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!
Young Ripened Puerh from Enjoying Tea. . . .
Attention everyone: I have found a pure pu’erh (no added flavors) that I like!
Oh my gosh. I should have told you to sit down first.
You are floored. Literally. Upon the ground. Let me help you up, darling.
Here. Sit on this fainting couch I keep in my heart specifically for revelations like this.
I’ve been looking for a pu’erh without flavoring for ages that I liked. It was up there with Matcha as a final hill I needed to climb to be a proper tea person. Of course, the notion of a “proper tea person” is a bit subjective. But I associate being able to drink all of them (including pu’erh and matcha) as a sign of being a member of the intelligentsia.
This drink, my golden exemplar of a pure pu’erh, my new BAAAABY, is a rich and earthy 2-year aged tea from the Yunnan province. It turns the water a warm red-brown. It has earth notes and slight spice notes and that feeling of a very slightly musty blanket that you just yanked from storage on an unseasonably chilly night.
The slight note of mustiness maybe sounds displeasing, depending on how you are. But I grew up in a household where the basement was a key player. We didn’t have air conditioning, so we slept down there all the time. The whole family. Everything smelled slightly musty, even with the dehumidifier going full-throttle, full-time.
The basement was by far my favorite place. As my brother and I aged, my parents had about half of it renovated, with carpet, and our family’s first computer (!), and a large (for the time) TV and VCR. We could watch the 1960s Batman movie again and again without bothering our parents at all. Nickelodeon. Slumber parties. Endless chips. Visiting friends. Getting that basement partially renovated was probably the best investment my parents ever made in the family’s collective mental health.
This tea takes me back there. It also moves me forward to a new world of opportunities for tea, self-growth, and — of course — pretending to be a member of the intelligentsia.
Look out, matcha. I’m coming for you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Enjoying Tea
Description
This ripen Puerh Tea is from Yunnan provenience in China. Quality Yunnan tea leaves and buds are selected for post fermentation that allows the tea to fully ripen. The ripen tea are allowed to age for around 2 years. Doctors in Kunming reported that drinking this tea helps to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream and helps digestion. The Puerh with dark and reddish black leaves makes a heavy thick tea with strong earthy aroma. It is very popular in the Cantonese Tea House and normally consume with Dim Sum. This tea is commonly mixed with chrysanthemum flower to create a Chinese Restaurant Tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Skinny from DAVIDs Tea. . . .
If you like a mildly spicy sheng flavor, and would like to drop a few pounds, I have just the thing for you: “The Skinny” by David’s Tea.
Actually, I can’t promise the weight loss thing. That’s a combination of diet, exercise, metabolism, and genetics.
But this tea is literally called “The Skinny,” so it’s more or less a claim they’re making. The description for this tea says: “Looking for the next big beauty secret or weight loss trend? Let us give you a hint: try water.”
I know the water thing is sound. It’s basically the first thing every weight loss article ever written says. However, you can pry the Diet Coke from my cold, dead hands.
In between Diet Cokes, I will, however, partake in water or tea (which is basically water with some stuff mixed in). This afternoon was this tea. It’s recommended to take this tea “after a heavy meal” to “block fat absorption.”
So I took it post-lunch, which was a giant shawarma pita from the nice people at Pita Cabana, which is running a Ramadan Special. (The key to Ramadan, for those not in the know, is not eating during sunlight hours. Running a food special during Ramadan must be brutal for the Muslim people who are serving a lunch they can’t eat.)
Speaking of shawarma… did you know?
I needed to pair the tea with this lunch because there was a LOT OF CHEESE on that pita. I wonder if the tea will really block fat absorption. We’ll have to see what my weekly weigh-in says next Wednesday morning.
In the meantime, though, regardless of whether this makes me “skinny,” it was a pretty good sip. Give it a whirl!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong/Puerh
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
With pu’erh, ginger, eleuthero and oolong, it’s the ultimate digestive aid.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Raw Puerh from Teaspec. . .
This is my second voyage with Teaspec’s Puerh. I tried their Ripe Puerh earlier this week and was quite surprised how much I enjoyed the dark robust earthy tones. I was excited to check out the Raw Puerh that Teaspec had so graciously allowed The SororiTea Sisters to check out.
Allowed to brew and cool for a moment, this tea was just as exciting as the Ripe Puerh. Unlike the Ripe version, this puerh gave me a lovely smooth rich tangy flavor. Incredibly well balanced. The earthy dark notes were still present but not as strong as the Ripe. There was also a slight hint of a smoky sweet tone, which I found quite intriguing.
Puerh is one of those teas that just keep me intrigued enough that I still dip my toe into this variety of tea now and then. I’ve always been more of a green tea girl but after enjoying both the Raw and Ripe Puerhs from Teaspec,
Looking at Teaspec’s site, they have an amazing offering of teas that are calling my name. There is a Jasmine Envy (green jasmine) and a Jade Allure (roasted green tea) that I have to know more about.
Overall my experience with Teaspec’s Puerh has been one that has opened my eyes (once again) to a variety of tea that I’ve always looked over. I need to be better about introducing puerh’s into my daily drinking regimen.
Thank you Teaspec for this wonderful introduction into Puerhs!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Teaspec
Description
Our raw Pu’er loose tea, Raw Dazzle, has a smoky floral aroma, fruity savoriness with a tangy aftertaste, and is made from high-quality tea leaves. Each 50g (1.76 oz) comes packaged in a clear pouch inside our custom colored robin’s egg blue round canister and decorative box.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ripe Puerh from Teaspec. . . . . .
Puerh is one of those varieties of tea that intimidates me. In the past, I’ve had these teas go horribly wrong me and those situation just stick in my head when I go to think abut trying to drink puerh again. I will admit it. I recently purchased a good variety of puerh from a well renowned and adored company yet a good chunk of that order is still untouched. I just find myself grabbing my beloved green or white teas.
Well today I broke out of my tea safety zone and tried a ripe puerh from Teaspec. I also tried their raw puerh but that will be for another day.
Prepped my water, and brewed the tea. I have to say, I instantly fell in love with the earthy aromas that were omitting from my tea cup. I was hoping those tones would translate into a rich robust brew with earthy notes and that is exactly what happened. This tea was full of an earthy undertone with a full bodied feel. I will be honest and say that I totally winged the brewing and steeping parameters which may have caused an abundance of that earthy flavor but never the less, I drank my cuppa done and starting prepping the water for a second cup.
This may not be a tea that I would drink everyday but I love the rich earthy tones that just do not disappoint sip after glorious sip.
I may not have brewed the tea exactly correct, but I loved the flavor that I was able to produce. I have to say, my first experience with Teaspec’s Ripe Puerh and I may have just dabbed my toe into a new tea adventure.
Anybody have any good suggestions and/or advice for a puerh newbie?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Teaspec
Description
Our ripe Pu’er loose tea, Ripe Marvel, has a mildly aromatic taste with a more mellow, full-bodied flavour, and is made from extremely high-quality tea leaves. Each 50g (1.76 oz) comes packaged in a clear pouch inside our custom colored magenta canister and decorative box.