48 Tasting Notes
I love it! And I’m not ashamed to say it!
This was the first pu-erh I was brave enough to try, and it’s opened me up to a whole world of curiosity!
The first whiff of the dry leaves, while yummy, doesn’t necessarily have that musty earthiness. It’s all chocolate and orange and yum. But on deeper sniff, there’s something darker there. Something nifty.
It brews into a very dark tea, with a seriously rich scent. The first sips are again mostly orangey with a chocolate background. Like a delicious Terry’s orange. But as I let it cool, I start to notice what must surely be the pu-erh. Earthy is the right word. And it’s so perfect with the added flavours – each element plays in the cup by itself, but also blend together like… I don’t know. Words aren’t the point.
The point is, I like it. I love it! I will drink it all year round – Christmas tea or not!
And pu-erh – here I come!
Oh boy, two very delicious worlds are colliding here!
I was so excited to see this one pop up on the David’s roster, that I immediately ordered a tin of it. Call it a premonition, because I knew this one would be a hit with me.
I love black-based chais, but since I like to add milk to them, sometimes I find them a bit thin on the body-side. Like if I were to add milk, they might dissolve into milky nothing. But having an oolong base changes this game entirely. No milk required or desired! The floral/ vegetal quality of the tea totally supports the spices, and the flavour is green and sweet and spicy. It doesn’t need anything added, naked is perfectly delicious.
It’s a great afternoon tea, when you don’t want anything too rich, but could use a bit of a perk up.
Yep, this one’s a keeper!
Preparation
The smell of this one knocked my socks off! Gingery and spicy and earthy. A sneeze or two later, and I’m totally ready to drink it!
Once this is brewed, I am very much reminded of DavidsTea’s The Skinny. Which is suppose isn’t surprising, given that that is also an orange-ginger-pu’erh blend. How come I didn’t think of that when I was ordering? I guess I was blinded by the promise of elderberries. Anyway.
This is a very dark looking cuppa. And the scent is gently earthy, not overpoweringly musty like some pu’erhs I’ve put my nose into. I’m really new to pu’erhs, so this is a nice introduction. The flavour is earthy, with a citrus and ginger twist. It has a fuller body than The Skinny, and a more complex flavour. I don’t know that I can taste the elderberry specifically, but maybe it is what adds that other layer of complexity.
Overall, a very enjoyable cup. I can see myself reaching for this one after a rich dinner, or on cold afternoons.
Preparation
Yay! I think this is a great start for a self-intro to pu’er. Did you grab any of the chrysanthemum blend too? That’s a nice, sparkly, clean one.
If you like this one and want to dive into straight pu’er, I love suggesting the Peacock Village. It has similar flavors with this blend, but naturally.
Oh wow. This is so good!
I finally bit the bullet and placed an order with Verdant Tea. After all the hype on Steepster about their teas, how could I not?
Well, I am not disappointed. In. The. Least.
This is a rich, chocolatey, grainy and spicy cup. I’m positively smitten.
Maybe this will be the tea to finally kick that last lingering morning cup of coffee I’ve been holding on to drinking. Because this is infinitely more interesting than that, isn’t it?
Yum.
