I've written about Tea Side small batch shu / shou pu'er before. It was exceptional. Valerie of Tea Side recently mentioned finding some of an old batch that is also exceptional. "Old" here means 4 years old; that's always relative. A year or two is plenty to air out most shu, to get most of the fermentation effects to settle. In some cases longer might make a positive difference. Four years is definitely suitable.
The backstory: Tea Side experimented with making small-batch, basket fermented shu some years ago. Typical shu processing involves wet-piling a lot of tea, maybe tons, in a large room environment. Small batch shu isn't unheard of; they definitely didn't invent that theme. In theory it can produce very novel results, where larger batch processing is oriented towards achieving a standardized positive result.
I considered tasting this in comparison with another exceptional shu version, which might have shed more light on it, but to save time and keep this simple I won't. Maybe I can refer to the other range of shu I've tried from memory. I've reviewed a couple of very exceptional versions this year, one from Vietnam (really an anomaly), and another a great version from Farmerleaf, of course a Yunnan pu'er.
[Later edit: this was distinctive enough that comparing it to other versions or making general quality level assessments didn't seem so relevant, so I didn't].
Review:
1: yep, there is dark chocolate. Impressions and interpretations can vary, so maybe someone could make it through a whole tasting without placing that, but when you expect that it stands out quite a bit. This is roughly as good as shu tends to get, sweet, complex, and balanced. It will pick up intensity on the second round, once it's fully wetted, but it's already good. Of course there is a pronounced mineral layer beneath the dark chocolate / cacao. I'll save the rest of the breakdown for next round.
Sometimes I don't mention parameters, but I might as well. Of course I've not measured an amount, but this looks to be 7 or so grams to me, a good bit, but not maxed out for a 100 ml gaiwan. Water is hot, but not full boiling point, since I'm using a filtered version that is heated by a hot water dispenser, which wouldn't quite make it to that temperature. Transferring it through a thermos would drop out a little more heat. I brewed that for 15 seconds or so, and this next round a little longer, although shorter would also work.
2: Marshmallow really ramps up in this. I've encountered that a half dozen or so times in trying teas, and it's pretty much always really pleasant, as nice an herbal input as one generally encounters. To me this tastes more like marshmallow than cacao / chocolate at this point, but both are there. I've included some background on the plant input that marshmallow is copying, or originally included, which is exactly what you'd expect, the root of a plant that grows in marshes used to make a candy version similar to but different from our modern marshmallow form. If memory serves it was used more as a thickener than for the taste, but both could be pleasant together.
The flavor list seems a bit short, even though this comes across as complex. It includes marshmallow, cacao, and limited dark-toned mineral. Some of those warm tones resemble a really light roasted coffee. Of course it's not bitter, astringent, or harsh in any way, instead smooth and rich. Sweetness level is nice; the rest combines better for that being present.
3: I'm brewing this a bit faster, around 15 seconds, mostly to experience variation, if that comes up. One thing I might've already mentioned is that there is a particular sweetness and flavor to clumps of tea that form in the wet-piling process, called cha tou, or tea heads, and this resembles that particular sweetness and flavor. For people who haven't tried that it wouldn't necessarily be informative, but if you like shu it should make your list of things to get to.
There isn't that much variation in shu to try, so I'll list out what I see as other types or themes here. Small-batch versions can be different, like this one. High buds content versions taste different, and can be pleasant, sometimes referred to as Gong Ting grade, or imperial or palace grade. Aged lower fermentation level shu is another type that is valued, often sold as CNNP / Zhongcha versions from the late 90s or early 2000s, usually as bricks instead of cakes. There are lots of claims about gushu shu, or versions made from desirable material locations, even up to range like Bing Dao, but those claims can be hard to place. One might try something offered as from a decent Jing Mai source, and let the more exotic range go, since it could be fake more often than real.
This round is slightly less intense for being brewed faster but it's still quite intense. Aftertaste expression actually increases, for whatever reason, and it might seem a little sweeter. Thickness of feel and complexity drop a little, brewed less strong. Flavor range doesn't vary so much; only the balance or proportions of the prior list shift. Marshmallow is really strong, but that was probably true last round too.
There may be one type-typical description of the cha tou / tea clumps / tea heads standard flavor that I'm missing, a different way to place that. It's so bright, sweet, and complex that it leans a little towards tangerine flavor, but it's definitely not that. Like vanilla? That seems to work better.
4: Not so different, but a bit more intense and complex. Since I'm describing this as tasting like cacao and marshmallow one might wonder if it tastes like a s'more. It does. I don't think much of the graham cracker carries over, but that's probably still open to interpretation.
This is already about as much as I'm going to interpret, without trying another half dozen rounds to explain later stage transitions, which would occur. This already covers the basic, early infusions, main flavors. Earthy range will probably pick up as this needs to be stretched a bit more to get the same intensity. Brighter, lighter cacao and marshmallow should keep fading, but probably not that much over the next 3 or 4 rounds, only in the later stage.
As for conclusions, it's pretty good. The way they describe it works; it's distinctive, complex, pleasant, and exceptional. It's as good as shu gets. Related to value or fair cost range people would have to place that for themselves; options and pricing ranges vary from different kinds of vendors.
It's hard for me to relate to the very highest quality and most distinctive style range of shu, or for that matter for any tea type. Different versions out there, of different types, sell for $1 a gram or more, but typical shu range is at the opposite extreme, or more in the middle for the best versions. It's interesting checking Tea Side's listing and seeing where it falls, and how they describe it:
2021 “Chocolate Noir II: A Long-Forgotten Stash” Craft Ripe Pu-erh Tea ($22 for 50 grams)
This shou pu-erh I crafted from old Thai trees, averaging around 300 years in age—the very same material I always used for "Raspberry Pine." The fermentation was completed on December 5, 2021. And the tea then went off into aging to develop the right, well-rounded profile.
Over the following year, I checked in on it regularly, but wasn’t quite happy with the flavor. So I shelved the box higher up in our warehouse and, honestly, forgot about it. After 3.5 years of storage, it resurfaced during an inventory check—and now, I’m completely satisfied with the profile.
This tea unfolds gradually, requiring water as hot as you can get it, and a generous steeping time. We didn’t separate tea heads from loose leaves: the leaves infuse fast, while the heads maintain excellent steeping durability.
The dry aroma is classic—slightly salty, woody. Once rinsed, the scent transforms into soft, sweet woodiness, with notes of chocolate and raspberry jam.
The flavor profile is smooth, dense, and even: teak wood, a solid chocolate body, and a pleasant coffee-like bitterness finishing each sip.
This shou distinctly recalls our “Chocolate Noir”, which was produced later, from different material and slight adjustments in processing. Over years of aging, the raspberry-berry nuances have faded, replaced by a harmonious, rounded fusion of chocolate and wood. However, if your nose is keen, you might still detect faint traces of berry jam in its fragrance.
The aftertaste is lovely: like a childhood chocolate candy, with the gentlest touch of coffee.
It probably would've been better using the hottest possible water, instead of in the 90-some C range, as I brewed it.
It's interesting that I did mention chocolate (also in the marketing) and coffee in this, leaving out reference to jam or dried fruit, and adding that it tasted a good bit like marshmallow to me, and maybe just a little like vanilla. Interpretations would always vary; that's normal. The general impression seems about the same.
If someone was open to spending nearly 50 cents a gram on a shu I guess this version might justify that as well as any. It's probably as good as any shu version I've ever tried, and I've tried a lot, some presented as exceptional. Still it's just shu. I never could relate to people focusing on that type range as a primary preference, but then preferences do vary.
Even for people not so interested in the type it might make sense to buy a little to see what the high end / most distinctive range is all about. I probably wouldn't, but then having a tight tea budget narrows a lot of choices down to very few. I wouldn't buy sheng for 40-some cents a gram either, and that kind of offering is a lot more common.
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