We are a family of puerh lovers and food lovers, so when we gather together there is likely to be an ample amount of both. Fortunately, puerh is touted as having a mitigating effect on overconsumption, and I can personally attest that it has been my boon companion after too much pizza with garlic butter.
At our last gathering, we tried something new – Chocolate Truffle, a flavored organic blend of puerh and black tea.
There are some chocolate teas that have a strong, strange odor. I assume it is an artificial chocolate flavoring. I greatly prefer the natural, thumping good bass note that comes from cocoa nibs, and that’s what Fraser uses in this organic blend. Natural cocoa nibs seem to s-c-r-a-p-e across the tongue like unsweetened cocoa without the bite.
The puerh is earthy and sweet, not terribly strong, and the black tea is not a brisk one, which made this delightfully smooth to drink, and it resteeped very well. There is a natural sweetness coming from the flowers without the tea taking on a strong floral taste.
Overall, it is an elegant cup, somewhat mild and very satisfying as a dessert tea. Being on the higher end of the caffeine scale for tea, it may also serve as a little energy boost if you are using it as a dessert replacement.
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Leaf Type: Black/Puerh
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
Sweet cream with earthy chocolate flavors and smooth finish
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
English Breakfast/Walters Bay -ashmanra
Search for English Breakfast tea and you will find hundreds, maybe thousands. Amongst those many, many teas, you will find a boggling number of different blends. Some are straight Keemun and nothing else, harking back to the original English Breakfast type that was enjoyed in Britain. Some are a blend of Chinese and Indian tea, or of Assam and Ceylon, or Kenyan. And they can be very different.
Walters Bay specializes in Ceylon tea, and this breakfast blend is 100% Ceylon. I have the sachets in individual envelopes, and made note that the website says these contain 3 grams of tea. Great news, because that means it is intended for a mug rather than a little china tea cup.
Even better news is that I have resteeped this bag more than once and still have a good cup of tea, so there is enough here to keep you going through a big breakfast or a long morning at work.
The taste is malty with low briskness. While it doesn’t need milk or sugar by any means, the maltiness means it can take it if you like to add it. It paired well with food, and was enjoyable without.
There is a high honeyed citrus aroma, like orange, that I find in most Ceylon teas. I think this would make a smashing sweet iced tea, as well. There are few deep notes, typical of Ceylon tea. I would classify it as a good, sturdy, reliable Ceylon tea.
From the back of the envelope:
Without question, the care provided to our workers and their families is directly reflected in the quality of our tea. By purchasing this tea directly from a grower, our tea connoisseurs promote social and environmental sustainability programs in our tea gardens and surrounding communities. These initiatives include child care centers, schools, retirement savings plans, and medical care for our tea estate workers and their families. As a grower, our care for the land and its resources is sacred. Like the growers at your local farmers market, we at Walters Bay take great pride in what we grow.
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Walters Bay
Description
English Breakfast Black Tea begin with freshly hand-plucked tea leaves in the highlands of Sri Lanka. Our Award-Winning Pekoe 1 black tea grade is meticulously processed during the Western High Grown season. This grade of tea offers a classic Ceylon signature flavor profile that is ideal as an English Breakfast Tea. It is a full bodied tea with a slight malty character and exceptional aroma. Great as a stand alone cup or with a dash of milk.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Almond Papaya/Dollar Tea Club -Just Tea-Zen
This tea smells so delicious when you open the package! Even though I associate papaya with summer weather and tropical vibes, this tea has such a warm aroma. It’s totally acceptable as a Fall tea!
This tea reminds me of trail mix. The aroma and flavor have that nutty-fruity flavor combo that you find in a good quality trail mix with the big chunks of dried fruit. I do love a good trail mix!
Not every flavor blends will with rooibos, but this one is perfectly balanced. Rooibos has a mild sweetness and a slight nutty flavor with just a hint of vanilla; all perfect flavors to blend with almond and papaya.
If you haven’t checked out Dollar Tea Club, give them a try. It’s a convenient and inexpensive way to explore the world of tea and try new tea types and flavors. Watch for upcoming reviews on a couple of their other blends!
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Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Dollar Tea Club
Description
Almond Papaya, What a tea! Premium Moroccan almonds give the German inspired marzipan a magnificent boost. Rooibos and marzipan were meant for each other.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chaga Mushroom Tea/Life of Genki -Just Tea-Zen
That’s right, mushrooms…in your tea cup. Don’t get excited; it’s not THAT kind of mushroom, LOL!
I’ve actually tried chaga tea before, but it was in a blend with cacao and it was very bitter. So, I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when I was brewing this tea. I was fully expecting earthy, bitter,….dirt.
I brewed and steeped exactly as the directions recommended. Twenty minute steep! It’s dark and there’s just a hint of earthy essence.
Ready? IT’S SO GOOD! I took a couple sips before I added anything. At first, it reminded me of a very mild coffee. Great flavor, but I’m not in love with plain, black coffee. The package suggests honey or maple syrup so, about a half teaspoon of my favorite honey and…something magical happened: now it tastes like tea! Just a standard, good old fashioned, black tea. I could still smell just the slightest hint of coffee and there was a very mild earthiness. Not bitter, not bold, just a very nice cup of tea; smooth and delicious. I can’t wait to brew another cup!
If you’ve never heard of chaga, do some research on these magic mushrooms. The list of health benefits is pretty impressive and the vitamin and mineral content puts these mushrooms high on the superfoods list. They are believed to lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and even fight cancer! I’m not doctor so, always check with your own physician before trying alternatives.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Life of Genki
DescriptionLearn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Gold Ceylon/Teakruthi -skysamurai
A bit underwhelmed by this one at first. My first go at it was in my favorite mug, water at 140, steeped for around 2 minutes. Definitely not enough time.
Then tried again at around 4 minutes. Still not quite what I was hoping for… Ah. But wait. As the taste of my cereal subsided the flavor of the tea truly came out.
It is a true Ceylon with its slight tannic after taste. Good woody and slightly earthy notes. Second round will be 150 F in a smaller glass cup.
Change in temp hasn’t affected it as much as I was hoping. A bit more tannic, which is to be expected in the second brew of a CTC tea.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teakruthi
Description
Savour the taste of a deliciously strong flavoured tea with this Organic Broken Orange Pekoe Special (BOPSP). This single estate tea high grown in the Dimbulla region which has been producing premium quality teas since the 19th century. The certified organic tea is grown using traditional organic-only fertilisers and labour-intensive yet traditional methods of harvesting where the growers’ hand pluck only the bud and top two tender leaves, giving you the finest quality of tea grown here. The tea is processed to give you a strong flavoured brew that has a deep amber brownish-gold colour and woody, slightly burnt after notes.
