2018 "Dark Depths" Shou / Ripe Puerh

This tea is now entirely sold out. Thankfully we have a new version available. Check out our latest version of this incredible tea here. https://crimsonlotustea.com/products/2021-dark-depths-shou-ripe-puerh-tea

This tea has been a long time coming. We started working on this blend early in 2018. We had a vision for what we wanted and stuck it out until we found exactly the right material to blend. It wasn't an easy hunt. A few of you had a chance to try it loose but we ran out of time to get it pressed last year. The issue really was that we needed the right piece of art.

The missing piece was created by Carl Faulkner ( https://www.instagram.com/visualtaffy/ ) . I've known Carl for a long time. He ran an amazing studio out of the 619 Building in Seattle's Pioneer Square called X17. I loved the place and the art that he and his friends created. I would visit every month during open gallery night. I couldn't get enough. I've followed his work over the years and when we started Crimson Lotus Tea I knew I wanted to work with him on a project somehow. 

Late last year we messaged Carl who lives in Portland now and asked if we could stop by, brew tea for him, and chat about a potential collaboration. We drank tea for hours. It was great. I shared my vision for this tea and Carl was more than happy to help us out.  

Dark Depths is something I've envisioned since our earliest days. The shou puerh that truly captivates me is the super thick, super dark brewing, inky black, raven's wing in the dark of night versions. The ones that offer no reflection and seem to pull in all available light. We missed the chance on a perfect material our second year and have focused hard until we got what we needed for this tea. 

This tea is a monster. It is hiding in the deep waiting to be called forth. It rises in your cup and provides steep after steep of thick, dark, motor oily goodness. 

As good as the loose leaf blend was it turned out 10x better after pressing. This tea is aromatic like the Nannuo Mini Mushrooms and just keeps on going. It is rich and thick and luscious and sweet. It's so much more than most shou puerh. It's herbal and earthy and as deep as the Marianas.

Descend friend and drink from the deep!

"Dark Depths Shou Puer is perfect for those who love their shou with a generously thick texture, sweetness, and balance. It has not a lick of funk, wet pile or fishiness. That said, it is amazing easy drinking. "
--oolongowl.com

Brewing Instructions

Use 5-10 grams of leaves and brew with 75-150ml ( 2.5-5oz ) of water at or near boiling. Rinse once for a few seconds. Start with quick steeps under 10s. With each re-steep adjust the steep time to your taste.