I was introduced to Teavivre by a Tea Friend on Facebook. She told me that it was some of the best teas she had ever tried.
With that glowing recommendation I went to check out their site. They had a fantastic promotion going where you could get 5 FREE samples if you paid the $4.90 shipping.
What an awesome deal!
When I opened the sample bag I had a hard time smelling the pu-erh so I poured it into my Gaiwan. Once it was in there I was able to smell a sweet, fruity, honey-like aroma. It was such a nice smell I was excited for my first sip! Teavivre recommends the brew temperature of 212ºF for 3-5 minutes.
However, if you look on their website that is if you are making a full cup. Since I am making my Pu-erh in a Gaiwan they had different instructions!
For the Chinese Gongfu Method they recommend to still use 212ºF water for 12 separate steepings: rinse twice, 15 seconds, 15s, 15s, 15s, 15s, 15s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s, 100s, 160s. It goes on to say that each rinse time is 5 seconds.
As the first and second rinse steeped I could tell why they recommended a rinse, these first steepings had an almost smoky aroma which I wasn’t expecting. I am not a huge fan of smoky teas so I was a little nervous.
By the first 15 second steeping the smoky smell had completely disappeared and I was left with a mild, sweet smell with just the right amount of earthiness. There was a light nuttiness to the flavor which was incredibly pleasant. As I went through each steeping the tea became sweeter and more floral in aroma and kept the sweet but nutty flavor.
I absolutely loved this tea and would highly recommend it to anyone that likes a darker tea or is generally curious about Pu-erh tea. This is a great starter pu-erh, the sweet flavor will pull you in! Also, since it is so low in caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee) it is one that you can drink at any time of day. Also, since you can get so many steepings out of the tea leaves it is absolutely worth the money you spend.
I look forward to adding more of this tea to my cabinet!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description
Soft and smooth, rich and thick texture
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Neverending StorTea from Geeky Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu erh
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
Pu erh, strawberries, cocoa nibs, natural strawberry, hazelnut, vanilla and creme flavors.
Never give up and good tea will find you.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Pu erh is a tea that scares and intimidates me. I never know how to correctly prepare it or if I’m even drinking it right. I’ve tried to learn but this is one tea I want to actually sit down and learn from more of an expert. But regardless, I thought I would try my hand at a flavored Pu erh from Geeky Teas.
I’ve tried flavored Pu erhs in the past and they didn’t turn out right. So I thought I would give it another go. This Pu erh blend combines strawberries, cocoa nibs, hazelnut, vanilla, and creme flavor. A combination I would typically shy away from anyway since I’m not a fan of hazelnut. But this is a Geeky Tea blend and I’m determined to try all of their amazingly fun blends.
Right off the bat, this tea smelled almost sinful. A decadent blend for sure. The dry leaf mix had a lovely chocolate covered strawberry note with hints of hazelnuts. I prepared this up like I would a black tea-212F and steeped for about 4 minutes. 4 minutes later, I poured the tea into my cuppa and allowed it to cool for just a moment.
I have to say, this tea was fantastic and delicious. I was incredibly hesitant to try this tea because I thought it would be an instant pour out but it was the complete opposite! The tea had a lovely dark rich and like the dry leaf mix-sinful feel to it. Bright strawberry flavor with a rich chocolate and hints of hazelnuts, vanilla and creme surrounded each and every sip. I am not a chocolate fan nor a hazelnut fan and I can’t get enough of this tea. I have had several sessions with this tea and each sip is as good as the last. This is one of those teas you enjoy when you’ve got a sweet tooth that needs satisfying and you don’t want the calories. Plus this tea is dedicated to The Never Ending Story. . I mean it doesn’t get much better!!
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.
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!
