Pu-Erh Chorange

This is another sample sent to me by Kat_Maria in our swap some time ago. Like the puerh spice, I was hesitant to try this one because of the strong scent as well as the fact that the base is puerh. As it was steeping, I got a strong whiff of a chocolate-y smell as well as some warm spices. When I tasted the tea, however, I got more of the spice taste than chocolate. I could also detect some citrus, which I suppose is the orange coming out. For some reason though, the main tastes are earthiness (from the puerh base) and then some sort of warm spice flavor. I don’t know if that’s supposed to be there or if there was some scent contamination that makes me think I’m tasting it or what. In any case, it does seem very fall appropriate at the moment. I probably won’t repurchase because it’s a bit confusing to me and I still cannot appreciate puerh teas much, but it was a lovely cup for today.

This tea smells amazing. Opening the bag, I’m overwhelmed by the scent of rich chocolate and hints of orange. The Pu Erh is overpowered by the aromas of the flavorings. As usual, I’m not sure what the blue cornflowers are doing in there. Do these things smell or taste like anything? I’ve never known them to.

As I brew the cup, the liquid is dark, rich, reddish brown. It’s a lovely color and like most Pu Erh I’ve tried, it gets much darker as I let it set longer. I brewed this according to the package directions this time, so 5 minutes with boiling water.

I put a bit of sugar in my cup and sipped the very warm tea. It’s so vivid! The taste of chocolate and orange assault my mouth with a sweetness lacking any bitter flavor. The Pu Erh is a subtle companion to the stronger flavorings used, but still present and tasty.
I add a bit more sugar to wake up the chocolate flavor and it is a total win. Sweet, this tea is a treat. I almost feel I should be having it for desert. In the future, I may have to do just that.

I would say if you like chocolate and orange together, you’ll love this tea, hands down. It’s the strongest flavor I’ve had with a Pu Erh so far and it’s delightful.

I saved it for resteeping this morning and its potency is every bit as strong as the night before. I brewed it for 2 minutes and it was already dark so I went ahead and poured it in my cup. The flavor is as strong and bold and awake as it was last night. I am impressed with how potent it was with such a short resteeping time. If anything, the flavor is bolder.
I wonder how many cups I could make of this, but at the same time I wonder how many I want. It’s not that the tea isn’t good— it’s delightful— it’s that I am not sure I want this much desert!

I would say it’d be a delightful tea to share with someone so you can brew it, then let them resteep it, and ping pong it back and forth haha. :) Unless you could enjoy this much desert in a row. I bet it’d resteep 1-2 more times really well.

Hmm…I wasn’t expecting much out of this – since I wasn’t really in the mood for an orange tea – but I’ll admit I was pleasantly surprised by how delightfully chocolate it is. Right after brewing it smells almost exactly like a tootsie roll and there’s enough rich chocolate flavour in the cup to make good on that promise.

Not to say that the orange doesn’t flavour prominently in this cup, also – there’s a definite citrus-orange note in the middle of each mouthful – but there’s also a smoky (almost chalky) hint that catches you right at the end that’s almost unpleasant.

My main complaint with this cup is actually that the pu erh is hardly noticeable amidst the layers of flavouring. This is a shame since I actually enjoy the nuance in some pu erhs…but overall the cup is an enjoyable one.

This tea is delicious! It is very orangey but the chocolate flavor is still apparent, making it taste just like dessert!

I love this tea. It smells and tastes like a chocolate orange.