Yunnan Pu Er Small Tuocha (Ripe Pu Er) from auraTeas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  auraTeas

Product Description:

At the time of writing this review, auraTeas had not yet added this tea to their website, so instead, I shall provide you with some information about auraTeas:

We at [auraTeas] strive to bring the best tea to the world, and we hope you could to join us. We insist to purchase from tea growers around the world to insure the quality, and show our respect to tea growers and masters. In tea, we live.

Taster’s Review:

OK… it’s no great secret that I’m just a little scared of Pu-erh.  I had some not so successful experiences with it in the past and the memories of those bad experiences taint my current day encounters with the tea.  Slowly, though, I find myself getting over those bad times, and the more I try it, the more I really enjoy Pu-erh!

This is a lovely Pu-erh from auraTeas.  It comes packaged in a cotton-y paper, and it’s shaped like a bowl (a Tuocha).  I placed the little Tuocha in my gaiwan, and added some near boiling water for 15 seconds just to awaken the leaves.  Then I began brewing with near boiling water – 30 seconds for the first infusion, and 45 for the next… and so on.

The aroma of the brewed liquor is a bit intense.  It is earthy, and it can be a little off-putting to those who don’t really like earthy flavors.  But, rest assured, that the flavor is not quite as earthy as the aroma would lead one to believe.  For those who might find the aroma off-putting, though, I would recommend not inhaling the aroma just before taking a sip (this is something I often do when sipping tea, as it usually enhances the experience).  I find that when I do this, the earthy tones of the tea are brought into focus.

The tea is exceptionally smooth.  One might think from the fragrance of the tea that it would taste a bit more rough or rugged, but, this is anything but!  It has a deep, profound sweetness to it that is quite enchanting.  There are some earthy notes to the taste, but they are not nearly as pronounced as they are in the aroma.

I love the caramel-y sweetness to this tea!  This is a Pu-erh I would recommend to anyone who is finding themselves curious about Pu-erh.  The tuocha makes it very easy to steep (and it’s kind of fun watching it steep too!) and you just may find that you really like Pu-erh.

I also recommend sipping this tea while enjoying a piece of chocolate (dark chocolate, if you please!) – it is a perfect match!  Then again, what doesn’t taste better with a little chocolate?

Rose Tuocha from Tao of Tea

Tea Type: Pu-Erh

Where To Buy: Tao of Tea

Product Description:

Origin: Southern Yunnan, China

Introduction: The Tuocha refers to a family of bowl shaped teas, commonly available as Green tea Tuocha, Black tea Tuocha and Puer (aged) Tuocha. More recently, Tuochas have also become commonly available by compressing the tea leaves and flowers together, or by heat infusing them together. In making the Rose Tuocha, more mature leaves of the tea plant are selected in summer, sun-dried, steamed, oxidized to turn dark, then compressed along with rose petals into small bowls. Wrapped with paper, the Rose Tuocha are an ideal size (3 grams) for individual serving.

Flavor Profile: Sweet, smooth, very mild rose flavor with little astringency.

Tasters Review:

I decided to do an infusion test with this tuocha!  Here are my findings:

The 1st infusion was incredibly smooth with slight rose aroma and flavors.  It reminded me of the aroma of Seitan/Vegan Bacon! Before infusing.  The taste is VERY good…VERY smooth and almost sweet!   An awesome Pu-erh!

2nd infusion was completely different from the first…still good tho!
It’s darker in color (I could have over infused) and bolder taste-wise.
Not as sweet….more woodsy…I can also taste more of a floral rose too.  It’s Malty yet smooth!

3rd infusion was still dark in color a little more wormy/woodsy and less sweet but more floral. There is a hint of something fruity…perhaps plum?
Not as malty – not as smooth but still strong!

4th infusion smells more like a plain black tea now…still dark in color…about the same darkness as before.  There is a stronger fruit-like flavor…I’m thinking raisin, plum, maybe a berry of some sort…OH! Maybe Strawberry…yeah!  It’s like if you were to take plums, strawberry, and raisins and create a hybrid fruit! This is very interesting and the sweetness has come back in full force!

I was going to stop with this infusion and switch teas but not I am wondering what the next infusion will bring! 🙂

5th infusion is much lighter in color.  It has a Hay-Like Aroma.  The taste is a paler strawberry and plum combo but a little bit of the sweetness returned!

I really like this infusion for the smoother and sweeter yet fruity notes! Still a good cuppa!

 

The Skinny from DavidsTea

Tea Type:
Oolong Tea/Pu-erh Tea Blend

Where To Buy:

DavidsTea

Product Description:

Did you just eat and eat and eat? And then eat some more? 2000 years of ancient Chinese wisdom suggest you try this organic blend. It contains oolong and pu’erh teas, both reputed to speed your metabolism and block fat absorption after a heavy meal. Plus it’s got ginger and ginseng, two more traditional metabolism uppers. So go ahead, drink up. The only thing you’ll gain is wisdom.

Tasters Review:

The Skinny from DavidsTea really took me by surprise!  I ended up really liking it!  Here’s the SKINNY on this tea from DavidsTea…

This tea takes a while to infuse before the true color appears.  Dry…I thought this first smelled like Orange Cream and then I thought it was more of a Fruit loops/Orange aroma. Post infusion – it smells more like a woodsy/orange. The taste is flatter than I thought it would be.  I would say more Oolong than anything else and then a share of orange taste.  I can’t really taste the Pu-erh, Ginseng, or Ginger much…which is ok with me but maybe not-so-good for those specifically looking for those ingredients, I suppose.

Overall the taste of this one is pretty good!  As far as me liking this tea – I do enjoy it – much more than I expected!  It’s a goodie!

 

Dian Hong Pu Erh from Cloudwalker Teas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu Erh

Where to Buy:  Cloudwalker Teas

Product Description:

Sweet, smooth and sparkling. As with all of our teas at Cloudwalker, three year old Dian Hong is a high level pu erh tea. It combines an aquamarine floral taste with fine up-lifting chi characteristics. Dian Hong is a loose leaf pu erh tea processed similar to that of a black tea. It is already deep and rich with full and complex flavors. It is at once enlivening and cooling. A full, floral and rich tea. This tea is an excellent introduction to pu erh, or to entertain guests who have not yet experienced the earthy nature of these fine Chinese teas.

Taster’s Review:

This Pu-erh is so unlike other pu-erh teas that I’ve tried!

I’ve said it before:  I’m not a big fan of Pu-erh.  I am, however, acquiring a taste for it.  And I’ll say this – if this were the first Pu-erh tea that I tried, I don’t think I would have disliked it for so many years!  This is good!

The dry leaf lacks the strong earthy aroma that many other Pu-erh teas possess.  It does have a slight earthy quality to the scent, but, not nearly as strong as other Pu-erh teas I’ve experienced.   Likewise, the brewed liquor – while slightly more earthy than the dry leaf – is still not nearly as earthy as other Pu-erh teas.

This Pu-erh reminds me more of a black tea than of a Pu-erh, but without the bitterness that sometimes accompanies black tea.  This is very smooth and rich in taste, and brews up very dark (most Pu-erh teas brew up darker than the average black tea).  There is an earthy note to the taste, but again, like the aroma – it isn’t as earthy as a typical Pu-erh.

The flavor is sweet with notes of flower and even hints of dark cocoa in the background.  There is a deep sweetness in the background that reminds me of burnt sugar.  There is a damp woodsy note to it as well.

Overall, this is one of the most pleasant Pu-erh experiences I’ve ever had (if not THE most pleasant).  I really like this one, and it is one that I could easily enjoy on a daily basis – unlike a typical Pu-erh which is something I drink only on occasion.

Like I said at the start – this is a Pu-erh that is like no other that I’ve tried!

Puer Toucha (Xiao Tuo Cha) from The Tao of Tea

Tea Type: Pu-erh

Where To Buy: The Tao of Tea

Product Description:

Mini Puer Tuocha has a characteristic full-bodied and earthy flavor. Can endure long steeping times without gaining any astringency and can be re-infused at least three times.

Tasters Review:

I’m continuing to tinker and try messing around with Pu-erh’s.  This one – Puer Tuocha (Xiao Tuo Cha) from The Tao of Tea – is so involved and so complex that the only way I can describe it is to break it down by infusions.  Each infusion had a mind of it’s own.  This aspect alone intrigued me!  So without further a due here are my findings…

For the 1st infusion I went 2 minutes and found that the post infusion liquid color was a Lighter Brown.  The aroma isn’t as wormy/fishy as most pu-erhs and I was very happy about that! The taste was VERY velvety and smooth and lighter tasting with slightly earthy yet honey and cocoa type flavors mixed in.

My 2nd infusion I went with 3 minutes and thought it was much darker in color.  It had a bit more earthy/wormy scent to it and the taste was a hint sweeter.  It was still quite velvety and smooth.

At this point I KNEW this little guy was the “Little Tuocha That Could” and I was eager to taste the differences from one infusion to another!

As for my 3rd infusion I decided to go with 4 minutes.  It was even darker than the first two color-wise!  This specific infusion did smell earthy but not wormy at all.  It was a bit sweeter than the 2nd infusion but there is a ricey-type taste hiding underneath this time.  It’s interesting…the aftertaste is a little nutty but malty and more like a bold black tea.

I moved on to a 4th infusion and stuck with the 4 minutes.  I found it to be jJust as dark as the 3rd infusion.  It smelled like black tea with a hay-like aroma as well.  It was more woodsy-tasting and more malty and less sweet but still velvety.

This is a Very Sturdy Tuocha!  And darn tasty, too!  If you are into playing around with Pu-erh’s – I would suggest you spend some time with this one!