Like most Americans, I started drinking Lipton tea, then moved to English Breakfast style teas. From there I moved to Darjeeling and Ceylon teas. However, it has been many years since I last drank tea from India, so I was a bit curious when MyTeaPal announced last month's theme was in partnership with an Indian tea producer, Lochan/Doke Tea. The first tea to try is 2022 Fall Giddapahar Spring Queen First Flush. The flavor immediately takes me back to drinking Darjeeling tea decades ago. They call it "black tea" but from where I stand now, after years of drinking Chinese tea, it has more in common with certain more astringent types of Chinese white tea.

#Tea #IndianTea #DokeTea #Darjeeling #MyTeaPal #Tea #Cha @tea

This 2009 Bulang Arbor raw puerh from the Jan MyTeaPal Club, is the gem of the set. Mellow flavor, touch of storage flavor, great length of scent, subtle lingering bitterness.

#ShengPuerh #RawPuerh #MyTeaPalClub #MyTeaPal #Tea #Cha #DailyTea @tea

"2010-2015 Yiwu Dashu" from MyTeaPal Club this AM. Despite some time in humid Guangzhou storage, the storage character of this raw puerh is very mild. Actually, a very mild raw puerh overall. A pleasant tea, but it leaves few lingering impressions in the empty cup or in my mind.

#MyTeaPal #MyTeaPalClub #ShengPuerh #RawPuerh #Puerh #DailyTea @tea

2011 Cao Gen Raw Puerh from MyTeaPal Club. I usually associate Bulang with burly smoky teas, but this is not. The tea itself is fairly sweet and not super assertive. Stored in Guangdong since 2011, the assertive part of this raw puerh is the storage flavor. A good contrast to the clean storage of yesterday's Mangfei Dashu.

#RawPuerh #ShengPuerh #MyTeaPal #MyTeaPalClub #Tea #DrinkTea #DailyTea @tea

I use the MyTeaPal app to track my daily tea (and inventory). They also have a tea club. In Jan the theme was "aged raw puerh". 2013 Mangfei Dashu is the youngest selection, so I started there. Early impressions of smoke give way to fruit and incense in later steeps. The harshness of young puerh has mellowed and the energy is untroubling. More "middle aged", than truly "aged", it is quite tasty where it is in its evolution.

#ShengPuerh #RawPuerh #MyTeaPal #Cha #Tea #DailyTea @tea