I love drinking shou mei often, even on travels, but I don't like how it crumbles in a bag if I brink a piece of cake with me. This way I have several entry to low-mid level options in single portions to chose from and share with curious friends.

In 2020s I went on pu erh hiatus for a few years so I missed some of the Zodiac cakes from Teavivre which I would usually order up until mid-late 2010s. This is a great opportunity to catch up with some of them and figure out if I'd like to get a cake or two.

i've tried many very nice white tea in the TeaVivre collection. i definitely prefer Fuding, Bailing terroir. This one is different, less fruity, more herbaceous. Can please people too.

I think Teavivre is changing these occasionally. The one I got a few months ago has a lower and wider design, thin porcelain with nice painting. It weights about 40 grams so it's pretty light in a hand. It pretty much goes with every tea in my opinion.

I bought this tea in October 2024 solely because of the price: I wanted a ripe pu-erh to enjoy, but didn't have the money at the time to invest in a cake. What I didn't expect was to find a fantastic tea for the price point! This loose ripe is interesting because, in some ways, it reminds me of the first ripe pu-erh I ever tried: it was from a different brand and was loose like this. At first, I didn't care for it but then developed a taste for it over time. The reason it reminds me of that tea is due to the woody taste and earthy aroma. However, where this tea massively differs from that one is that this has a lot of complexity to it, some of which has developed even in the time since I purchased a bag. The aroma is your classic ripe pu-erh aroma; not the "glutinous rice" aroma, but the very earthy, woody, cellar-like aroma. However, something I noticed that developed over the time of having this tea is that it also developed a pleasant undertone of molasses, especially in the empty vessels after you pour. It creates a very dark, very rich scent that instantaneously warms your senses. There's also a light undertone of pretzels to the scent that is really unique, maybe the closest this tea comes to the "glutinous rice" style. The flavor here is enjoyably complex. The body begins with a bold bitterness that resembles the flavor of unsweetened black coffee, but quickly moves into woody territory with a very, very light fruity note when you breathe through the nose. The texture is smooth and medium thickness, and the astringency is minimal, with the coffee-like bitterness eventually morphing into mouthwatering sweetness akin to dark chocolate. In general, while I'd say it's probably not as complex and smooth as some of the more expensive ripe pu-erhs Teavivre has, it's an amazing tea for warming up on a cold day and it's an amazing value for that price point. If you're looking for an affordable tea that's great for daily drinking in winter, this might just be the best place to start!

This tea is outstanding. My wife grew up in the mountains of China and loves quality jasmine tea. Her eyes lit up when I passed the tea container under her nose. The fragrance is deep and balanced, not “perfumey”. The flavor is sweet but not overpowering with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Subsequent infusions do not disappoint, retaining the details and character of the floral notes as it gradually dissipates in strength. The finish is clean and expansive with the presence of jasmine remaining long after our cups were empty.

i really enjoy those sampler packs from TeaVivre, this one is very interesting to discover Taiwanese oolongs.

Excellent green tea

This tea leaves are so amazing that look like hand painted. Its fading colors and the way they dance in the water, are an spectacle.

Very good, although the brick is more difficult to break apart than a cake.

very nice oolong tea, fresh juicy, floral and a very bit roasty, i love it. and it goes on for many brews

A very raw puerh-like black tea; woody, leathery, mineral, and maybe a bit spicy. Seriously dense body for a black tea and the aftertaste will stick in your mouth until you drink something else. Way better than I expected it to be.

Mild but super pleasant raisiny/fruity flavor with a bit of acidic tang, and a really lasting mineral aftertaste that's strong enough to actually build up in your mouth between sips and stick around a while after. Good "body"/"texture"/etc. Good daily drinker, imo-- cheap enough to drink often (even if it's far from the least expensive black tea you'll ever find), good enough to not regret doing so.

Aroma: Chestnut and something else. The product page says orchid. I don't know what an orchid smells like, so I'll take their word for it. Taste: Chestnut and the something else. The first two sips are delicious, but this has a bitterness that sneaks up on you and lingers after you've finished drinking the tea. Where the product page says 4g, I wouldn't use more that 2.8g, with water at 180 degrees. This will make the tea weaker, but with less bitterness.

Beautiful teacup.

It’s good, but the Wild Lapsong is much more interesting and satisfying. Worth trying.

It’s good, worth trying for sure.

It’s Smokey! Not as good as back in the old days, but it gets more rounded with later infusions.

Beautiful Gaiwan, great value.

It’s tiny, and perfect for personal use, but enough for two. I use this for Ya Shi Xiang Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong.

Absolutely beautiful teapot that I use exclusively for aged puerh. Wide mouth is convenient and Jiashui Zitao is excellent at retaining heat, and it heats up fast. Perfect for aged puerh.

Another favorite among the Oolongs, it delivers the Duck Shit and at a good value.

I’ve sampled quite a few of the black teas, but I keep coming back the Wild Lapsang Souchong has my favorite, and it’s also an exceptional value.

The Taiwan Oriental Beauty is outstanding, and is now becoming a go to Oolong. Highly recommended!

this tea is remarkable, the green tea leaves are young and perfect, rolled by hand from trees in Simao area, Fengqing large tree leaf, so the cha qi is very strong.

Aroma: Rose Taste: Rose I generally don't go for flavored teas, but the underlying tea is a simple, basic tea and the rose petals add some interest. Good tea, not great.

Aroma: Fruit and flowers Taste: Fruit Very good tea. Not as complex as some of the others, but quite good.

Aroma: Sweet potato, mushroom, and a hint of smoke. Taste: Sweet potato and mushroom. A very nice tea. A couple of steps up from grocery store tea.

Aroma: Tobacco and old leather, undertone of mushrooms. Taste: Same Who knew that tobacco and old leather would taste good? Very good tea, if not one of Teavivre's best.

Aroma: Floral and sweet potato Taste: Mild sweet potato taste with just a bit of rose. After-taste has some umani. Mellow, sweet. My favorite of the Yunnan teas.