Crimson Lotus Tea 2024: A Vibrant Raw Puerh Under the Emerald Sea

Here’s what you need to know about a raw puerh that defies its age. Crimson Lotus Tea 2024, sourced from the emerald depths of its origin, delivers a sensory journey that’s both unexpected and intoxicating. At just two years old, this sheng puerh surprises with its brightness, balancing fruit-forward sweetness against a bitterness that’s more nuanced than aggressive. The tea’s evolution across steepings reveals layers that feel like a conversation unfolding—each sip revealing new details.

The first steeping is a fleeting dance of dry hay and berry-floral notes, with a vanilla cream finish that lingers like a whisper. By the second steep, the bitterness sharpens into a green, floral-grassy bite, while bitter orange marmalade and blackberry hints emerge. The third steep softens the bitterness, allowing sweetness to build, and by the fourth, the tea’s citrus and berry notes crystallize, with a ginger-lemon undertone that adds depth. As steeping time increases, the bitterness becomes more clingy, anchoring a vibrant citrus-fruit profile that feels impossibly fresh for its age.

What makes this tea remarkable is its refusal to settle into typical raw puerh tropes. The bitterness isn’t a weapon—it’s a character, distinct and memorable. Early on, it carries a rubbery edge that fades as the tea opens up, leaving behind a sweet, rounded finish. This suggests a terroir-driven profile, where the tea’s roots in its origin site shape its personality. The price-to-quality ratio is another standout: for a young raw, its vibrancy and structure feel like a steal.

Key takeaways? This tea’s brightness and sweetness make it a standout for its age, its bitterness is a unique fingerprint rather than a flaw, and terroir seems to play a major role in its character.

What’s your take on terroir’s role in shaping raw puerh’s character?

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Information sourced from industry reports and news outlets.