This powerful punch of vanilla tastes like a wedding cake. A nice, moist (ewwww, did she say “moist”?), expensive nuptial dessert. The pu’erh adds a deeper swirl to the affair, maybe a little bit of chocolate or nutella.
I’m actually transported back to my own wedding cake, which was orange and purple with an ocean theme. Its creamy flavor was marzipan FOR DAYS.
My dress was too tight because I’m the only person on earth who GAINS weight for a wedding, so I wasn’t able to fit much in my tummy, and whoosh, it was all gone. My friends are LOCUSTS.
Well, I get my vengeance now. I can have my cake, and drink it, too
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Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Fusion Sweets
Description
The rich flavor of fermented pu erh tea is sweetened with vanilla beans and the scent of almonds.
A great after dinner dessert tea that tastes like marzipan with none of the calories!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chorange Puerh/Adagio Teas
I
have seen this tea compared to those chocolate oranges that you see for sale around Christmas. Would you believe I have never had one? After drinking this tea, you can bet I am going to try one this year!
This tea combines three things I really like – good chocolate, orange, and puerh. When I opened the bag, a rich, deep chocolate aroma wafted out and beckoned me like I was in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. First steep was served with breakfast, second is a leisurely cup after.
I often cut the steep time on puerh and did so with the Puerh Poe by Adagio with excellent results for many, many steeps. Watching the color of this one in the glass teapot, I decided to let it stay for three minutes. I generally steep puerh by observing color.
Oh my. Oh yes. I am not disappointed. First taste is chocolate, orange on the swallow, chocolate in the aftertaste. The puerh flavor is not very strong and is mainly earthy rather than horsey or fishy. I debated as to whether in a blind taste test someone could convince me that this was a flavored black tea instead, but I think there is enough earthiness to indicate puerh without turning off people who are not familiar with it.
I did find that aerating the tea in your mouth (by opening and closing the jaw without opening the lips) intensifies the orange flavor. On the second steep I felt that the orange was more pronounced and the chocolate less intense until it cooled a bit, and then the chocolate strengthened again. I don’t think this one is going to go seven steeps like Poe, though.
Would I buy it again? Oh yes, I would buy it again.
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Leaf Type: Puerh Tea
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
2008 Menghai Ripened Puerh/Teavivre
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!
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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!
Brewed Awakening/Down The Rabbit Hole
Jim Thorpe, PA, has an old jail, a train, mansions and a lot of stores that are magic-themed. For example, there are places called the Muggle’s Mug and the Conjured Soap Boutique.
There’s also a place called Down The Rabbit Hole . As a person with an Alice in Wonderland tattoo (visible here or here ), I couldn’t resist.
Imagine my surprise AND DELIGHT when I found tea in the back. The place was custom-made for me, basically.
I bought two blends, the first of which I tried today: Brewed Awakening. It was recommended for coffee drinkers looking to transition to tea. Its ingredients include pu’erh tea, cocoa beans, green coffee beans, chamomile petals, and green tea.
David’s Tea carried a similar blend called Espresso Yourself for a while. I liked it, but it was too aggressive/bitter for me.
Down the Rabbit Hole’s Brewed Awakening is much smoother. The pu’erh and the cocoa mellow down the tartness of the coffee beans. There’s a slick mouthfeel that I really like (despite not liking the word “mouthfeel” itself). There’s a calmness about this tea. It’s not yelling at you. It’s not kicking you. It’s ushering you into the morning gently.
This promising blend has me excited to try the other one I bought. Keep your eyes peeled for that one, which I’ll write up as soon as I get a chance to try it.
If you’re ever in Jim Thorpe, PA for some reason, you should check out this shop.
And the jail. . . too. It’s allegedly haunted.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Down The Rabbit Hole
Description
Check out Down the Rabbit Hole’s FB page below.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chocolate Truffle Organic Pu-Erh Tea/Fraser Tea. . . .
This delicious, sweet, creamy goodness is a mix of rich pu’erh tea, cacoa nibs, and flower petals (mostly for appearance, I suspect). The flavor profile of this is a warm chocolate bar. One that will kick you awake with caffeine.
My husband and I like to walk around on New Years Eve in our town, look at ice sculptures, and drink hot chocolate. This tastes like that night. It tastes like the excitement of a new year. It tastes like a red nose and hand-holding.
It tastes, possibly, like a trip to the ski lodge, though I don’t EVER participate in sports, so I wouldn’t know.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet picker-upper, give this one a whirl!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
Decadent Chocolate Truffle is an organic, healthful beverage with calming effects. Delight in the richness of chocolate and comforting cream in your first sip of this high quality organic Pu-erh tea. Fraser Tea handpicks all teas and chose this Pu-erh variety for its ability to improve with time. Often used as a slimming tea for those working to manage weight and wellness, this tea is sought all over the world.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!