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“Gongfu! Started my morning with a really special session of this shou pu’erh!! What made it so special? Well, anyone who knows me even kind of well knows that I LOVE anything weird and...” Read full tasting note
Vanilla Bean Dream Machine was inspired by a tea I learned about via an @oolongowl blog post.
The tea had a really strong vanilla aroma. I’m not sure how that happened. I haven’t any tea that comes anywhere close.
I decided to add vanilla beans to shu, have it pressed and see what happens. I had a hard time finding anyone willing to do it. I can’t blame them. We were eventually able to find a solution. The first try at this has a mild vanilla flavor that plays a supporting roll.
The second try is pretty strong vanilla wise and the flavor lasts a few steeps before moving to the background. It will leave tiny vanilla beans in your gaiwan. I think it’s fantastic. Both versions are for sale in 100g cakes.
Both versions use the same shu that has a cocoa and carmal notes.
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Gongfu!
Started my morning with a really special session of this shou pu’erh!! What made it so special? Well, anyone who knows me even kind of well knows that I LOVE anything weird and experimental. So, when Intergalactic Tea reached out to see if I’d have an interest in reviewing this 100g mini cake of ripe pu’erh that had been pressed with vanilla bean, I was immediately on board!
Though the appearance and aroma of the dry, compressed cake were somewhat unassuming, that changed pretty much as soon as the water hit the leaves. It started subtle, but soon my tea space was filled with a near intoxicating combination of authentic vanilla and petrichor. So aromatic!! The liquor was rich and smooth with a dense, almost caramelized sweetness to compliment the earthiness of the tea itself. The vanilla bean in the cake was immediately apparent, and not just because I could taste it either. I started noticing the vanilla caviar in my gaiwan, chahai, and teacup as early as the rinse – scroll through to the last photo to see what I mean. This never really stopped during the session, though, by the third steep, much of the bourbon vanilla flavour had subsided. What was left was still so pleasant – thick and earthy but with date, caramel, and petrichor flavours. A little chicory to the top notes.
This was genuinely such a cool experience. I would have loved trying this tea just for the novelty of it, but there’s also more than JUST novelty here. The tea is really good!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/ros_strange/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgyNTvovQTg
