Morning brew – Kuura Prescription Only

This Sunday, I am enjoying a Sheng Pu-erh. Resin, herbal freshness and maybe a hint of pine needles welcome me after rinsing the leaves. I am brewing 6g to 120ml today, perhaps not enough leaves, but starting to run out of this tea and want to enjoy it a little longer.

First brew

The first brew is of pale soft orange with some dust setting at the bottom as I approach the central, more compressed part of the cake. The tea leaves me with a slight coating in my mouth, ready for the next sip. Smooth in texture, notes of fresh herbals and flowers. Some fruitiness, like that of a stone fruit.

The tea was a farewell gift around three years ago when I left my job to study in Japan. It brings me many memories of those nearly six years working there.

Second brew

The leaves present themselves more in a nutty sense this time. The herbal notes are not present, taken over by a sweet, nutty smell with still some floral background.

I love writing using fountain pens. I have realised just now that I am writing this with another farewell gift from a friend at my local pen club. (yes, those exist) It is a lovely Italian-made pocket pen inked with a dark lush green. Watching the ink slush inside the transparent reservoir has a calming and reflecting effect. It makes me think about all the things that happened in the past years.

The colour of the tea remains the same, perhaps a bit more bright, less cloudy, than before. The liquor is smooth, sweeter than before, with some flowers appearing in the background. More nut and creamy notes arise as the cup cools down, completing an enjoyable experience.

I am not an expert in drinking Pu-erh, only recently diving into it. I purchased some teas from a vendor that recommended them as a good entry point to the Pu-erh experience. Looking forward to cracking them open, enjoying them and comparing my experiences.

Third brew

The leaves haven't yet fully uncurl, and the brew looks a bit more golden yellow. Perhaps I really should have put more leaves into the gaiwan. The fragrance holds the nutty notes, with some honey and sweet notes.

Being the first time I am writing about (during) a tea session, I wonder how other people do this. There must be an equilibrium between sitting down, concentrating on the tea and taking notes, and on the other hand, just enjoying the tea.

The weather is beautiful outside today, and the bowl still needs to cool down. Perhaps I should enjoy on the outside.

The tea was sweet and smooth and reminded me of stone fruits a bit as well. There were some hints of astringency, a pleasant one, making you want another sip of the liquor. It was perhaps the quickest cup until now, refreshing, smooth, with some sweetness to tie it up, and an enjoyable experience overall. I look forward to the next session.

I will keep the other brews to myself to enjoy this sunny weekend morning, but now that I am transferring these notes, I can tell you it was a very patient tea.

29 Oct 2022 - Added the post to Morning brew collection