Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
Master Han is excited to share his fresh, just picked 2014 harvest pu’er. This gorgeous wild-picked, loose leaf sheng pu’er is a unique opportunity to taste the pure, bright flavor notes of a young tea that is full of energy, smooth and absolutely ready to drink.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Back in March, I reviewed the Master Han’s 2013 Wild-Picked Sheng Pu’er Tea which was included in the February Amoda Tea box. I really enjoyed that Pu’er, so I was only too happy to sample and review the 2014 offering from Master Han. I figured if I liked that tea, I’d like this one too. I’m in good hands with Master Han.
The aroma of the dry leaf is interesting and appealing to me, because it doesn’t have the kind of earthy aroma that I would normally associate with a pu-er. Even a very young pu-er often has an earthy scent. And I do smell a slight hint of earthiness, but, it’s not the same type of earthy aroma that I would usually smell with a pu-er. The usual scent is earthy, as in earth … as in dirt. But I don’t smell that kind of earthiness here. This is more like a mossy kind of earthiness, like the kind of fragrance you’d experience if walking through a damp wooded area here in the Pacific Northwest (and we’ve got a lot of damp wooded areas up here). It’s more vegetal than earthy, and I like that.
The flavor is very refreshing! It is sweet and mild, tasting very different from what I would normally expect from a pu-er. Sure, I often expect a sweet and mellow flavor, but, this is just different. It seems to perk up the taste buds as it washes over the palate, it’s almost like a champagne-y, bubbly type of uplifting flavor. I’m not getting quite the creamy flavor that I experienced with the 2013 version of this tea.
This time, I taste rice. Like the sticky rice that I’d get in an inverted bowl shape on my plate at a Chinese food restaurant, with notes of sweet, buttery corn. Rather than the sweet, creamy notes that I experienced with the 2013 pu-er, I taste more of a sweet, starchy sort of flavor that is quite compelling. There are some hints of nutty flavors as well, like a creamy cashew flavor – unsalted and not roasted. I feel like I’m eating rather than sipping, and it’s a very satisfying experience. This is the tea I’d want to drink if I were feeling hungry and it was still a little while before mealtime.
The second infusion was not quite as softly, creamy sweet from the starchy flavor. Those flavors are still there, but they are not quite as up front and obvious as they were in the first infusion. With the first infusion, it was all about those flavors, and this time, they seem to have settled back into the background to allow the palate to explore what other flavors this tea has to offer.
This cup feels thicker in texture, but it’s not as creamy. It’s more like a soup or a broth this time, whereas the first infusion was more like an infusion of rice, corn and barley. This infusion has some dry mineral notes to it. I pick up on some gentle floral tones and some warm spice notes with this infusion as well.
The third infusion delivered another very interesting cup! This is where some of the promised miso flavors that I read about in the tasting notes on the website came through. Still a delightfully brothy cup, I’m picking up on some savory notes this time around. I taste more of the aforementioned sweet corn notes too which is a nice contrast to the savory broth notes. There is still some of the dry, mineral notes as well, but they are less prevalent now.
Each infusion seems to deliver a deeper flavor with some new profiles to discover, but with subtle reminders of what was experienced in the earlier infusions. This tea is truly an adventure waiting to be be taken. If you are one who is curious to try pu-er, this is a good place to start for the simple reason that it doesn’t possess some of the characteristics that often turn people off when it comes to pu-er. And if you’re an experienced pu-er drinker, this is one you should try if for no other reason than to experience the quality of Master Han and Verdant Tea.
Pu-erh Tahiti Blend from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
Decadent coconut, the fruity mystique of papaya and the soft earthiness of pu erh come together for an exotic experience not unlike a walk on the black sand beaches of its namesake. Tropical fruit notes and hints of mineral evoke thoughts of Pacific breezes and rainforest hikes.
Ingredients: Pu’erh Tea, Apple Pieces, Dried Coconut, Natural Coconut Flavor, Marigold Flowers, Mango Pieces, Papaya Flavor
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tasted a lot of tropical flavored teas. A lot. It seems to be one of the “favorite” fruit medley flavors when it comes to tea. But, most of the fruit combinations are different, because there’s a lot of different tropical fruits from which to choose.
And when it comes to tropical flavored teas, I usually think immediately of a black tea base. That’s because most of the tropical flavored teas that I’ve encountered have been black teas. But because I have tasted so many tropical flavored teas, the tropical blends that are memorable, the ones that manage to stand out in my memory as something I’d like to have again, they are usually the teas with a different base (other than black tea). The tropical flavored white teas or green teas, for example, are more memorable for me.
So even though I tend to be a little nervous when it comes to Pu-erh teas, I was a little excited at the prospect of tasting a tropical fruit flavored Pu-erh!
When I opened the pouch of this Tahiti Pu-erh, I was really happy to not be greeted by an overly earthy scent. In fact, I didn’t really detect any earthiness with my initial casual (and admittedly, somewhat apprehensive) sniff. When I took another – more intent – sniff, I could pick up hints of earthiness, but these notes seemed to meld with the notes of coconut, mango and papaya. Nice!
The brewed tea has a slightly more earthy scent than the dry leaf, and that could be because I did give the blend a 15 second “rinse” before I brewed it. I do this with all pu-erh, I find that the pu-erh is much more agreeable for me when I do this. (And from what I understand, it’s something that you SHOULD do with pu-erh and Oolong teas.)
This is tasty. There are some earthy and mineral notes to the pu-erh, but, I like that these notes have married nicely with the notes of tropical fruit. I taste the papaya and mango and coconut, and these flavors are well-balanced with the flavor of the pu-erh, which tastes smooth and mellow. It’s a little bit like a trip to Tahiti in a teacup. (I’m only guessing, I’ve never been to Tahiti.)
The fruit flavors are not overpowering the tea, and there is a part of me that would have said that I would like for the fruit flavors to overpower the tea – before I tasted it, that is! Before tasting a pu-erh, there’s still that timid tea drinker that is just a wee bit afraid of pu-erh. Those early occasions where I first experienced pu-erh, before I knew how to brew a pu-erh for my palate and before my palate developed … I did NOT like pu-erh. Now I do. Now my palate finds most pu-erh agreeable, although I still don’t have a great appreciation for an overly earthy, fishy, or briny tasting pu-erh. Fortunately, this pu-erh isn’t like that.
And now that I have tasted this pu-erh, I’m happy that a good balance has been achieved with this blend. The fruit flavors are tasted but not overpowered, nor is the tea too fishy, briny or earthy. It’s just … tasty!
I know I say this a lot, but, I’m really thrilled with the teas that I get each month from Simple Loose Leaf as part of their Selection Club subscription program. I can’t recommend this program enough! It’s a great way (and it’s economical!) to try new teas and expand your tea repertoire.
To save 25% when you sign up for this great program, use the code SISTERSELECTION25. This will earn you the discount, and get you well on your way to sampling some amazing teas! This discount is not applicable on the retail selection of teas, and is only good for the selection club subscription.
Mini Pu-erh Tea Bar (50 Gr) from Teasenz
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Teasenz
Tea Description:
Made from 2012 “gift-tea grade” leaves selected by the Teasenz team and pressed into a tea bar. Easy to break and steep right away, or store and let it ripen for years. A perfect gift to surprise your favorite tea drinker.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was quite pleased by the aroma of the dry bar, because usually when I take a sniff of the dry leaf of a pu-erh, it smells very earthy, to the point where it smells … well, it smells like earth. Like potting soil with um … well, with maybe a little bit of fertilizer mixed in. Yeah, I’m not all that into that smell. But, while there are some earthy notes to this dry leaf (which has been pressed into a bar shape with little squares, similar to what you might find if you were to unwrap a bar of chocolate), this doesn’t overpower my nostrils with the smell of a greenhouse during planting season.
And the brewed tea doesn’t have a heavy earthy aroma either. Nor does it have a heavy “briny” or fishy smell. BONUS points for that. The aroma here is very soft, almost indistinguishable, which some might find a bit weird, but it’s much more agreeable to this tea drinker than the aforementioned potting soil.
The flavor is so nice! It has a deep, rich, mellow flavor that is a pleasure to drink. There are notes of cacao which is especially nice given the comparison I made to the chocolate bar a bit ago. Absolutely no bitterness. No astringency. Just a smooth, well-rounded, mellow flavor. While there are faint notes of earth here, this isn’t what I’d categorize as an earthy tea.
The flavor is very interesting because it’s quite unlike any pu-erh that I’ve tried to this point. The notes of cacao are there, it’s a very mild dark chocolate note. It’s almost like raw cacao, except that I taste a very subtle roast. Like perhaps they started to roast the cacao but then changed their minds shortly after the roasting process had begun.
The cacao notes are softer than the overtone of molasses that I taste. This tastes to me very much like molasses, with hints of mushroom. Imagine a mushroom that has been slow-roasted to dry it out a little bit (so that it has a slight dry, leathery sort of taste to it) and then topped with raw cacao, and then topped with a heavy drizzle of molasses.
Yeah, it sort of tastes like that, only better, because that description sounds kind of weird and this just tastes unique and lovely. I mean, if a chef put a plate in front of me with a slow-roasted, leathery mushroom that had been dusted with raw cacao and drizzled with molasses, I would think that the chef had lost his mind. It is sweet, rich, a little leathery with a very slight earthy tone. Overall … a really splendid tea experience!
This tea keeps going and going too. I managed eight infusions, and I think I could have gotten even more, but I was ready to move on. The flavors got deeper and deeper with each infusion, until about six. The flavors pretty much began to stabilize at that point, and then wane. My eighth infusion is where I started to notice a loss in flavor, but it was still quite flavorful.
Pure Indulgence Cinnamon Pu Erh from Palais Des Thes
Tea Type:
Pu Erh
Where To Buy:
Product Description:
Pure Indulgences Cinnamon is an exceptional new flavored tea featuring a single natural ingredient.
This deliciously novel pairing combines a magnificent Chinese Pu Erh with subtle, sweet cinnamon for an exceptional blend.
Pu Erh, also called dark tea in reference to the deep brown infusion it produces, gets better with age. These teas come from the Yunnan Province in China and are widely renowned in the Asian pharmacopoeia for their many beneficial properties.
Pure Indulgences are the result of a lengthy process of selection and development, motivated by the quest to find the perfect balance between the tea leaves, which have their own gustatory characteristics, and the finest ingredients (delicate pieces of fruit and flowers and only all-natural extracts).
Tasters Review:
Most of you already know that I LOVE all types of tea…Black, Green, White, Yellow, Purple, Rooibos, Oolong, Honeybush, Tisanes of all sorts, even Pu Erh. But I have to be honest – out of all of them I probably reach for fruit-hibiscus-herbals and Pu Erh’s the fewest of them all. No real reason…I just tend to lean towards the others more often.
But when I come across a Pu Erh I do enjoy…I tend to write and talk about it. Just as it is with this tea from Palais Des Thes and their Cinnamon Pure Indulgence Pu Erh.
Upon first glance – the dry Pu Erh was brownish/black with a rusty, dusty textured finish. There was a pleasant cinnamon aroma to it but not overly so.
After infusing for a bit I took my first sip and thought to myself…WOW…this is MUCH better than I anticipated! I shouldn’t have been surprised because most if not all of the teas from Palais Des Thes I have enjoyed up to this point. Again, this tea, followed suit.
The post infusion color is that of a medium brown much like some black teas I have seen. When I infused this Pu Erh it didn’t go “Coffee” Black as some tend to infuse. This doesn’t have a fishy or woodsy or muddy aroma either. It’s just a touch of Cinnamon. It’s also not TOO Cinnamon like a Fire Ball for example. It’s JUST right, really. Warming, welcoming, and tasty! A Flavored Pu Erh for the books! Two thumbs up!
Da Ye Xiao Qing Tuo (Big Leaf Mini Green Tuo Cha) from Seven Cups
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Seven Cups
Tea Description:
This tea has a light aroma and rich, smooth flavor with a long finish through multiple infusions. The liquid is light and clear, and the infused leaves are the color of bamboo leaves. You can feel the sweetness of the tea in your throat after a few sips.
Learn more about this tea here.
Subscribe to Steepster Select here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m love LOVE loving this Da Ye Xiao Qing Tuo Pu-erh from Seven Cups! It’s so remarkably sweet – one of the sweetest Pu-erh I think I’ve ever encountered.
The sweetness was strong from the very first cup, and this sweetness only developed with each subsequent infusion. I taste a very light vegetal tone to the first cup as well, but mostly what I taste is a honeyed sweetness that is absolutely delightful.
The second cup was where I noticed the sweetness developing into a creamier note. I could also taste the vegetal notes a little more with this cup. The combination of the cream and the veggie notes gave it an almost “creamed spinach” type of flavor, although the vegetal notes were sweeter than spinach.
The third cup was a little less sweet and a little more vegetative. The creamy notes were not as noticeable this time. The flavor is more of an earthy vegetation this time. Still very flavorful, but, I found myself missing the sweet creaminess that I experienced in cup number two and the joyful sweetness of the first cup. This is still good, just not as delicious as the first two cups.
I decided to have one more cup to see what flavors were in store for me, and I found that with this cup, there were no creamy notes and the sweetness was not the same. It was more of a sweet vegetative taste rather than a honeyed sweetness or a creamy sweetness of the earlier infusions.
I am sure that this Pu-erh could have gone through many more infusions, but, I think that because I so enjoyed the first two cups so much, that I found myself missing what those two cups had to offer and I couldn’t appreciate the later infusions as much.
A really nice Pu-erh, and I’m glad that I got to try it. Another great tea offering from my Steepster Select box!