Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  Teavivre

Product Description:

A Premium Pu-erh Mini Tea Cake infused with Chrysanthemum flowers

• Plucked and manufactured in June 2008 in Simao, Pu’er, Yunnan, China
• Premium Pu-erh tea leaves and Chrysanthemum flower individually wrapped and compressed into beautiful bird’s nest shaped tea cakes for convenient brewing and storage
• Brews a tea with a deep mahogany color
• Chrysanthemum lends a light sweet floral note to the rich complex flavor of the Pu-erh tea

Read more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This mini tuocha cakes are neat!  There is one chrysanthemum flower tucked inside each little nest, and as the Pu-erh steeps and begins to fall apart, the chrysanthemum flower is revealed.  This isn’t like a blooming or flowering art tea, it is more like a buried treasure tea!

The aroma of the dry tuocha is what I’ve come to expect from Pu-erh – earthy.  I don’t know if I’ve just become more acquainted with that scent from Pu-erh or if this is a lighter earthy scent in this Pu-erh, but I’m not finding this off-putting as I normally would.  It doesn’t smell delicious or anything, but, it isn’t revolting either.  I tried to see if I could smell the flower, but I did not, perhaps the delicate scent o f the chrysanthemum was overwhelmed by the earthy tones of the Pu-erh.

I used my gaiwan and infused using short steeps (a quick 10 second rinse, then a 30 second infusion for the first steep, and added 15 seconds with each subsequent infusion).  The flavor is rich and deep.  Earthy, yes, but, I find that the subtle sweet notes of flower from the chrysanthemum provide contrast to the earthy tones.

There is, of course, that amazing sweetness to this Pu-erh … a deep caramel-y flavor that is what finally won me over and helped me develop an appreciation for Pu-erh.  The floral tones are very nice, and they develop as I continue to sip. The floral note has a slight sharpness to it which when juxtaposed to the strong sense of earth in the background tempers what would otherwise be quite a heavy flavor.  A nice balance, and certainly an enjoyable Pu-erh experience.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  Red Leaf Tea

Product Description:

From the ancient halls of Chinese herbal science comes a special tea that is designed to call out to the spiritual world; Prosperity Pu-Erh Tea! When civilization was born, Chinese healers developed the arts of Feng Shui, writing, and herbology, and the Prosperity Cube. The Cube is a compressed block of herbs that have been specially prepared with sticky syrup and a small square mold. A Chinese character is applied to the cube during the molding process, as a spiritual call for a certain quality. When shared with family, the Prosperity Cube can be amazingly effective in lifting the financial burdens of the participants. Packed with just as many health benefits as other tea varities, Pu-Erh tea such as the Prosperity Cube make excellent sipping teas for those looking for a traditional Chinese taste.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve come to realize that not all Pu-erh teas are the same.  Just like with any tea type there are good Pu-erh teas and there are not-so-good Pu-erh.  This Prosperity Cube from Red Leaf Tea happens to be one of the good ones!

This Pu-erh is incredibly flavorful – and very pleasantly sweet!  The aroma of the dry leaf is a little earthy, but in comparison to some other Pu-erh teas I’ve encountered, I would say that the earthiness here is rather mild.

The steeped tea smells a bit more like damp wood than of earth, and there is a sweet kind of aroma to it too that reminds me a bit of caramelized sugar.  That caramel essence translates into the flavor very well, in fact, this is one of the sweetest Pu-erh teas that I’ve yet to try.  It isn’t the “deep undertone of caramel-y sweetness” that I often describe when reviewing Pu-erh, this is a sweet, caramel syrup overtone that is front and center.

It is incredibly smooth and there is no bitterness whatsoever.  I am also having a hard time discerning any hint of astringency to this cup.  It is just smooth and sweet from start to finish, with an oaken undertone and a hint of earth that hits just after the start.

If you’re like me and have had one or more unpleasant Pu-erh experiences in the past, don’t let that stop you from trying more.  If you do, you are only depriving yourself of what is indeed a fascinating journey of discovery.  On my journey, I am discovering so many wonderful Pu-erh teas there are out there to enjoy!

And if you’ve decided that maybe you should give Pu-erh one more try, I recommend starting with this Prosperity Cube from Red Leaf Tea.  One taste of it and you’ll have a hard time remembering what “bad” Pu-erh is like … this one is THAT good!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  Verdant Tea

Product Description:

Year: 2008

Workshop: Diyi Workshop

Region: Xishuangbanna

Flavor: True to the smell, this tea really does taste like corn, but with an impressive complexity.  The spearmint comes through as a tingling sensation, more of a a minty texture than anything else.  Despite the sweet corn flavor, the tea is weightless on the palate and almost refreshing like an iced drink.

Taster’s Review:

This month’s Steepster Select Package theme is “Migration.”  My first thought when I saw the card insert in the package was “Migration?  What an odd theme.”  But I don’t mean odd in a bad way… I happen to think odd is a compliment.  I mean, why settle for ordinary when you can have something a little odd?

The card insert explains the theme like this:

Autumn brings bodies in motion – animals and people alike – savoring the final wisps of warmth.  Stroll through the park and you’ll find empty nests, scattered branches and crisp, fallen leaves, all proof of the impending frost.

Some take flight, migrating to warmer climates, but those more observant recognize Autumn is merely the beginning of many tea-soaked months.

Rather than fly away, we choose to nose-dive in wholeheartedly.  We bring you 3 teas inspired by everything the migrating birds left behind.

I really like this explanation and how it fits with the three teas chosen for this month.  This particular tea is the “empty nest”!

And I really am liking this tea!

If you are a frequent reader here, you may know that I am not as fond of pu-erh as I am other types of tea.  But I am gaining an appreciation for it with each new tasting.  This Shu (meaning “cooked” pu-erh) is full of surprises!

My first surprise was the aroma of the dry nest.  It is earthy, yes, but, the earthy notes are not as strong as I usually find with a Shu.  I can also smell notes of corn and even a hint of mint nestled in the mini tuo cha.  The brewed liquor has a stronger corn scent.  Earthy notes are still present, but, they are significantly softer than the dry leaf.

The second surprise is in my gaiwan.  Usually, when I steep these little nests, the tea remains in a little mass at the bottom of the gaiwan… but this pu-erh seems to be very loosely packed into the nest, as it fell apart.  And what it revealed to me was not only the deep brown and almost-black colored leaves, but also green leaves in there.

The flavor … is like WOW!  Corn!  I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a tea that has such a profound corn flavor as this.  It tastes like roasted corn to me … like when you go out to the fair … the roasted corn on the cob?  Yeah, that is what I’m tasting.  I LOVE roasted corn on the cob, and I have tried my hand at roasting my own corn on the cob but with very little success.  I can never seem to capture that same flavor of the fair.  But… interestingly enough, this tea has!

The sweetness is a corn-like sweetness, reminding me a bit of sweet corn cakes.  The mouthfeel is remarkably light and has a crispness to it.  It feels cleaner on the palate than any other pu-erh I’ve ever tasted.

This is a remarkable pu-erh.  I recommend this to all tea enthusiasts out there, especially to those who want to gain a stronger appreciation for pu-erh, and have had some unfortunate experiences with it in the past.  This pu-erh is unlike any other I’ve ever tried, and certainly one that you should try!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  Verdant Tea

Product Description:

Mt. Banzhang is considered the absolute top of the line in pu’er leaf, but Mt. Yiwu is giving Banzhang a run for its money. The art of pu’er in Yiwu is thriving and threatening to take 1st place. Compare this to the American cheese and wine movement that is finally strong enough to hold its own against France. Because Yiwu is not yet as famous, the tea is much more affordable, even certified single origin bricks like this one. Buy a brick if you can and watch this tea age into some of the best. In ten years it may be much more difficult to even obtain Yiwu leaf for import.

To Learn More, click here.

Taster’s Review:

This is Pu-erh?  I found myself questioning it the moment I opened the pouch and noted the aroma, which was not strong nor as earthy as a typical Pu-erh.  The earthiness is very slight, smelling a bit more like mushrooms to me than earth.  The brewed liquor takes on a slightly stronger earthy tone, but, still, not nearly what I’ve come to prepare myself for when I drink Pu-erh.  There are lingering notes of wood, reminding me of a walk through the forest – again, not so much of the smell of the earth in that forest, but the trees and the surrounding air which is enhanced with a hint of smoke from a nearby cabin.

The complexity of the aroma translates into the flavor.  I taste a fruit note in this cup – something I can’t ever recall noticing in another cup of Pu-erh.  It is not a strong flavor, but more of a whisper of a flavor in the background, a mystery that is hidden behind the solid notes of wood and spice.  The spice tones start out “almost” peppery – almost but not quite.  As I continue to sip, I find that the peppery tones develop somewhat, but it remains a subtle spiced note.

The tasting notes on the Verdant Tea website suggest a hibiscus tone, but I have to say that I don’t really notice hibiscus.  Perhaps a hint of tartness from the berry/fruit notes that I mentioned earlier, but as I don’t like hibiscus, and I am enjoying these fruit notes, I don’t taste hibiscus when I taste the berry-like flavor; but I can see where the comparison to hibiscus is made.

It is incredibly smooth with no astringency or bitterness.  The body is lighter, delivering a taste that is not quite as heavy as a typical Pu-erh.  It has a light sweetness that is not so much the caramel-like sweetness that I’ve come to appreciate in Pu-erh … it’s different, but no less enjoyable.  In fact, that this IS different, it becomes even more enjoyable; intriguing me to continue to sip so that I may pinpoint what it is I taste.

Subsequent infusions seem to deliver more complexity.  Just as the previously mentioned tasting notes from Verdant Tea suggests, the berry/hibiscus-y notes develop into more of a tart apple taste.  I can really taste the cedar notes now.  The spice has developed as well, a light peppery note without those high spice notes.  A subtle, low pepper tone.

If you’re new to Pu-erh, I think that this would be an excellent Pu-erh with which to start.  If you’re a seasoned Pu-erh veteran, I would still recommend trying this Pu-erh for its unique set of flavors, you may find it to be a deliciously different addition to your tea cupboard.

An exquisite Pu-erh (and I really don’t think I’ve used exquisite to describe a Pu-erh before!)

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  Verdant Tea

Product Description:

Region – Hekai Mountain, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Processing -  This is wild picked from one of the most bio diverse ancient tea forests in China.  Hekai leaf is known for an orchid-like fragrance absorbed from native flowers.  The tea is allowed to sun dry and age loose as maocha for several months to a year before being steamed and stone pressed into bricks.  The leaf material for the Artisan Revival brick is from the oldest tea trees, some of which have to be climbed during the picking.

Read more about this tea.

Taster’s Review:

My experience with Pu-erh has been pretty well-documented through the blogs for which I write, because really, before embarking upon writing reviews on tea, I had less than a handful of experiences with Pu-erh, and those tea moments were best forgotten.  They were negative experiences, to say the least.  Since those times, I have learned better ways to steep Pu-erh and have come to appreciate it.

This Artisan Revival Stone-Pressed Sheng (2006) from Verdant Tea is one of the best Pu-erh teas that I’ve tried yet.  The aroma of the dry leaf is quite different from other Pu-erh teas that I’ve approached, rather than that strong, earthy presence, I find this one to to be a little more like warm spice and tobacco.  It reminds me of the smell of my father’s pipe tobacco (my stepmother was very keen on trying to get him to smoke a pipe, she seemed more interested in it than he did, though).

For the first couple of infusions, I am tasting a floral note.  This is a Pu-erh?  There is very little earthy taste to this cup, and what little earthiness that I do taste is on the sweet side, like hints of wood and earth.  It is incredibly smooth.  So smooth, in fact, that it almost feels like melted butter as it glides over the palate.  There is a sweetness that comes from the floral notes, as well as a somewhat honey-esque tone in the background.  These honey notes, together with the floral tones give this a very honeysuckle-like finish.  Overall, these first few infusions are light, sweet, and flowery, reminding me a bit of those early moments in spring when the air is clean and the plants begin to show hints of life.

With the subsequent infusions, the flavors became more assertive and yet the tea kept its smooth demeanor.  It hasn’t become earthy, though, as much as it has become more vegetative.  I can taste grassy tones.  The aforementioned buttery texture is still there, and I can taste a buttery flavor as well.  There are still flowery tones to this tea, but they are a little less distinct with the emergence of the grassy flavor.  Still incredibly sweet and delicious.

In the last two infusions (infusions five and six … I suspect that these leaves could very well have submitted even more, but, I was content with the six infusions), I began to note a savory flavor emerge.  It was still quite sweet, but there was a savory tone in the background that provided a nice contrast to the sweetness.  There are still floral notes.  The grassy flavor has mellowed slightly, making for an even smoother taste.  There is less buttery flavor to these infusions, but the sweetness remains.  If anything, I think the sweetness becomes more intense.

Now, as I sit and contemplate this exquisite tea, I can’t help but think back to those first few Pu-erh experiences with a bit of sadness.  If only they had tasted like this Pu-erh…

Tea Type: Pu-erh

Where To Buy: Verdant Tea

Product Description:

Year: 2006

Dry Leaf: Small black leaves and vibrant orange curled buds.

Aroma: Musty notes of a long-extinguished campfire, and the smells of hot chocolate and oatmeal with raisins.

Tea Color: The dark red-brown of rosewood, completely crystalline with tea oil swirling on the surface.

Taste through early steepings: Assertive and literally mouth watering spearmint and cedar notes which quickly evaporate off the palate leaving the sweetness of flaky pasty and dark mission figs. A few steepings in, a warmth builds up in the throat like the glow of red wine.

Taste in middle to late steepings: The dark fig sweetness develops into a deeply complex spice of ginger and ceylon cinnamon with hints of cracked peppercorn, while paradoxically becoming cooling on the tongue. The tip of the tongue is engaged by the subdued sweetness of raw sugar.

Steeped Leaf: Dark mahogany brown, with buds still tightly coiled.

Notes: This brick is an excellent investment. At a lower price point, this tea offers an incredibly intriguing and diverse set of flavors that could only grow with time.

Tasters Review:

Right up front I will say that this pu-erh blew me away!  My favorite part were the plum and fig notes.  I did do an infusion test with this one and think it would just be easier to show you how that went so – here goes!

My 1st infusion was for approx 5 seconds.  The aroma after infusion was musky, woodsy, and raisin-like.  The color was a light reddish brown.  The taste was fairly malty with a hint of raisin or figs.   I seemed to enjoy it a bit more after it cooled for just a few moments.

Infusion 2 was for 8-10 seconds.  It was darker in color a nice medium brown.  The aroma is musky and of PLUMS! Yum!  The taste is Plum-like and near creamy.  WOW!  I enjoyed the 2nd infusion much more than the first.  I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the first but the 2nd touches my heart and soul a lot more!  This is truly special!

Tea Type: Pu-Erh

Where To Buy: Verdant Tea

Product Description:

Year: 2003

Dry Leaf: Very dark, large curled leaf, unbroken with longer stems. Loose hand-pressed ball of tea.

Aroma: Smoke of a campfire deep in a wet forest of redwood and eucalyptus after fresh rain.

Tea Color: Small floating down gives this Chardonnay color a darker opacity that turns orange in sunlight.

Taste through early steepings: Immediately creamy with a tingling sweetness like the finest spring Gyokuro. Assertive notes of toasted walnut and hazelnut linger in the throat. As this continues steeping, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom spice with mucovado brown sugar play across the palate.

Taste in middle to late steepings: The intriguing muscovado sweetness carries through even as the intense tingling texture subsides. The spice of early steepings slowly moves towards baked apple. Very late in steeping, the texture of licorice root comes through across the tongue accompanied by notes of malt and barley.

Steeped Leaf: Enormous dark green leaves that are thick and strong with abundant buds and long stems.

http://verdanttea.com/gallery/farmers-cooperative-sheng/

Tasters Review:

I’m very happy that Verdant told me to rinse twice

My first ‘real’ infusion – post rinses – was quite pleasant – but still full of natural flavor!  The aroma wasn’t overwhelming and the taste was a bit nutty with a tad of sweetness for a pu-erh.  There was a slight earth-green type taste in the background, too.  I ended up liking that quite a bit.

It was like camp-fire smoke from a distance toward the beginning of the aroma but then it changed up into a wild minty-fresh trying to hide underneath.  This reminds me of the great outdoors!

I did multiple infusions on this and they were equally as good.

This wasn’t bitter at all.  It is quite sturdy but oh-so-nice!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  In Nature Teas

Product Description:

Wild Fresh Buds – Puerh, hand picked in the high mountains of Yunnan.

This naturally grown tea is a delicacy which is produced and delivered by Mother Nature without any human interference. It is the purest form of tea one can drink. The sweet taste and aroma are a feast and its endless health properties makes it a very special treat for the body, mind and spirit.

Taster’s Review:

This is really unexpected.  Unexpectedly delightful!

The first thing I notice is the aroma – or should I say lack of aroma?  Normally when I open a package of Pu-erh the surrounding air is immediately filled with that distinctive earthy quality.  That didn’t happen this time.  Instead, I was greeted with a very soft, vegetative scent that sort of reminded me of the salad bar when I visit Sweet Tomatoes.

Then I notice the leaves.  They look like dry, white leaf buds.  Very young leaf buds.  Think of the earliest days of spring, when the tiniest of leaf buds begin forming on the trees.  Yes, that is what they look like.  Tiny, white, and covered with fluffy fuzz.

The flavor these soft, delicate leaf buds produce is amazing.  This … THIS? … is Pu-erh?   It tastes like no other Pu-erh I’ve ever tasted.  It tastes light and crisp.  Clean.  Slightly vegetative.  I wouldn’t describe it as earthy, at least, not in the same context as I would describe other Pu-erh teas that I’ve tasted.  There are some earthy tones to this cup but it is more like a vegetal earthiness.

As I continue to sip, the earthy flavors develop slightly, but they never become overwhelming.  What I taste mostly from this tea, though, is sweetness.  The cool sweetness you might expect after biting into a crisp piece of celery.

One of the most surprising and delicious Pu-erh teas I’ve yet to taste!  I like this very much.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  In Nature

Product Description:

Pu-erh, the great “connoisseur Tea”. The Queen of all Teas, known for its noble palate, taste and aroma. Also famous for its numerous health properties. Yunnan region.

This tea brews to a reddish-brown colour and has a distinctive liquorice, soothing taste.

Taster’s Review:

The more I drink Pu-erh, the more I am liking it.  As I’ve mentioned before, I wasn’t always fond of it.  In fact, disgust would be a better way to describe my feelings toward Pu-erh.  But, since that time, I have learned how to brew Pu-erh and now that I brew it properly (well, properly for me, anyway), I actually quite like it.

The aroma of the dry tuocha is earthy but it is not as strong an earthy essence as some Pu-erh I have encountered.  Once brewed, the liquor is quite light in fragrance.  Likewise, the flavor is much lighter-tasting.  It is remarkably smooth and even.  The sometimes off-putting earthy flavor of Pu-erh is not present here.  Yes, it has an earthy quality to it, but it is rather delicate and quite nice.

The description above suggests that this has a liquorice flavor, and I must agree, I can taste the liquorice-like note in this, and it resonates throughout the sip.  This liquorice flavor highlights the deep sweetness to this cup.

this is definitely one of the most delightful Pu-erh teas that I’ve ever had the opportunity to taste.  I like it very much.

Tea Type: Pu-Erh

Where To Buy: Red Leaf Tea Company

Product Description:

From the ancient halls of Chinese herbal science comes a special tea that is designed to call out to the spiritual world; Prosperity Pu-Erh Tea! When civilization was born, Chinese healers developed the arts of Feng Shui, writing, and herbology, and the Prosperity Cube. The Cube is a compressed block of herbs that have been specially prepared with sticky syrup and a small square mold. A Chinese character is applied to the cube during the molding process, as a spiritual call for a certain quality. When shared with family, the Prosperity Cube can be amazingly effective in lifting the financial burdens of the participants. Packed with just as many health benefits as other tea varities, Pu-Erh tea such as the Prosperity Cube make excellent sipping teas for those looking for a traditional Chinese taste.

Tasters Review:

I’ve been a little obsessed with Red Leaf Tea Company’s Teas lately…they have such a wonderful selection!  This is one of their Pu-Erh offerings.  It’s their Prosperity Cube and it looks amazingly crafted!