Bana Tea Company

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Recent Tasting Notes

94

mmm. I’m a sucker for such nifty packaging! I had to get this to try it out! It’s all even enviro friendly because there is no plastic anywhere… luckily pu-erh likes to breathe so you don’t have to mummify it in a plastic bag!

These Pu-erh “coins” are stored on top of each other in a beautiful cardboard tube that provides DETAILED information about when and where it was produced, how to store it and steeping instructions. I love the beautiful box, for one thing… these coins are bigger than I thought they would be, 1/2 a coin is plenty for a small pot of tea and 1/4 of a coin is perfect for gaiwan.

I brewed this in the gaiwan, they recommend very short steeps so I’ve been going with these 20-30 seconds jobs. This brews up to a lovely dark orange color.

It’s no surprise that I would like this since the leaves come from wild trees up to 500 years old. This has the depth and beauty of an old forest with a bit of stone fruit, charcoal and smoke. VERY smooth and nice, slightly creamy… with a lingering aftertaste of cocoa. yum yum. I like it! These coins are great for convenience and they are also better than most tuo chas I have had. I’m glad I have a lot of them so I can do a bit of experiments with flavoring them. Oh Mini Cha-an Lucky Coins, you are adorable and tasty!

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 45 sec
Charles Thomas Draper

Sounds like a must-have

TeaBrat

they are fun!

Ninavampi

I would not be able to resist this I am sure!

ashmanra

This is neat! Have you seen the puer that comes stuffed in a bamboo shoot on purepuer.com? I would love to try that one someday but I think it is sold out right now. The instructions say to peel the bamboo back like a banana skin. Apparently it is often packaged this way in China.

ScottTeaMan

THANKS AMY…….I’m going to be trying these tonight. What did you break them with?

TeaBrat

@ scott- my hands… lol
@ ashmanra – I’ve seen those puerhs in bamboo, I think Norbu sells them too, I want to try one!

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90

Tea for the afternoon… Bana does pick some very lovely shengs. I steeped this in the xiying and am having a great session drinking out of my glass mug. I wrote an extensive note on it a while back. It still seems lemony and a bit earthy, flowery. I still think the Bana sampler sets are a great deal for anyone wanting to explore a lot of good quality pu-erhs.

Missy

Thanks for the heads up. I am going to look into pu-erhs some time soon. :D

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90

One last tea for NYD.

I decided to steep this in the gaiwan after rinsing the leaves quickly with boiling water.

Man, oh man, They are not kidding about this tea being fragrant! It is lemony! And a little bit like asparagus. It’s very refreshing but the first steep had a tiny bit of “bite” to it which made me wonder if it was kind of young (it is from 2010). I did this one for 30 seconds with boiling water. I see now they recommended 10 seconds with not hot water for the first steep.

The second steep I did for less time and with not such hot water. Now I am getting more floral notes in addition to the zesty ones.

Third steep is definitely getting softer. Some clover types notes which are very gentle. I can see this would be a good after dinner tea or good for nausea. Somehow it is settling my stomach.

Fourth steep: I decided I would go back to using boiling water and would steep it for 2 minutes an an experiment. The first steep was actually my favorite here but this one is pretty good too. We are back to slighty lemony and flowery with a bit more “bite” again. This really has a kind of fizzy quality in my opinion. a tiny bit drying perhaps due to the age… this would get bitter if steeped too long I think. I really like it though!

Really an interesting sheng from Bana!

Preparation
0 min, 30 sec
ScottTeaMan

What do you mean by fuzzy???

TeaBrat

Fizzy… like effervescent

ScottTeaMan

ohhh….fizzy, I think my brain is fuzzy today. :))?

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96

Happy New Year, Steepies. :)

After a quick rinse I have decided to steep this up in the gaiwan and used about 1 tsp of leaf. my water was not quite boiling for the first two steeps.

I am very happy with this shu and it is for sure going on my shopping list. It is very mild with a slightly sweet flavor that is indeed reminiscent of pecans with some cinnamon-spice in the finish. After 3 steeps there is no noticeable loss in flavor. A soothing cup of tea to the mind and the body. I would just like to keep this around for those moments when I want a gentle cup.

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 45 sec
Ninavampi

Happy New Years! : )

Charles Thomas Draper

Happy and Healthy New Year!

Tamm

Happy new year to you too! This sounds amazing!

TeaBrat

It was! Very nice and soft for a pu-erh, I must say…

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96
drank Zhang Xiang by Bana Tea Company
2816 tasting notes

I am finishing off the rest of the sample today – I have been impressed with this loose leaf shu. I know it says camphor scent but that camphor is very mild. This is rich, smooth and dark. Earthy with a touch of caramel sweetness. I’m sorry to see it go…. see previous tasting note for more info.

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96
drank Zhang Xiang by Bana Tea Company
2816 tasting notes

Quite a delicious shu. I think my big problem is going to be trying to figure out which one of these Bana pu-erhs is my favorite! :)

I brewed this up in the gaiwan after giving the leaves a quick rinse in boiling water. Very small and fine leaves. A loose leaf variety of shu (not from a cake or a brick, etc).

First infusion: 30 seconds. The leaves have a very woody, earthy and camphor smell. This is a very rich and full tea. I am not too fond of camphor in pu-erh a lot of times but it does seem to work for me here. I am reminded a bit of shiitake mushrooms but there is also a lingering sweetness here like that of sweet potatoes. Big camphor finish.

Second infusion: 20 seconds. I am getting some smoke and reminded a bit of burnt caramel. It is a very uplighting and energizing brew.

Third infusion: 30 seconds. Very similar to infusion #2. Really sweet and pleasant with that redwood forest aroma that I like so much. I am getting a lingering aftertaste like that of cocoa. Very rich and smooth – it’s really a treat!

Evidently you can infuse this 8 times but I do not have time for that this morning…

I checked the price – $20 for 100 grams which seems very reasonable for this aged elegant tea. I am not a complete nut but it does seem to be activating the energy meridians on the back of my neck. Quite an activator of ch’i here.

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 45 sec

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90
drank Orchid Charm by Bana Tea Company
2816 tasting notes

ooh, this is very nice! A delicate and subtle raw pu-erh. I have steeped this in the gaiwan with short infusions with around 180 F water per the instruction notes.

Leaves were rinsed and the first infusion was discarded. The leaves smell faintly earthy and floral. The tea itself is very mild and relaxing! I am surprised and very pleased so far with these shengs from the Bana Tea Company. I am picking up a slight apple taste with white button mushroom type flavor. Almost like a white tea in the subtle and sweet flavor with just a hint of malt. Very nice for a relaxing afternoon tea. :)

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 1 min, 0 sec
Tamm

This sounds so interesting! I’ve been so tempted to pick Bana tea as my intro to pu-erh.

TeaBrat

I would recommend it!

Tamm

Did you get this one as part of the sampler? They look amazing!

TeaBrat

yes, I got the raw puerh and the cooked puerh samplers.

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92

I’ve been neglecting my pu-erh a bit lately but I had a big meal in Chinatown and a nice shu just seems like the perfect thing to have afterwards. This is the last of this sample, sadly. Earthy and smoky, see my previous tasting notes. I hope this one does not keep me awake too long tonight. I may have to stop after 2 or 3 steeps.

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92

Time for some shu this morning…. :)

I gave these leaves a quick rinse and am using about 1 tsp. of leaf in the gaiwan. I tossed out the first infusion, a lot of times I don’t drink those.

2nd infusion: This tea has a very intense woodsy aroma, almost smoky like. Very assertive, a bit too strong. Steeped for 30 seconds.

3rd infusion: steeped for 10 seconds. This tea is a beautiful dark orange/brown. Color is like burnt sienna. I am picking up on so many complex flavors. Woodsy, smoky, but also with a tiny hint of plum. Smelling a bit of the camphor here.

4th infusion: 20 seconds – getting a bit more mellow. Smoke is leaning into mustiness. Some chestnut and caramel notes are starting to surface here and the camphor is retreating. This may be my favorite infusion so far. This tea is very meditative, almost spiritual.

5th infusion: 30 seconds. Here I am starting to pick up on the lychee flavor. This is turning into a delicate mouthfeel.

Wow, this really is a great tea! I think I would have rated it a little bit higher if not for all the camphor but it is really an intense and wonderful tasting experience. I do recommend checking it out! It is quite fun!

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec
ScottTeaMan

I just checked their website and thought this was really expensive, but with multiple steeps, and being aged, it is rather economical.

ScottTeaMan

Amy, do you measure the pu-erh, or do you guesstimate the amount?

ScottTeaMan

Like I mentioned before, MANY Darjeelings are more expensive, because they are not suitable for multiple infusions, like Pu-erhs and Oolongs.

TeaBrat

I guesstimate everything.

ScottTeaMan

That’s what I do too.

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97

I am so excited – I ordered a raw pu-erh sampler and a cooked pu-erh sampler from the Bana Tea Company and picked them up at the post office today!

These are really very nicely packaged. Each tea comes in a glassine envelope with a label and then they are stored together in a sheer organza bag. Also included are little brochures about the company and the tea. You know I will have fun drinking these! :)

I first picked this one to try. For a sheng of this age I was very surprised at how mellow it was. Steeped in the gaiwian – first infusion for two minutes and subsequent infusions for 30 seconds.

First infusion is very intense – leaves have a honey like aroma after being brewed. It is a sweet, mellow taste with hints of peach and a bit of maltiness. You get that pu-erh aged flavor on the back of your tongue.

Second and third infusions – the leaves are smelling a bit like a clean mountain lake. Fruitiness is giving way to a mineral like quality which tingles on the back of my tongue.

Fourth infusion – I believe I am picking up on the flavor that others have described as adzuki bean. A bit sweet and caramely.

Overall this has been a really great raw pu-erh experience with lots of flavors and tastes. I am getting a relaxing buzz from this. It is very sweet and soulful. I wonder how it will get different with age? Might have to consider picking up the entire cake but will wait until I try the others! Very yummmy.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 15 sec
LiberTEAS

I love it when tea is waiting for me at the post office!

Charles Thomas Draper

From what I saw on here their tea looks nice. I have to check the website

Charles Thomas Draper

I bookmarked it….

TeaBrat

Yes I have high hopes… will let you know. ;-)

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53

First steep: very green with a sweetness

Secod steep: a muddiness is coming out now. It tales like a muddy grass yard smells.

Third: it’s become lighter. A barely-there “generic tea” taste as the finish and sthe muddiness has turned to gravel dust.

So far I’d say this is a good tea but not a favorite in pu-erhs, for me.

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51

First pouring had a nice light but rich earthy tone with only the tiniest bit of the fishy taste. As in, I usually have a hard time with that aspect of pu’erhs but it made a nice touch in this.

Second, basically the same but a little stronger.

I won’t go on. I’ll just say this is one I like.

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51

First infusion: pretty muddy tasting. Really, it tasted like muddy creeks smell like. It wasn’t horrible, though -just weird to taste that so strong in a tea. It smelled and lightly tasted of fish. Got no sweetness from it.

Second infusion: Still smells and tastes a bit fishy/muddy. But this steep is much milder, with a bit of a pleasant but not quite sweet finish. I’m liking this more, we’ll see how the other steepings go.

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec

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79

This is light for a pu-erh, though still flavorful. Smooth and pleasantly complex… apricot and smoke, with just a touch of astringency on the finish. It has a faint undertone of the typical earthiness, but even with that and the smokiness, it’s not at all dark. Because of its natural sweetness, this is also nice chilled.

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88
drank Purple Tip by Bana Tea Company
152 tasting notes

Loved this tea. Inhaling the first steam from the rinse elicited a rare, spontaneous “wow” that pretty much held through to the final sip. The brew doesn’t have the dark intensity of other puerhs I’ve tried — it’s more silky than velvety yet somehow equally satisfying in its subtlety. A little smoky but very clean. I’d agree with the company’s “malty” description, but in an understated, well-balanced way; it’s a great full-mouth flavor that’s reminiscent of the gentle, rich scent of leaves walking through the woods in autumn. There is mild astringency after a long brew, but that wouldn’t deter me from drinking it frequently, because it is delicious.

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95

I’m pretty useless at describing tastes but I love this puerh – it has a really full mouth feel and very balanced taste.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 1 min, 0 sec

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79

This tea gave a very unexpected experience, as far as puerhs go.

The leaves are a nice teal-green with white flakes throughout. I detected a sweet malty peach aroma from the leaves and expected a typical sheng pu: peachy and a little harsh but pleasant; however there was none of that. Instead, after the first rinse, the aroma was malty and creamy like that of milk tea. I was totally blown away by how different this puerh tasted. The flavor was very complex from the first infusion: tastes of grains, honey, anise, beans, and licorice. A very savory tea with a lot for the tongue to ponder. The mouth-feel was very smooth and creamy, full-bodied and not a hint of dryness.

Even though the tea had some very good qualities, I have to say in the end I did not enjoy it very much. The red-tea, ceylon taste was just a bit too weird for me. Just not my ‘cup of tea,’ if you will. However, definitely worth a try.

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70
drank Purple Tip by Bana Tea Company
359 tasting notes

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Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 0 sec
__Morgana__

I just ordered their sampler in my sampling spree. I’m looking forward to its arrival. Pretty sure this one is in the group.

Ricky

Yep, it is. Can’t wait to see the reviews. Yay more people are joining on the Bana Tea pu-erh sampler =]

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67
drank Purple Tip by Bana Tea Company
243 tasting notes

So been going pretty strong with this pu-erh kick, and here is another one. After reading Ricky a few weeks ago, I decided to order this sampler (7 different pu-erh teas) to give it a shot. The presentation is fantastic, individual sealed wax paper bags all housed in a silky drawstring bag, along with some pu-erh newsletters ad information sheets, lovely.

The tea itself looked actually purple, I am not sure if that is why this is named or there is another reason, but they were dark, very dark, practically purple. I used less tea than normal as I have been trying to get a few brews out of this, but a quick rinse (5 seconds) then two quick brews (1 for 20 seconds, 1 for 30 seconds).

The liquor is light in color, has a slightly earthy note to it, but barely any aroma at all. The aroma and then taste and mouthfeel is very light and pleasant, not what I have come to expect from pu-erh, at all. This one was definitely sweeter than others I have tried, did not have the overpowering natural smell, in fact I feel like either I could have used more tea or a longer infuse time.

Honestly, if this was my first pu-erh (Numi Chocolate aside) I would have never had any trepidations as this was sweet and light and gentle, with a slightly pu-erh-esqueness that I am familiar with but does not scream “pu-erh”.

Will brew up the rest and see if I can add more.

Ricky

Well each sampler is exactly eight ounces so it’s perfect for one cup of tea. From the color I think this is a raw pu-erh so it’s a bit lighter. I realized the raw pu-erhs tasted a bit like Ti Kuan Yins. Can’t wait to read the rest of your reviews =]

Cinoi

That makes sense, this was definitely lighter than I expected, I will use the rest of the sample on a cup and give it a better shot for the tea. Can’t wait to try the rest!

Ricky

I had the same issue when I brewed up Bana Tea’s Special. I used two teaspoons and felt it was super light. After that I just started to use the whole sampler. Maybe I’ll try this one this coming Friday.

Cofftea

LOL Ricky don’t you mean it’s 8*g*?

Ricky

WOAPS =P yep, eight grams. Eight ounces would be incredible though =]

Cofftea

8oz at 28g per oz would be 224g of pu erh! Since I drink 2oz cups, that’d be a 3rd of a year’s supply for me!

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75

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Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec

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75

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Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 45 sec

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80

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Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec
Ricky

I’ve been drinking this all day and I’m super bored of it. Onto my eight infusion. It’s still kicking strong.

Cofftea

The good thing about pu erh is I typically make small cups (normally 3oz) since I don’t want a crap load of caffeine so I can get thru the infusions faster.

Shanti

Ooh, this actually makes me want to try pu erh.

Cofftea, someone on the discussion board said that pu erhs are pretty much caffeine free, so happy sipping! :)

Cofftea

I’m sure they’re quite knowledgeable but it seems every resource has conflicting info about caffeine. It’s not just a caffeine issue. 12 infusions at 2oz each go faster than ones at 6 so I can move on to something else quicker and not get bored. I hate tossing leaves just because I’m bored or sick of them.

Shanti

That seems like a smart way to avoid wasting the leaves :) are the little cups stronger than the larger cups? or could you possibly get even more infusions if you did small “normal strength” cups? I’m looking to trying pu erh, so I’m trying to learn more about how to steep it!

Ricky

I’ve been making mine about 6oz, but yes, 2oz ones would definitely go quicker. Anyways, Bana’s little instructions go something like 10sec,20sec,30sec,40sec,1min,2min, yeah I’m going to stop typing now. As for the caffeine levels, I think it varies. Some contain as much as black, some contains as much as whites. Luckily I’m feeling sleepy, so I know the caffeine is wearing off. I was definitely a lot more alert earlier in the day. I would think a smaller cup is more concentrated. More water same steep time = you’re diluting it. I think $10 for 7 samples isn’t a bad deal. I mean each one lasts about 10 infusions if you really want to drink it for that long. I’ve been on this all day. It’s starting to finally fade. So you are getting about 7 cents a cup of tea.

Cofftea

Shanti, Carolyn gave me great advice for preparing pu erh. For both cooked and raw pu erh (not sure if this would apply to a nest, I’ve only had loose and cake):

1g of leaf per oz of water
Pour the appropriate amount of boiling water over the leaves (I use just below boiling as someone said boiling water kills the health benefits), let steep 15 sec and decant. This is your rinse, discard this infusion.
Pour more water over the leaves steeping 20 sec this time before decanting. This is your 1st drinkable infusion. Continue to steep for 20 sec til you find the flavor too weak for your taste then increase by 10 sec.

So to answer your question, no the litte cups are not stronger. It’s like making 1 cup of green tea vs a 24oz pot. The flavor doesn’t change, just the amount does. …All this talk of pu erh makes me want some!

Ricky

Haha, ahh yes, it really does depend on the amount of leaves you use. I was thinking of a normal cup. I used the whole packet 7g of leaves for 6oz of water =]

Shanti

Thank you cofftea! I’m going to bookmark this :)

Cofftea

Yeah when I get this I’ll probably split the samples into 2, 2, and 3oz cups. The only thing about small cups is you need to save that kinda tea for when you have a lot of time to make tea. Making a new infusion (even a 20 sec steep) every 2oz (it doesn’t take me long to drink 2oz of tea) is quite time consuming. Maybe not the best tea choice for work when you’re being paid to do something other than make and drink tea lol.

Ricky

And here I was thinking of bringing this tea to work, hahahah. I think I just wanted to finish it off so I wouldn’t have to drink a whole day of pu-erh again. That might be why I’m always hesitant in starting one.

sophistre

Nice recmomendations, Carolyn/Cofftea. My attempt with Maiden’s had me steeping for…gosh, I don’t know. A few minutes, anyway. Maybe I should back the steep time down and try again. I don’t know if that would change the flavor much, but maybe it’d back the intensity down. Thanks for the rundown!

Cofftea

sophistre, I’ve found treating a cooked pu erh like a black tea (~5min) is completely revolting to my personal taste but I don’t mijnd the shorter steep w/ more leaf… and I would enjoy even more if I enjoyed black teas. I wonder if the difference is as drastic to other people’s taste buds.

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97

This was another of the teas I tried in the 7-tea sampler set from Bana Tea Co. The three things that struck me about this tea were:

1) The name was lovely, and so poetic.
2) The leaves were similarly lovely and poetic. Very big, fluffy leaves with lots of silver buds laced throughout, like moonlight dancing through the trees.
3) The flavor of this tea tasted to me like a high mountain Ceylon tea, but smoother and sweeter..!!

I suppose the varietal of tea plant from which Ceylons come is related to the teas used in Yunnan for puerh, but this was a complete surprise to me. The flavor was sweet and malty. Reading over the description of how this tea was made, perhaps the oxidation of the raw tea explains the ceylon-esque qualities.

But for whatever reason, the tea was fruity, smooth, malty, and very unique! It highlights the way that puerhs can taste completely different.

The sampler would be great for someone who would like to taste the wide array of flavors and characteristics that are possible in the world of puerh teas.

Cofftea

Is there a way to get an English version of the website?

tiffanypicard

Hi there,
The entire site’s in English at: http://www.banateacompany.com/

Cofftea

Thanks… banatea.com is chinese:(

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91

I got this tea in Bana Tea Co.’s sampler set of seven teas.

This is just a sidenote, but I love the presentation of the teas at Bana.. many tea companies randomly toss the tea in whatever boxes or containers may be at hand, with no explanation.

Bana’s tea sampler was a mere $10, and yet it came in a cute little silken drawstring bag, with each tea carefully labeled in a vellum envelope, and sealed with a Bana Tea sticker. The order also came with printouts of the past 2 company newsletters, a pamphlet explaining each tea in the sampler, and a printout of common puerh FAQs. The entire package just oozed care and love for the teas enclosed. Before even trying the teas, the packaging reflected the care with which the teas were probably sought and selected. Many tea companies would do good to take note in my opinion!

Sorry, tangent over. Onto the tea!

The leaves of this tea were small and unassuming. Tightly compressed, olive in color. After a quick rinse they had a musky, earthy aroma. Spinach, old library books, and a touch of sourness. A sweet finish followed the sour, but from the aroma, I could tell I was in for a pretty strong brew!

The cup itself was a dark orangey-red—quite dark for a 2008 puerh! Then again, it probably was not stored in rainy, cold, dry climates where I tend to live. :) There’s something to be said for proper storage..

At first sip, the tea was a strong, dark chocolate mousse flavor. Following was a homemade applesauce note lingering in my throat. I like the description that says that this tea has a lot more chi/qi than most cakes its age.. it definitely has a lot of strength and maturity to it.

It’s still a bit strong for my usual tastes, but I could see how it would age really well. It was the perfect tea to energize me on a day where my energy was lagging!

Cofftea

Don’t apologize for the tangent, you sold me on the sampler!:) Are there any green pu erhs in it?

tiffanypicard

That’s great to hear! It’s a real treat. I think technically all 7 teas are green, but each tea tastes completely different. Looking forward to hearing what you think of them! :)

Cofftea

It will be quite a while before I have even the measly $10 or cupboard space. :( But I’ll let you know!:) I just had my 1st unflavored pu erh sucesses (2 cooked and a raw) this week.

tiffanypicard

Haha, I know the feeling. Good luck taming the tea cupboard and happy tea drinking!

Ricky

Aww I love samplers! Seems they give you most of their tea except for the tea bricks. Not bad.

tiffanypicard

Yes, it was a really generous sampler, especially considering the price!

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