Chocolate Earth from Story of My Tea. . . . .

by TeaRax

I travel a lot to Texas with my kiddo, so when I saw a Houston-based tea company, I knew I had to learn more. This Kickstarter-founded company, called Story of my Tea, recently offered two of their new Hello! pre-measured iced teas for free (just pay S&H) ….. an iced teaser, if you will 😉

I’m familiar with cold brewing tea bags, but what really got me about this company was the awesome variety of blends. I chose Rhubarb Oolong and Chocolate Earth (a puerh and white tea blend) as my free samples.

First off, their packaging is really clever. The back of the sealed foil packet has clear steeping instructions for both hot and cold steeping (has anyone noticed a taste difference between these styles?). Then there’s a QR code you can just scan which shows you much, much more about using each blend with food pairings.

Inside is an enormous 5×3(ish) inch unbleached bag of cocoa-scented leaves. I can’t see clearly the percentage mix of white and fermented tea (or other flavorings).

I noticed that the wet puerh leaves didn’t expand and fill the satchel the way the oolong bag did after brewing, but I was still grateful for that extra room because 1) I am relieved there’s enough room for the leaves to expand and release all their flavor and 2) this ENORMOUS bag means I can now brew four big cups at a time instead of just one!

My first infusion was copper and the second, longer steep became a mahogany color, exactly the same colors as an aging penny. The liquor smelled of a molassesy s’more.

Sipping it… well, you know how silk invites you to run your hand along the cool, soft fabric? Chocolate Earth feels exactly like that in your mouth. Buttery smooth, it excites first as cocoa and moves to all taste buds, then lingers sweetly for just a moment with a vanilla bourbon.

I have an affirmation board near my tea cupboard that literally reminds me “I HAVE ENOUGH TEA” , but somehow it did not deter me from this purchase Ha.  It also has a list of what teas I want to buy when my cupboard stops overflowing. Anyhow, on the list was Numi’s chocolate Puerh, (which I discovered in my first Zen Tea Bar box and absolutely loved), But now that line has been replaced with Story of My tea’s Hello! Chocolate Earth – – it’s THAT awesome.

 

Here’s the scoop!

Tea Type:  Puerh

Where to Buy:  Story of My Tea

Description:

This tea has the milky and caramel notes of the white tea, is extremely smooth and very aromatic. Is great iced as a dessert or after a summer BBQ.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

TeaRax

My favorite tea is always changing, like a typical Gemini. When I was a teenager, my native Washington Starbucks coffee was forbidden, but I occasionally snuck in a chai latte, so black teas have been my go-to morning drink when I feel feisty. As an adult, I spent 3+ years living in China and Japan where I learned about green, white, oolong, and pu'er teas origins. I was even prescribed traditional medicinal teas while I was there and that's a taste you don't soon forget! But it didn't scare me away from herbals - I really like cold brewing rooibos and tisanes now because I can share them with my toddler. I am back in school to become a geologist, and these science textbooks can be difficult to get through without a strong cuppa. When I'm not studying, I love pairing my teas with my BFFL and salted caramel macarons, or having existential chats with my dad.

This post was posted in Pu-erh, Story of My Tea, White Tea

Enjoying A Liquid Proust Tea. . . . .

by SuperStarling

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!

SuperStarling

"Hey, everybody! I'm Leah, a graphic designer from Pennsylvania, United States. I live with my husband and rescue mutt in a house with colorful walls. I love fonts, colors, animals, flowers, novels, illustration, geeking out, and -- obviously! -- tea. I've only been heavily into tea for about a year, but I've found I tend to prefer loose blended black dessert teas. I normally drink them hot western style without anything added; if I add in some vanilla almond milk or honey, I promise I'll mention it! When I'm not blogging here, I'm blogging at leahlucci.com/starling or posting to Instagram (super_starling), so come say hi!"

This post was posted in Dark Tea, Liquid Proust Teas, Pu-erh