The peacock that inspired a life's endeavor

While the shop had previously been closed to private tastings, I now stood contentedly surrounded by its hundred of cakes of tea, flooded with their narcotic-like aroma. My hand anxiously trembled as I reached out toward the 1200 yuan marked bing of sheng pu presiding on high. Its peacock adorned wrapper appeared to glower at the sheer audacity of my gesture as I lifted it from its mahogany toned display easel.

A lilting voice rose from the antique wooden table occupying near to half of the shop.

“Would you like to taste the tea?”

I nodded a polite yes, and took the spot nearest to the wall as the first small porcelain tasting cup was gracefully placed on the outer edge of the table with silver pincers. As I patiently waited for the amber hued broth to cool to drinking temperature, the soft featured tea ceremony master smiled and asked if I enjoyed puer. I don’t just enjoy puer, I adore it.

With the first sip, the full body of the tea immediately coated my mouth in a complex array of cedar wood, medicinal and plum notes followed by a lingering sweetness rising from the throat. I couldn’t help but register an appreciative expression. The small yixing pot flush with now re-steeping leaves was showered with hot water prompting a dramatic shaft of steam to flash upward. A second steeping followed with a simple gifting-like gesture.

As the session progressed well into eight steeps the tea became increasingly rounder and softer, and I had become noticeably tea drunk. I was preparing to make my departure when the tea master presented second porcelain cup with cooled black coffee toned liquor that had been poured from an unattended chubby little pot. I have to admit, the color intimidated me. The taste, however, was full of exquisitely soft sweet cocoa notes and backed with a faint medicinal quality. I wanted more to be honest, but as I thanked her and ambled out the door head spinning, I knew I had reached my limit. I knew that I had finally met my true passion.