Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Wymm Tea
Tea Description:
This is Wymm’s signature tea. It is a sheng pu-erh that brews bright golden with a rich and sweet flavour, and with the aroma of fresh-cut grass in the morning. For the initial 6 steeps, there is a pronounce bitter taste that lingers in back of the tongue with hints of astringency, which are slowly replaced with a bold honey aftertaste. The liquor is heady because of the ultra concentrated nutrients in this tea. Each serving of this tea can be steeped up to 20 times.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Good stuff! This Mangnuo Cane Tea Raw Pu-erh (Ancient Tree Early Spring 2014) from Wymm Tea is really nice.
I’m only on my first cup at the moment, but I’m really enjoying the strong sugary notes to this cup. I taste subtle notes of grass and a light astringency. It has a pleasant, light flavor overall, with the most forward notes tasting sweet – like something in between a sugary molasses and honey.
My second infusion was even nicer than the first. The sweet notes seem to be even stronger. I’m picking up on some delicate floral notes. The astringency is still there and it seems to be developing. There is a distinct dry note toward the finish. Vegetal notes are more defined now too, with a slight bitterness toward the finish. Not an off-putting bitterness, but more of a savory bitterness to contrast with the sugary sweet notes.
My third infusion was very much like the second. The fourth infusion was my favorite – the flavors became smoother and I found the astringency starting to wane. It wasn’t quite as sweet, but there was a nice balance between sweet, hints of bitter and light grassy tones. It was really quite pleasant.
The fifth infusion was pleasantly mellow. Sweet and refreshing taste. Hints of grass but very little bitterness. Just smooth, mellow sweetness. Later infusions began to pick up on the astringency again and since I’m not a big fan of the astringency, especially with such a mellow tea, I decided to stop with seven infusions.
Overall, a very pleasant pu-erh. I liked that it didn’t have a strong, earthy character nor was I experiencing a briny or fishy sort of flavor. Just a really pleasant vegetal note and some really remarkable sweet tones. It’s quite nice.
Organic Vanilla Chocolate Delight Pu-erh Tea from Spicely Organics
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!
2012 Margarets Hope Muscatel (2nd Flush) from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Darjeeling
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
Margarets Hope Muscatel comes from one of the best known gardens Margarets Hope Tea Garden. The dry leaves are black and dark chocolate in colour with fresh floral notes to the nose.
When steeped for 3 mins, it gives a brilliant deep golden liquor. It has a full bodied muscatel flavour with a distinct mint ‘twang’ in the nose. A perfect cup to make your evenings delightful.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
2012 Margarets Hope Muscatel (2nd Flush) from Darjeeling Tea Lovers is such an easy tea to drink. It’s light but full bodied, has that wonderful muscatel wine like flavor of fermented grapes, but is accompanied by an almost bubbly mouthfeel.
The tea is also complimented by spiced earth notes and woodsy flavors.
My sample is going on at least 5 to 6 months in age but its flavor is wonderful. I wish I had tried it when it first came out and truly hope I get to experience the 2013 leaf while it is still fresh and full of flavor.
I do love a good darjeeling and this one is slightly different from others I have enjoyed. This has a far more earthy and musk like note to it, which I love, yet a really good balance with its lighter fruity, berry, and red currant notes.
The more the tea cools the more rich and full it becomes. I find it reminding me almost of a pu-erh with notes ranging from peat, oaky, and other aged woods. While the cup begins rather light by the end of the more cooled cup it thickens up and becomes far heavier in the sip.
What an interesting tea! One everyone should try in order to understand a truly wonderful Darjeeling!
Tropical White Pu-erh Tea from Kally Tea
Tea Type:
Pu-erh
Where To Buy:
Kally Tea
Product Description:
Take a journey to the tropics with this Pu Er blend. Taste the complexities of Pu Er balanced with an elegant Show Mei white tea. Then with an added finish of Tropical flavors, it makes you think of sitting on the beach relaxing in a lounge chair, soaking up the sun!
Tasters Review:
This smells AWESOME for a pu-erh! Tropical but not fake! Almost Champagne-like, too!
It has a really neat semi-cloudy/texture-type amber color to it.
The aroma magnifies after infusion is complete! It still smells wonderful! Very tropical, airy, fruity, fresh!
WOW! Now this is a flavor I could see myself drinking more and more of! It’s a lovely flavored pu-erh! Very unique and creative! Juicy! With just a hint of woodsy-puerh to it.
It lingers with a smoother tropical fruit flavor that is very satisfying.
Above all else…a VERY nicely flavor pu-erh! I would certainly put this in my mid 90s of favorite pu-erhs thus far!
Acai Tangerine from The Whistling Kettle
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White and Pu-erh
Where to Buy: The Whistling Kettle
Tea Description:
Inspired by Dr. Oz and Canadian natural health guru Bryce Wylde, our pu-erh/white tea blend is designed to shrink fat, burn deposits, and prevent new fat from depositing. Tastes excellent hot or iced. The rich smoothness of pu-erh is contrasted with delicate notes of white tea, and accentuated with acai, tangerine, and chrysanthemum.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My initial reaction to Acai Tangerine from The Whistling Kettle was me blurting out loud “Fruit Striped Gum!!” I don’t know if Fruit Striped Gum is available to everyone everywhere but its one of my childhood favorites! This tea from The Whistling Kettle is a spot on reminder for me. What fun when tea can bring back a good memory.
This tea has a slightly tangy note, I presume from the acai, along with a light sweetness of tangerine, that is not cloying, but helps cut the twang of the acai. Gentle chrysanthemum adds a delicate but lovely floral aspect without being perfumery.
To me however the predominating flavor with all elements combined come together in a bright and cheerful, yet full mouthfeel cup of fruity goodness! A little tropical, and a little reminiscent of fruity pebbles cereal or fruit loops perhaps.
I can not say that the white tea flavor comes out much and now and then the earthiness of the pu-erh does slip through but for the most part this is a cup of tea for a fruity flavor lover.
It provides a nice experience and I think this would be lovely to have iced in the summer.
Another thing I really like about The Whistling Kettle is how they have “flash sales” and Tea of the Week sales here.