works wonderfully in grandpa style too.
- Western - Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz of water. Add 212F water and steep for 4-6 minutes. Can be re-steeped a second time, adding 2-3 minutes to the original steep time.