White2Tea Dripd O’Bitters Review
I recently got a box of tea in the mail that I’d (impatiently) been waiting for for 2 months.
The box contained a few cakes of Pu Er tea.
Including White2Tea’s I Am Pu Er Cake.
One of which is the tea I’m gonna talk about today.
It took forever to arrive because of the Coronavirus pandemic… which is understandable. And isn't something I should be complaining about.
But I wanted to spend some time with this tea.
And hopefully, you’ll understand why.
So...Get comfortable. Light some incense.
Break off a piece of Pu Er tea.
And slowly start brewin’.
It’s time for a little nostalgia...
Let’s take it back...
Alright. Bear with me here…
It’s time to stroll down memory lane.
At times, it may seem like this story has little to do with reviewing tea.
But I promise it does.
There was a time before we were all into tea, right?
A moment when something clicked and it all made sense. Or at the very least, a time when we figured out that we wanted to get to know a little more about drinking tea. Or maybe that’s right where you are right now.
My moment where everything clicked happened when I was studying in Prague...
Heading to Prague
In college, I was lucky enough to study art photography in Prague.
By the way, if you are into tea and photography, it’s worth having a look at my other article Reflections on Tea and Photography here.
So, back to Prague.
One day, I was walking in the bustling main square and noticed a small alleyway with a sign that said ‘teahouse’.
I ventured down that alleyway, and as I did, everything became quiet and I instantly forgot I was in the middle of Prague.
I was greeted by a Buddhist statue outside and the sign – Dobrá čajovna (said: dough-bra chai-oh-v-nah) – or literally, good tearoom.
As soon as I walked in, the smell of sweet incense said hello.
The walls were a welcoming warm yellow, and the decor made me feel like I had stepped into yet another country.
The place had a warmth and a feeling to it that did something to me. And I instantly knew that this teahouse was going to be important to me.
Experiencing Chinese Tea
Before stepping into the tearoom, I had vaguely been aware of Chinese tea.
I guess I liked tea. Drank a bit of it. Did a little research.But something was missing. And I could never figure out what that was – I had this feeling that tea had more to teach me.
I found out around the tea-table at Dobrá čajovna.
There I was. Thousands of miles from home. Feeling so many things, sensing and knowing change was happening in my life, trying to experience it all.
But little did I know that this place would begin a huge shift within me, my ways of thinking, my art.
I opened up the menu and was amazed by the sheer amount of teas listed.
I had no idea there were so many kinds of tea.
So many names and styles.
I immediately realized how much there was to learn. And how much I could learn if I was open and willing to.
I stumbled through the descriptions, trying to figure out what I wanted.
And settled on the “mandarin Pu Er” – which sounded interesting enough.
“Earthy with notes of mandarin orange peel.”
When the tea came to the table, I noticed it was served in a tiny pot.
Which concentrated the flavor. And made the entire process interesting to me.
The tea itself was pitch black – strong, but balanced.
I took a sip. And that was that. I had found what I was looking for.
This process, this taste, this experience.
This is what had been missing.
The Ritual
And no joke –
I think I went back to that teahouse almost every night I was studying in Prague.
It became my ritual.
A place to socialize.
A place to go to alone where I could sit with my thoughts. And slowly, it started to teach me so many things.
Most times I would order this same tea. I couldn't get myself to try much else. I think I was a little bit afraid.
But I also knew I could sit there for an hour or so with these leaves and that they’d just brew and brew.
I got to know this tea well. And developed a deep understanding of the flavor profile, and in doing so, developed a deep attachment to it.
On my last day in Prague, I walked slowly to the teahouse for one last pot of tea.
I ordered my usual – the mandarin Pu Er and some Matcha toast.
And sitting there, for the last time, I was feeling kind of sad having had to say goodbye to all of the people I had met while studying.
And I was scared of the future.
But deeply grateful for all that I had learned and experienced.
As I got ready to leave, one of the tea servers I got to know well wouldn’t let me pay.
And he handed me a small mandarin orange filled with Pu Er as a parting gift. This gesture meant so much to me and has guided me many times since.
And then I was off. Back to real life. A life that was about to get difficult and strange. A life that now included tea.
A life of Tea
So what does this nostalgia-ridden story have to do with the tea I’m talking about?
Don’t worry, I’m getting there.
When I got home, my life kind of fell apart.
Things got weird with a relationship and it quickly ended.
And it became clear that my father (who had entered the hospital before I left for Europe 4 months prior) was sick, and would probably never make it home.
All the growth I felt I had gained abroad quickly felt like it had drained. I couldn't process a lot of what was going on in my life. I felt ungrounded and not in control of anything.
Beyond all of this, I was trying to figure out what the biggest change was.
What had I done in Prague that I wasn’t doing at home?
Something that fulfilled me and helped me process life.
It was tea.
And the ritual around it.
It wasn’t really until this exact moment that I realized tea was so important to my life. I knew I enjoyed the process and taste.
But I had finally understood why it came to me how it did. And at the time it did.
A Deep Connection
Thus began my deep connection with tea, and specifically Pu Er.
As I began to drink more – to open up to tea more generally, and all of the flavors, styles, and qualities –
I realized that my beloved Mandarin Pu Er was quite mediocre… As my palette got more refined, I had a hard time drinking it.
It just wasn’t enough.
It was flat and not the best quality.
And on top of that, it was kind of a tea fad. Meaning most people who drank REAL Chinese tea wouldn't touch the stuff. So for a long time, I kind of neglected it.
Even some of the higher-quality teas stuffed into the oranges didn’t interest me much. They never actually tasted good.
Meeting White2Tea
But then I found this tea cake offered by White2Tea (a vendor whose tea I love and trust).
I noticed that it was a higher quality Shou Pu Er mixed with a high-quality mandarin peel. So I gave it a shot.
As I brewed the Pu Er for the first time, I was immediately wrapped in that warm glow of nostalgia.
I was sent back to that place where I had learned so much.
The place where I fell in love with tea.
But this time, I had a tea that was much better quality – allowing me to experience these feelings without sacrificing flavor.
So, in short, I’m just really grateful for this tea.
And for what it represents to me.
I don’t expect anyone to have the same feelings I do. But it’s a great tea - good value and great quality. It’s great for the winter, or any time you just want to sit back and relax with something a little more unique.
Shou Puerh
Now that I got the nostalgia out of the way, let’s talk tea.
This Dripd O’Bitters tea is a Shou Pu Er (aka Shu Pu, Shou Pu, ripe Pu Er).
If you’re totally new to Pu Er, don’t sweat it. Just give our Pu Er Tea beginner’s Guide a look.
But essentially, all you really need to know is that Shou Pu, when brewed, is usually pitch black, earthy, and creamy.
Mandarin Puerh
There’s been a fad in the tea world of stuffing loose Pu Er into a dried mandarin shell (which is also called chenpi).
Most of the time, this added flavor is something most seasoned tea people stay away from.
And most of the teas offered like this are really low-quality knock-offs (bad tea stuffed into a tangerine peel, not the actual real chenpi).
Extra info: Chinese have been stuffing tangerines with tea for aging for thousands of years now. Chenpi is an ingredient used in traditional Chinese Medicine, so high-quality versions do exist. It is a flavor enhancer and pairs really well with good, well-made Pu Er tea.
Tea Recap
Tea Name: Dripd O’Bitters
Producer: White2Tea
Price: $37.50 / 200g cake ($0.19 / gram or about $0.95 / standard session of 5g)
Year: 2019
Growing Location: Yunnan, China
Tasting Parameters:
Gong Fu Pu Er Brewing Method
5 grams of tea
200ml glazed teapot
Varied Steeps – 15-30 seconds
Dry Leaf Aroma:
Earthy
Wet Wood
Sweet
Sharp Orange Sour Note
Wet Leaf Aroma:
Deep Sweet Wood
Earth
Sweet Orange
Smell of Rain (petrichor)
Tasting Notes:
Early steeps 1-5:
Starts light in color and taste
Sweet and slightly earthy but ends with a light citrus note.
Overall, very smooth.
A light bitterness forms and comes in at the end.
There’s a drying note at the end as well, a bit tannic and bitter. But it mixes well with the orange notes.
A subtle, creamy note emerges.
Later Steeps 5-10:
The bright, sweet-sour note of the mandarin peel is the high note and becomes more noticeable than before.
The bitterness starts to die down. But the sweetness is still there.
It didn’t go too far past 10 steeps, but I think that has more to do with the brewing style. But it was enjoyable.
Extra note: I used a 200ml glazed teapot to steep my Dripd O'Bitters tea. But when brewing Gong Fu style, another great way is to use a Gaiwan. It’s a simple Chinese lidded cup, typically made of porcelain, and used to brew a lot of tea leaves with a small amount of water.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, this Dripd O’Bitters tea is just really solid.
It’s not showy, but it’s confident.
The flavor of the tea and the dried orange begin to mix a little more as the tea liquid cools down.
It’s layered but simple. It’s honest about what it offers. But what it offers is grounding, flavorful, and balanced – with no off-tastes or surprises.
I enjoy this tea. There’s not much else to say.
Would I Purchase Again?
Definitely. I think this tea is a great one to have around.
It’s the kind of tea I can zone out with. Or drink when I’m getting work done.
It’s forgiving – meaning it’s super easy to brew.
And look, this tea fills me with nostalgic delight… And that’s a huge part of why I want it around.
But the teas that do that for you may be different. Which is all good.
Come Brew With Us
Let’s talk about tea.
If you found this review helpful, or want to connect with other like-minded people through tea, art, and our favorite plant-based recipes, join our Steepers Union Facebook group.
We share lots of information and would love to hear from you.
Hope to see you there.
Oh, and be sure to leave a comment if you try this Dripd O’Bitter’s Shou Pu from White2Tea – I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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