Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Raw Pu-Erh Loose Leaf
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
The moonlight beauty tea is developed by the local Yunnan tea makers based on the continuous summarization and deepened understanding of the new trend of pu-erh flavor. It is a new breed of pu-erh tea. Made of the tender buds of large-leaf tea and processed with the method similar to that of Fuding White Tea. Moonlight beauty tea has a rich bouquet and clear yellow soup broth. As for as taste is concerned, this tea has a smooth, pliable, sweet and fresh mouthfeel without any bitter note.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Thank you Angel from Teavivre for sending me this sample to try.
I love the name of this tea, Moonlight Beauty sounds so pure and happy. The website says that though this tea is a raw Pu-Erh it is also similar to a white tea due to the processing of the leaves. You can see the similarity when you inspect the leaves.
In appearance the leaves are long and fairly thin with lots of downy hairs. They are a very pale green, almost white colour and they bare a soft, fresh scent of grass and pepper. Enough to smell like a Pu-Erh but living up to it’s subtle nature. The leaves are also crisp to the touch and could easily be broken into small pieces with fingers.
I will be using 5g of leaf in a 220ml teapot with boiling water.
First Steep – 1 minute
After the first steep the leaves now smell malty and wooden, a real contrast to their dry form. The tea also shares hints of wood and malt, with pepper and sweet pine. The liquid is very light yellow.
In flavour this is more subtle than it smells. The first thing I notice is the smoothness of a fresh pine and sweet peony notes. The after taste is dry and slightly nutty. It actually reminds me of a Bai Mu Dan white tea in flavour.
Second Steep – 2 minutes
More peony and slightly sweeter than the previous steep, though just as mild. More drying in the after taste too. It tastes like spring rain drops that have landed onto flower petals, that imagery is in my mind every time I sip.
Third Steep – 3 minutes
Slightly sour during this steep but with a creamy finish and just as much peony. It has to be said that the dryness is somewhat spoiling it’s subtle elegance.
Overall – I am not a fan of white tea usually and that is exactly what this tea reminds me of. It’s not very Pu-Erh like except for the peppery, wood notes in the leaves once you start to infuse it. That being said it was still a pleasant and non offensive tea. I don’t think I could drink it all the time though, it’s just too mild for my personal taste. I imagine it’s great to keep hydrated with on hot summer days though. I also imagine that the mild nature of this tea would make it rather forgiving should you over steep it. Essentially it remained very similar throughout all three steeps.
Thank you again Angel for the opportunity to try this tea.
Until next time, Happy Steeping Everyone!
2005 Shu Tuo-Phoenix Old Tea Tree Tea from ESGreen
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh Tea
Where to Buy: ES Green
Tea Description:
This cooked(ripe) loose-leaf pu-erh tea has been produced in 2005. Slim tea buds are covered with gold fuzz. Neat and clean.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
2005 Shu Tuo-Phoenix Old Tea Tree Tea from ESGreen is a ripe, cooked loose-leaf pu-erh tea from 2005. For these tea leaves you will see slim tea buds that are covered with gold fuzz. The leaves from the 2005 Shu Tuo-Phoenix Old Tea Tree Tea from ESGreen are neat and clean as is the flavor of the offering.
Even though this 2005 Shu Tuo-Phoenix Old Tea Tree Tea from ESGreen smells a bit like wet wood and old cigars once infused it was quite pleasant to the palate! This infused very dark but also held up to multiple infusions, too. After a few moments at room temperature the flavor seems to peak at it’s flavor rush to the taste buds.
Pu-erh teas – it seems – I either love them – or hate them. This one is the first one I put in the middle category because I do like it quite a bit but also can’t say I LOVE it and have it have it every day. It is an offering to linger on – to take your time with – to appreciate and enjoy the time and artisan-ship that went into it. It may not be for everyone but if it is for you then by all means…celebrate it! I, for one, will have another cup!
Pu’er Tea (Raw Loose Leaf) from Cloud Nine Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu’er Tea
Where to Buy: Cloud Nine Teas
Tea Description:
A bold fragrance, slight astringency, a hint of bitterness and a sweet aftertaste: this is raw Pu’er tea at its best. We love its explosive pick-me-up quality, and we think you will too.
Place of Origin
Simao, Yunnan, China
Harvest
Spring 2015
Storage
Airtight dry storage recommended (sealed in a zip-lock bag. BPA-free)
Brewing & Enjoying
The goal is to bring out the tea’s essential oils. Raw loose Pu’er is best brewed at around 85-90 degrees Celsius with filtered water.
Steep at least 5 grams of leaves for 10-20 seconds and watch them open up. Discard the water (the ‘first wash’) to remove residual dirt particles. Drink the second infusion onwards. If the tea becomes too astringent, drain the pot/gaiwan*, remove a few leaves and re-infuse.
This brilliant raw Pu’er will sustain as many as eight or even ten infusions, though infusions two to five are the most enjoyable.
Enjoy the Pu’er buzz!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Pu’er Tea from Cloud Nine Teas is on tap for today at Sororitea Sisters. This Pu’er Tea is a raw loose leaf tea that Cloud Nine Teas offers on their website with a warm and fuzzy product description.
Personally I find this tea to be a nice offering. It’s certainly a more gentle pu-erh tea. Maybe even the MOST gentle pu’er I have ever had thus far. Once infused it has a fairly drab yet see-thru color that lays in the cup. The taste and smell are on the sweeter side, too. It’s both thirst-quenching and clean and makes you crave more.
Having said that…there may be people out there that are looking for a more earthy, wormy, dirt-or-woodsy type of pu’erh…in which case…I don’t think this is the pu’erh for you. It’s a more mellower, groovy, and laid-back type of pu’erh and I appreciate that.
This is a pretty good raw pu’erh to start with if you are new to this type of tea. Nicely done Cloud Nine Teas!
Pu’erh Spice Tea from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tea Description:
Pleasantly perky spices add warmth and sweetness to the mellow mineral notes of Pu Erh. Sweet cinnamon and anise with tingly ginger liven up the palate while soothing the soul. A great companion for a chilly day.
P u’erh Tea, Cinnamon Bark, Natural Spice Flavor, Orange peels, Ginger Root, Aniseed and Safflower
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Co-Op program here.
Taster’s Review:
To brew: I used my gaiwan and after a 15 second rinse, I steeped the leaves for 45 seconds in water heated to 190°F. I added 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion.
My first infusion had a nice balance of sweet and spicy. The cinnamon, ginger and aniseed offer an intriguing “chai like” flavor which is why I decided to categorize this as not just a Pu-erh tea but also a Chai. The pu-erh is a deep, mellow flavor that is very smooth. It’s a little earthy but I find that the earthiness works to this blend’s benefit. The natural earthy tones of the spices complement the earthy notes of the tea. I didn’t pick up a lot of orange flavor at first, but as I neared the bottom of my first cup, I started to notice more orange notes, hinting at what is to come with further infusion.
The second infusion allowed me to explore some of the characteristics of the tea a bit more. It’s earthy, but more like a mushroom-y earthiness. It doesn’t taste brine-y or fishy. It has a soft texture that reminds me of silky cream and the creaminess seems to translate to the flavor too. As I mentioned previously, there is a good balance of spicy and sweet. It’s not overly spicy, it reminds me a bit of pumpkin pie spice with brown sugar … warm and gentle and pleasantly sweet.
With the third infusion, I noticed a much darker color liquid. The flavor was deeper and smoother this time. I was getting a profound flavor of the rich, aged tea. It wasn’t so earthy anymore. Just deep, molasses-y, with hints of warm spice. The spice notes are much softer now, but still identifiable. A very smooth, mellow flavor.
I found that with each subsequent infusion, this tea just became even more delightful to drink. By the fourth infusion, the spice notes and the tea had become a nearly seamless flavor. The warm notes of spice were still present; they just seemed to taste like they were part of the tea rather than individual spice notes. I managed eight lovely infusions from this tea and enjoyed every one of them.
It’s a perfect autumnal tea. So warm and comforting. It tastes like autumn.
This is one of the best Pu-erh blends I’ve yet to sample. I found my experience with this tea to be very enjoyable – this is a really lovely tea. I’d recommend this to anyone who is looking to expand their tea horizons into the world of Pu-erh. This tea would be a wonderful “gateway” tea to explore the wonders of a Pu-erh.
Chocolate Chai Pu-erh Tea from Della Terra Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
This tea has all that you love about chai, the spice and the clove, blended just right with chocolate! Made with Pu-Erh tea it gives it a dark, rich, spicy flavor that, for the chai, chocolate or Pu-Erh lover, will having you steeping another cup before you know it! The chai hits you at first sip and and the chocolate soon follows. Delicious tea for all who love a nice, dark, rich tea!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Chocolate Chai Pu-erh Tea from Della Terra Teas is a very tasty take on the traditional spiced chai blend. It has what I’d expect from a chai – exotic spices that taste warm and comforting – plus CHOCOLATE which you know I am loving … all with a rich, mellow Pu-erh base.
The Pu-erh provides a really solid background of flavor that is earthy and flavorful, without being extraordinarily robust. The Pu-erh complements both the chocolate and the spices here … the earthiness of the Pu-erh works so nicely with the earthy notes of the spices, while the rich flavor of the Pu-erh enhances the rich, sweet flavor of the chocolate.
I am also liking the way the orange comes in to play here. It isn’t a strong orange flavor — it kind of tastes like someone might have squeezed a few drops of fresh orange into my cup. It brightens the cup just a touch without offering a real pronounced citrus-y flavor. It tastes a little bit like someone liquefied one of those chocolate oranges and added a little drizzle of the liquid confection into my teacup along with the tea. Deliciously intriguing.
This is a really well-conceived cuppa … I found it very enjoyable to drink without any additions … although a little bit of turbinado sugar does bring out the spices just a bit and gives a nice sweetness to the chocolate. I bet it would be good as a latte too … but I found it really delicious without the dairy! Try it both ways and see which way you like it best … but you’ve got to try this. This one is a must try for spiced chocolate lovers!