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 had a rough start with my Pu-erh journey. I have finally determined it wasn’t necessarily that I wasn’t a Pu-erh Fan, per say, it’s more like I am a bit more finicky with my pu-erh personal tastes, I guess you could say.
Having said that…one company that has really impressed me with their pu-erh’s overall has been Tao of Tea. With this specific selection from them I decided to try an infusion test. Below are my findings:
1st infusion…2 mins
This was a Lighter Brown in color and the aroma isn’t as wormy/fishy as most pu-erhs and I am very happy about that! The taste is VERY velvety and smooth and lighter tasting with slightly earthy yet honey and cocoa type flavors mixed in. 1st infusion rating based on personal tastes 95 – I really liked the taste of this one on the first infusion.
2nd infusion…3 minutes
I found it to be much darker in color and a bit more earthy/wormy in aroma but the taste is a hint sweeter and still quite velvety and smooth. I would say 90 or more for rating on this one…based on my personal tastes.
I’d hated to give up on this one because I KNEW this would be good for more than 3 infusions! It wasn’t slowing down anytime soon!
3rd infusion…4 minutes….
This infusion was even darker than the first two! It smelled earthy but not wormy at all. It was a bit sweeter than the last 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 black tea/bold tasting. Personal rating on this infusion about an 88-89 – still quite good!
4th infusion…4 minutes…
I could go on with more infusions with this one but have more tea from this great company to try so I will call it quits with this one…This infusion is just as dark as the 3rd infusion…it smells like black tea with a hay-like aroma as well with a more woodsy-taste as well as being more malty. I thought it was less sweet but still velvety.
I would still say upper 80’s even with it being the 4th infusion!
This is a very Sturdy Tuocha from The Tao of Tea!
Tao of Tea put a lot of thought in their Pu-erhs! The quality is good and they have been known to break Pu-erh stereotypes – at least in my book they have! If you have had some trials and tribulations with Pu-erhs in the past…give it another try and sample some of Tao of Tea’s Pu-erhs! Experiment with them! You just may find the right ones that will work for you!
1999 Vietnamese Cooked Loose Puerh from Canton Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Product Description:
An excellent loose cooked puerh made by a small artisan producer on China’s Yunnan/Vietnam border. The large twisted leaves are bright golden brown and release a clean, satisfying liquor with a good balance of wood and fruit notes.
Taster’s Review:
This is an incredibly smooth Puerh!
There is a strong earthy undertone to this tea, but it doesn’t smell as strong as it tastes, which is the opposite from my past Puerh tasting experiences. Usually, the smell is much more earthy than the taste.
As I continue to taste, a very pleasant sweetness presents itself. It is caramel-like in flavor, and is harmonious with the earthy flavor. I also taste oak and apple. This puerh has a lot of complexity, and isn’t as heavy in taste as I thought it would be, although the liquor is quite thick to the palate and reminds me a bit of the mouthfeel I’d experience with a green Oolong. There are even buttery notes to this – browned butter – although it lacks the vegetative taste of a green Oolong.
This is a really enjoyable Puerh. I do think my palate has finally developed a taste for this stuff! Puerh is still not something I’d imagine myself wanting to sip on a daily basis, but I do quite enjoy it on occasion.
Cheers!
Wild (Yie Sheng) Pu Erh Tea from Cloudwalker Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-Erh
Where to Buy: Cloudwalker Teas
Product Description:
This 15 year old sheng pu erh tea is hand-picked from tea trees growing in the wild of Yunnan province in China. If you are looking for a pu erh with a slightly wild flavour, this one is smooth, with a touch of roughness around the edges suggesting its ancestry. Much of the competition suggests the best pu erh tea comes from wild tea trees. What they don’t do is say that their pu erh teas are actually wild! This is the genuine article. A pu erh tea cultivated from wild tea trees in Yunnan province and aged in Taiwan.
Taster’s Review:
It surprises me how much I’m enjoying this Pu-Erh.
The flavor is remarkably smooth, but as the above product description suggests, it is a little rough around the edges. It has a very autumnal feel to it, it is rugged and somewhat masculine, but with a sweet undertone that lingers into the finish.
The aroma of this tea is quite earthy and I found it somewhat disconcerting before I took a sip. What I noticed is that if I inhale deeply before taking a sip, a strong, earthy essence arrives onto the palate. Since it is the earthy quality that I like least about Pu-Erh (I don’t actually dislike earthy flavors when they are delicate, but when they are quite strong, I find them somewhat off-putting), I do not inhale deeply for taking a sip of this tea. The earthy quality then becomes a mere trace of what it is when I do inhale deeply.
There is no bitterness to this Pu-Erh and I’m finding it exceptionally sweet that reminds me of burnt sugar caramel, and it lends itself well to the rustic appeal of this tea.
I can really feel myself “warming up” to Pu-Erh – in more than one sense! As this year comes to a close and the dawn of a new decade approaches, I am happy that I have finally shed much of my fear about Pu-Erh!
Puerh Yunnan from In Nature
Tea 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.
Pack size: 50g
Servings: 50 cups or more. Full instructions on how to prepare the perfect cup of tea inside each box
Tasters Review:
This is incredibly smooth…I’m rather shocked at how smooth it is! It’s more like a standard black tea than a stereotypical pu-erh! This would be a nice go-to Pu-Erh. For Pu-Erh fanatics tho, this may be on the lighter side! But for me…I really like this! If you aren’t a fan of the heavier pu-erh’s or the ones that will “put hair on your chest” – try this one!
China Seduction from Design a Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Design a Tea
Company Description:
This is a smooth based earthy tea (Pu-erh). The after taste is what jumped out for me… or maybe it was the rose and chocolate story. If you like subtle hints of rose and chocolate then you have to try this one.
Taster’s Review:
I tasted this before I read the ingredients. I had thought this was a chocolate and rose flavored black tea… I didn’t realize until I read the ingredients that it is actually Pu-erh!
I am telling you this because this doesn’t taste like most Pu-erh that I’ve tasted – it doesn’t have that overwhelmingly earthy flavor. (this is a good thing!) This is an amazing blend with a remarkably deep, rich flavor. It’s awesome!
The chocolate notes seamlessly meld with the earthy tones to create a deep, savory yet sweet cocoa experience. It doesn’t taste like the sweet, candy-bar chocolate you’d find in a grocery store. It tastes more like the rich decadent chocolate you’d find from a gourmet chocolatier.
The rose notes are subtle. They add a pleasant floral note with just a hint of sharpness. And as I sit here sipping this, it occurs to me that it is the rose notes that highlight some of the earthy tones of this tea. The ingredients work very well with one another to enhance the overall qualities of this tea.
I don’t think that this would be the right tea for someone who is looking for a strong Pu-erh flavor – but if you are someone who doesn’t think you like Pu-erh (or knows you do not) – this is the perfect blend to start out on the right path towards a harmonious relationship with Pu-erh.
This is the BEST flavored Pu-erh I’ve yet to taste. It’s absolutely delightful!