With rain pelting down since before dawn and the forecast predicting more of the same for the whole day, I decided to try something new. This sample was sent to me by the Sisters a while back and it seems a good day to try it!
I always try to look up a new company and read about the tea I am going to drink if it is new to me. I wasn’t sure if this was puerh, dark tea, or black tea. When I went to the puerh tea heading this wasn’t listed. I checked under black tea and again, not listed. There was a heading for floral teas and there it was, but the description still didn’t tell me for sure what my base was. Let the nose decide!
I took the tiny pressed heart out of the package and sniffed. Based on the sniff test, I would have guessed it was puerh. Tea that is processed more or less like puerh but is not from Yunnan is called dark tea in China, so perhaps that is what I have here, and that is how it was labeled, but I wanted to be sure. (Black is called red tea or hong cha in China which is confusing to some because red tea in the west is what a lot of people called red rooibos.)
I placed the heart in a large infuser basket from my Curve teapot and set it in a large mug. I pouring boiling water over it and watched as the heart softened quickly and lost shape. The water was rapidly turning a deep shade so puerh or dark tea is still my guess.
The rose is nice but not overwhelming if you are not into florals. The tea base is dusty/musty and earthy with a gentle scrape of unsweetened cocoa on the tongue – the sensation of cocoa but not the flavor.
This doesn’t have the oily body of my favorite shu puerh teas but will do for breakfast. There is a hint of dry cedar, especially in the aftertase. The rose is a peppery rose flavor and may add a slight sweetness, but not much. I am finding it slightly medicinal somehow.
Although grateful to try it, this is not one that I would re-order. There are other rose puerh teas that I would prefer.
They have an adorable tea for two set on their site and some nice accessories and other interesting things to browse.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Little Woods Herbal
Description
This dark tea is medium to full-bodied and smooth.It has a delicious sweet, dusty rose flavor and aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White2Tea – 2016 Daily Drinker
White2Tea says that this Daily Drinker is a tea “for the everyday”, “for the people.” I was like “uh, what does that… mean?”
I’m still not sure what that means.
But I *do* know that this orchid/honey tea is incredibly sweet while still not losing that rustic pu erh charm. It’s aged, but in a way that’s not rancid, or fishy, or musty, or cardboard-y, or whatever else you might fear out of pu erh.
It’s like an orchid oolong that’s in a retirement home, still sweet and sharing jokes that have been worn smooth and refined through multiple retellings. She’s the old lady in the nursing home that has a boyfriend (YOU GO GIRL) and slips other people’s grandkids the best candy.
This is one of the first teas I’ve ever drank that came from a cake, which meant it was a little more work. I had to snap off bits and try to crumble the right amount into my steeper. I think I gave it a good whack.
I don’t know what makes a tea a “daily drinker.” I sort of imagine it as an old shoe that you know will fit you nicely, even if you don’t wear it on special occasions. But that seems… somehow disparaging of the tea? Like “oh, this old thing? I drink it daily. I don’t even notice it any more.”
I think that this tea deserves to be a little more special. I shall drink it only every once in a while, until it’s complete.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Pu Erh
Where to Buy: White2Tea
Description
A blend of raw Puer material meant for the daily grind. Sweetness and a delightful fragrance. Solid, reliable, affordable, and better quality than you’d expect for the price. Tea for the everyday. Tea for the people.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
2014 Bingdao Laozhai Huangpian from Wymm Tea. . . .
I broke a lot of rules today. Some of them were my rules. Some of them were tea rules. But everything came out okay!
The first rule I broke was – no tea on an empty stomach. This is my rule. I have a sensitive stomach, a dodgy esophagus, and I can get heartburn looking at a bowl of chili. I wasn’t hungry and I wanted tea, so RULE DISREGARDED.
The second rule I broke was – rinse puerh leaves and discard the rinse water. I confess I break this rule a lot. Sometimes I am glad, sometimes not. This time – oh yeh, glad. That first steep was delish. I kept it oh so short and sweet. Golden color, scent of menthol, smooth, and sweet.
Steep two – didn’t time it! Another broken rule! This is golden and rich in color and LIVELY on the tongue. So much energy in this tea! Like a precocious but adorable pre-teen that you love spending time with but who maybe wears you out a little in big doses.
Steep three – ah, you are a nice tea with a bite of thin cinnamon cookie. Still golden. Still lively.
Steep four – with lunch now. A bit mellower and lovely with food. Hay, white tea-ish but with a vibrant energy. Bright and raw. Go to their website to learn in depth about each tea they carry!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Wymm Tea
Description
This sheng pu-erh brews a bright golden liquor. It has notes of cut hay and earth in its aroma, complimented with a bold almond, buttery flavour.
We were lucky enough to obtain some of these huangpian which give insights into the highly sought after Bingdao Laozhai sheng pu-erh. Bingdao Laozhai is a place renowned in the Yunnan tea industry. Situated at 1400-2000 meters mountaintops, it is the one and only high altitude village occupied by Dai minority group in the Mengku town region. The price of pu-erh from this village would go into the thousands due to the extremely limited supply. Please visit our Bingdao Laozhai pu-erh blog post to learn more about it.
These huangpian are picked from the same trees as the Bingdao Laozhai, the only difference being that it is less aesthetically pleasing; the bigger leaves (huangpian) are filtered out so that the remaining leaves are neat and symmetrical when pressed into cakes. These bigger leaves are often kept by the tea farmers for personal consumption and are rarely found in the market. Even though the huangpian do not have the tidy appearance of its counterparts, it possesses similar taste characteristics and are sometimes considered more flavourful as the leaves spent longer period of time growing on the trees.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
RoRose Garden Puerh from . . Tocha Tea
Rose Garden Puerh Tea from Tocha Teas comes in breathable pouch. Through the pouch you see dark brown leaves, rose petals and a couple rose leaves. It smells similar to a black tea with a slight floral scent.
The taste is a lot similar to a black tea with a dark jammy flavor. There is also a slight spice kick, with an even slighter floral taste to finish each sip.
I really enjoyed this tea. I really enjoy black tea and this is the second floral like rose tea I have tried that I enjoy.
It is definitely nice and refreshing!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Tocha Teas
Description
For centuries, pu-erh tea has been treasured for its elegant flavor and health benefits. The unique natural fermentation process gives it an earthy, woodsy essence that is never bitter, even after a long steep. Rose petals add a graceful note to this delicious and versatile blend, a wonderful tea for everyday wellness.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Enjoying A Liquid Proust Tea. . . . .
Pu’erh is a new-ish, mostly unexplored territory to me, so I don’t have a huge range of language to use to describe it, or a lot to compare this particular sample to. That said, ready or not, WE’RE GOING INTO THIS REVIEW.
This is a really deep, wooded, hay-like, rustic taste, like an old barn that’s not in use. (No, like, gross animals. Just the structure and the hay and some age.) Which I really like, actually. It’s calming. There’s also a hint of cocoa here, but it’s not strong. The “candy bar” element, despite the tea’s name, isn’t the forefront.
This tea tastes like being outside and away from society. It tastes like what I imagine living in a Tiny House might be like. Wander around, hook it up to campgrounds in the trees. Sip tea. Work on your art. Look out the window for inspiration. When that inspiration runs out, go to another place.
Is it obvious, here, that I want a Tiny House? In addition to my real house, of course. Which I think is against the whole “GOING TINY” ethos of “less is more.” I just want to go glamping away from my troubles for a while.
This tea seems like the kind of straightforward “tastes good in a simple way” vibe that I would like to attain in more aspects of my life. I’ll enjoy drinking more of it.
Unfortunately, you will not, as it is not currently available at Liquid Proust. It appears, from his most recent blog posts, that he will be whittling down his tea involvement while he gets his MBA.
I’m very happy for his personal development, even though his blends will be missed! He’ll still be around, if you want to befriend him online or get straight teas.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Puerh
Where to Buy: Liquid Proust
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
