807 Tasting Notes
This one is NOT fishy at all!
I may need to steep it a little longer next time.
This is a bagged tea.
In the bag it smells like dirt.
Talk about earthy!
Brewed it has a wonderful earthy flavor with a lilting floral flavor but the floral is not over powering nor does the earthy flavor overpower the floral. Its a perfect balanced harmony between the earth and bloom!
Yes it does still have that dirt like taste but nothing like the smell so don’t let that put you off.
I absolute love earthy aromas and flavors so this one is A+ with me!
:) Thank you enjoyingtea.com for the free sample!
Preparation
Grabbed a couple of these today when I want to House of Cha in Lawrence.
I had no idea what brand they were so had to google them – found that they were 2003 Red in Red Pu-erh Tuocha but when I typed that into the search here on steepster this brand came up so I guess I am posting this here.
Steeped in my Gaiwan – first time using it. That was easy enough. Boiling – 45 secondish
Smell – oh I totally get where people say there is a “fishy” aroma to this for sure.
Liquor: Crimson Brown.
First sip: Too complex to come up with one word to encompass it on one sip.
So I will use that – COMPLEX.
Slightly Sweet, Creamy – ish, and yes a little fishy – ish.
I really don’t want to say that though because I want to love this.
I don’t hate it – don’t love it either.
Handed it to hubby – I had not said a word about it but he too said “smells fishy” took a drink then said “tastes fishy”. LOL but he took a second drink anyway soooo what’s that tell ya?
Now, for the record I did NOT do a rinse.
I will go do a second brew and see how that goes and come back ….
(walks off over to counter)
WOAH what the ….
okay I MUST be doing something WRONG wrong wrong here …
its comical really.
I steeped the mini toucha a second time and it looks like TAR and I hate to say the C word here but looks like the darkest coffee I have ever seen! (get your mind out of the gutter what did you THINK I was going to say?) anyway … Now instead of a crimson tint it has this deep purple (great band reference) to it. It still has that fishiness – and let me just add regarding that – IF you can get your mind over or around or even under the fact it is a little fishy and allow your senses to be sensible to the earthy nature of this tea its a lot better – but one has to have good mind control, or will power, or imagination. Thing is – maybe I DID do it right – because as scary as it looks, I like it better this steep!
Hummm I don’t know what to think of this experience, except that it HAS been an experience and that is cool. I like experiences! Are you experienced? (great song reference) – if not I would say go for it – nothing to lose really, except maybe a small part of a brain cell because this tea has me sort of feeling funny but in a good way. Wasn’t really expecting that – but hey makes for a fun tasting note, that seems to be going on and on and on … guess Im done for now. I will steep this probably two more times – see what happens and if it changes from what it is now, other than getting weaker of course, and obviously no longer steepable, then I will make new notes.
Yeah – okay – bye.
Preparation
I enjoyed reading your review, and it made me laugh!
Wow, you really are trying teas from a number of different tea retailers, aren’t you? Kudos for being so adventurous!
I had literally had pu-erh only once, steeped once (so you already have more experience than I do steeping pu-erhs), and I remember it having a really dark color. Can you tell us how the other steepings went?
LOL thank you! I honestly really did feel a little funny after drinking this tea. I did steep it one more time – it was even DARKER!!! It was intensely dark. It tasted about the same – a little richer but not as much as I had expected considering how dark it became. After that steep I tossed it A) because it was late and I was terribly lazy and B) because the way it had me feeling was a little scary lol. I quit drinking about 4 years ago and with the 70’s behind me lets just say nothing has given me THAT kind of feeling in a very long time. Now I am not saying it was without joy lol but well I was pretty spaced out and seriously who would expect that from tea. So a good meditation tea perhaps. :)
I also had a less fishy pu’erh last night that I reviewed. From Enjoyingtea.com Chinese Restaurant Chrysanthemum Puerh Tea.
Now I’m really curious (especially after recently reading indigobloom’s review of a pu-erh). How exactly did it make you feel? More like an ‘upper’ or a ‘downer’? If you think its good for meditation, I guess like a ‘downer’? Hopefully in a way that both relaxes and raises awareness (like theanine does), rather than the way recreational drugs lowers awareness? I didn’t think pu-erh would have that kind of effect on someone. hmm Pu-erh is sounding more and more interesting …
Exactly – both – very relaxed and laid back but I was cracking really witty jokes left and right with a stupid grin on my face!
It was really nice.
TRY IT lol
I think it raised my awareness though – I mean when I was writing that review – I was SO in the moment. But then when I was done I was chatting with hubby like not a moment went by so in a way spacey but also very able to focus on what I wanted to.
That all sounds pretty good to me: relaxed, having a sense of humor and presence of mind, and feeling a need to engage others. It sounds like a good example of how I understand theanine and caffeine to work together. Tea has a similar effect on me, but maybe not exactly in the way you have described it here. I’m still sticking to my guns regarding waiting to try pu-erh, but you and Indigobloom have definitely increased my own curiosity about it!
Ahh, I loved reading this thread!! and Azzrian, you are so on target with the description of how it made me feel… high, in a way, but also alert and engaged with the world…. and also laid back! with a twist of racing heart syndrome!
SimpliciTea: I am falling in love with Pu’erhs… and I am so curious to see what your (eventual, or not if I have my way haha) review of it will say!!
(and by not, I mean sooner than later! just realized that might read a bit oddly)
Yes I am eager to see other tea logs on this as well. :)
You both are so funny. Sooooo, it’s became a game? To see if you can tempt me, or anyone else ‘out here’, enough through your reviews to really want me to make the effort to buy some of this ‘psychedelic’ pu-erh, drink it up, and see what happens, eh?
Haha indeed and why not we just want to spread the joy around :)
SimpliciTea: life is a game, but I make my own rules :P
and yes!! wanna swap tea by any chance lol
Azzrian: I certainly agree, keep spreadin’!
Indigobloom: I like that: you make your own rules! How true that is.
Swap? Maybe sometime this summer/fall, when I have gone though all of my samples? Maybe?
Very pleased with this strawberry black tea! I am highly picky about flavored teas and strawberry is one of THE hardest flavors to get right in my opinion.
This is nothing but natural tasting, bright, cheery, and perfectly sweet without adding any sweeteners!
My husband and daughter both love it and it will be wonderful in the summer iced!
Thank you Enjoyingtea.com for the free sample I WILL be reordering this. :)
We steeped for 4 minutes. At 208 to be exact.
Preparation
This is excellent hot or cold.
Fresh mango scent and flavor – not artificial.
Floral but not overly so whatsoever which is good because while I do enjoy a floral tea sometimes its TOO floral for me and makes me feel sick to my stomach.
The aroma truly does smell like a tropical floral bouquet meaning that REAL flowers do not smell overwhelming or like perfume, but light and airy and you get that whiff of floral essence now and then.
Also the mango is not chemical tasting or imitation flavor tasting which is very important to me.
For a green, to me, its on the dark side.
There is just a slight slight bit of astringency.
I pick up a definitive tea flavor which tells me all the more this is flavored well and balanced.
No sugar, milk, honey etc added this go around.
I would like to see this as a staple in my stash especially in warmer months so I can have the option of making it iced or hot.
Preparation
Was not exactly sure of what it means to give a rinse before steeping but we did just that – just before putting into pot we gave a quick rinse in luke warm water.
Smell: I get nothing – no smell at all. Maybe it is my sniffer. When I practically stick my nose INTO the hot tea I slightly smell hay, no not hay, straw.
First sip: Vegetal, and what IS that flavor, its familiar…hummm… hubby says green beans … (he joined me on this tasting) I do indeed get that – sort of – not the good fresh ones but the canned kind, not even the beans themselves but you know how sometimes something tastes like something else smells? Well I hope so – because this tea tastes a little like how the juice in the can of green beans smell.
Its sweetish, gives me that dry tingle sensation in the back of the throat that I am not too fond of.
I will say this it is complex and makes me think and has enough flavor TO sit here dissecting it.
I am not really picking out the smokiness I was expecting.
Sugar apple? Really? I don’t taste that – maybe a tiny and I mean ever so slight apple peel flavor, maybe but I am trying hard to pick that out.
I am adding some sugar to mine.
Hubby said not in his. He likes it.
I just want to note how much that means – hubby is NOT a tea drinker unless it is Arnold Palmer half and half!
Now I am not one to add sugar to everything. In fact I rarely do on the first brew of any new tea. I will reserve that for pot 2. But I must say I am glad I did go for it on round one this time.
It changes everything in the flavor dynamic here.
The smokiness comes out more, the fresh straw barn yard flavor is more pronounced, and yes even that slight apple flavor is there more now but I lost the vegetal flavor yet still reminiscent of green bean juice which I realize is a bit contradictory but generally speaking when I mention a vegetal flavor I don’t mean green bean juice.
I should note – hubby does NOT like it with sugar. (he tasted mine)
Either way – I fear this tea is a little over my head. A little too complex even frustrating.
Its surely NOT bad at all, I do like it but it won’t be creeping up on my MUST buy list.
Its going to sit gracefully in the middle of my list – would buy if on sale or splurge day, would for sure accept as a gift, would absolutely drink from your stash, but just not jumping right into my wish list.
Hubby’s rating (mine is displayed) 95 – 100 since this is one tea he has really enjoyed and he does not like tea much HOWEVER bear in mind until recently we did not HAVE really good tea! :)
Preparation
A rinse before steeping means that you use the water heated to the temperature that you would use to steep (or just a little under, but not over, I usually just add extra water to the kettle and heat it to the temperature that I’d normally steep the tea, and use the first pouring as my rinse), pour the water over the tea leaves as you would if you were about to steep the leaves, and wait for about 10 – 15 seconds and drain the liquid and discard it. Then start steeping.
Thank you so much! :)
Bought a sample bag.
Smell from bag – very fresh and earthy, like hay.
Smell in cup – creamy – earthy – literally made my mouth water!
First sip: OH MY GAWD! Sweet and creamy and crisp at the same time.
At 19.00 per 1.7 ounces this may have to become my guilty pleasure. I really am wanting to order more of this although that will have to wait for a while it may be one of those I get a special container for and highlight in my tea stash. Or one day when hubby makes me my wooden tea caddy / box it may be one I have limited but PRECIOUS supply of.
I can’t wait for round two when I add sugars and creamers – first go on each tea I have straight. Normally on the first pot – second cup I will add some raw sugar but not this time – this time I just want to immerse myself in the glory that is. This is one that really does not need improvement but for the sake of learning I shall try the additives- next time.
Blissful.
Note: Was starving because I opted to use my time to make tea instead of food – lol I bet a lot of tea lovers have done that a time or two … anyway …. this tea is so YUMMY with a couple chocolate cookies. :)
Okay enough of this – off to relish my sweet delight!
Azz out….
Preparation
This is ideally a good thing to do: “… but not this time – this time I just want to immerse myself in the glory that is.” I usually add sweetener the first time i try a tea, unless there is some reason not to. But, not adding any can give you a better opportunity to actually taste the flavors in the tea. One benefit of adding sweeter the first time: it can help to bring out some flavors.
RTR now has a brand new Breakfast tea from the same estate: https://www.raretearepublic.com/kenya/kangaita-breakfast-black-tea
Oh really!?!?! WOOT WOOT – thank you so much for letting me know! <3
You’re welcome :) They are having a live chat with their tea buyer this week too (she’s in Nepal) : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rare-Tea-Republic/264368010260723
dang you are the man with the info! LOL seriously thanks! This is cool!
I am having a productive day :)
lol
I got this from a website I get points on then can spend them on items. This was one of the only loose teas on the site and I wanted to spend my points so I got it.
I don’t know about this one. Its not really a chai but yet has the chai spices – its unlike any chai I have ever had and I have had a TON of chai. Its very subtle. Much better with some raw sugar in it. Will add some milk or condensed milk next time and I assume it would be great as long as the milk and sugar do not drown out the flavor of the tea itself. See that is my concern because its on the weak side. Next time I will also add more tea to the brew.
Don’t get me wrong, it does have its qualities, no bad aftertaste, nice balance of spices as to not overpower the tea itself, but it just feels like it needs more punch and I do fear if I were to add more tea to the brew it would have a negative effect but we will see … till next time.
Oh and considering it is Tupperware – I’m pretty impressed – did not expect to like it at all.
No offense to Tupperware.
Preparation
Purchased a sample pack of this.
Lily of the Valley is my “birth month” flower so I had to give it a go.
Also was intrigued by the lime leaf.
Deep golden liquor.
Smell is fresh and light.
Very smooth – floral.
I would not say it is astringent at all but rather any astringency is replaced with a freshness that must be from the lime leaf.
Its not “limey” but it does give an ever so slight mouth watery feel that one would get from tasting a lime just without any bitterness or sour.
A little on the earthy side.
With all of that said I find it a tad bit boring.
Nothing is making me want to jump up and down with glee or reorder it considering the price but its a nice mellow relaxing tea.
A little sugar in the raw added gives it a nice boost to the natural sweetness but I only added just a little. Personally I do not find this to be “intensely sweet” as in the description. Its far more floral and earthy to me.
I do enjoy the nice cool feel that lingers in the mouth afterward though.
Would be excellent with some mint added to it!
One down side – for me anyway – is that this tea leaves the back of my throat feeling a little dry.
Will update with more experience with this tea – however only have one more pot worth to brew.
Preparation
Okay so I know that I should be able to steep a black tea twice or more but this is not really a black tea is it? It was under the black tea category on the web site but it is so different from any black tea I have ever had. Regardless, I did attempt a second steep. Its good, its not GREAT but its not bad either – just a little on the weak side but considering its a second steep I am happy with it. I generally do not steep ANY tea more than once – maybe a mental issue but its just always yummier on first brew. However since I only have enough for one more pot I wanted to get as much out of this as I could with it being a sample and all.
So I still enjoy it greatly, just wish it was stronger on the re-steep.
:)
To me, it looks like it’s a black tea. If it’s different, I see that as good.
Many steep black Teas only once, but its usually for 4-5 minutes, and that will generally yield a very strong tasting brew. If you want to steep it more than once, what I have found best, is to start out at tow minutes, then increase steep time by 1 – 1.5 minutes for each successive steeping. I also start off a little below boiling, then increase the temp with each steeping. This method seems to spread the flavor out over many steepings (I can always get three, and depending on the quality of the tea I have gotten as many as six, steepings this way). Of course, if you want to get all of that flavor in the first steeping, that’s OK too (spot on boiling, teapot warmed, for 4-5 minutes, depending on the tea; Darjeelings, for example, call for a little off the boil temps.). It’s simply a matter of preference.
Thank you. I just recently learned this and nice to have validation of it! I will try this method with my second and final brew of this sample. :)
Just brewed my first sample of this. I bought a sample sized pack. Sitting here not one sip yet. Smell: Crisp, Clean, Like Rain Water, I could bathe in this! Very clear only slightly perfumey and sweet. First sip: Ahhh so THIS is what quality tea taste like! Sweet flavor influences my first thought, but finish is so clear and clean like an amazing palate clearer.
Very lightly fruit flavored – peach but not candy peach at all but just fresh juicy peach without any tartness. Slight tingle on tip of tongue, no aftertaste though whatsoever, again this would be an excellent palate cleanser. Wait … after about 5 sips I do get SOME lingering of an aftertaste … but its so pleasant and not bitter whatsoever. I do wonder if I may enjoy this brewed a little stronger maybe. I wish I had more! I only have enough for one more pot. Going to add a little sugar now and see how and if it changes.
Added sugar and it really did not change it much – added more thinking I had not added enough – again not a lot of change but I have to say I prefer it more in its natural state – the sugar distracts from the peach actually.
You know, I have not tried a lot of teas so far but I am very happy with this one! I can’t get over the fresh smell! What a wonderful eye opener. It probably is not the strongest tea to wake up to in the morning but this would make a delightful after noon tea!
I would LOVE to try this on ice!!
I think it would be an absolutely wonderful iced tea but I would make it stronger so the flavors are not lost as it is on the “weak” side but in its simplicity I adore it.
I love puerh. My recommendation to anyone who is going to try puerh for the first time… try it a few times. Some flavors we ’don’t like’ because they are different form what you are used to and you taste buds and brain go crazy trying to compare it and describe it. Give everything new a few tries to allow you to appreciate new flavors and characteristics.
I wish there was a “like” button here! Good post and so true!