Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Spicely Organics
Tea Description:
A perfect dessert-like cup of tea! The tea is delicious as is and can be enhanced with a touch of sweetener or milk. It boasts cacao nibs, cinnamon sticks and vanilla; the perfect combination for a cup of decadence. INGREDIENTS: Organic Pu-erh Tea, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cinnamon Sticks, Organic Vanilla Nibs, Organic Stevia Leaf
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about the Spicely Organics Monthly Tea Membership here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m not usually excited to try pu-erh, but, I’m usually more than excited to try chocolate. So, when it came time for me to try this Organic Vanilla Chocolate Delight Pu-erh Tea from Spicely Organics, the excitement and happiness over chocolate trumped my lack of enthusiasm for the pu-erh.
When I brewed this blend, I did a quick rinse of the leaves to help remove some of the strong earthiness of the pu-erh, hopefully without sacrificing any chocolate or vanilla flavor in the process. After a quick fifteen second rinse, I then brewed the leaves for 2 1/2 minutes in 190°F water.
The result? A really interesting and tasty cup of tea!
The cup is rich and chocolate-y. I like how the earthiness of the pu-erh accentuates the earthy notes of the chocolate and cinnamon. While I am usually somewhat put off by the earthiness of pu-erh, here, it works. And the sweet, creamy aspects of the chocolate are complemented by the sweet and creamy notes of the vanilla and the cinnamon not only offers a contrasting note of spice but, also enhances the overall sweetness. It’s sweet … but not too sweet. It’s earthy … but again, not too earthy. Everything plays together in a pleasing, harmonious way.
I enjoy the rusticness of this tea. I think that the pu-erh brings out the rustic, smoky notes of the vanilla that are often hidden in other tea blends. This is a very clever blend, it is as though each ingredient was carefully considered to bring out the most in the other ingredients and to create a very satisfying cup of tea.
The one thing I am wishing wasn’t present in this tea blend is the stevia, and I know that I’ve addressed this previously with other blends that contain stevia. I don’t like it when a sweetener of some sort is added to a tea blend because I want to be the one who decides just how sweet – or not sweet – my cup of tea will be. That said, the stevia doesn’t add an overwhelming amount of sweetness, and similar to the other ingredients of this masterfully crafted blend, the sweetness it does add enhances the overall cup.
This is good served straight but I think I prefer it with a splash of warmed milk to create a latte. So creamy and dessert-y! A really nice way to end a meal, and it is suggested that pu-erh aids in digestion – bonus!
