Chi of Tea

How strange that my last tasting note two years ago was for this tea and, not even realizing it, I reached for it this morning! This is still one of my favorite teas though I do not reach for it as often now due to the time constraints of dealing with two children.

This morning I used a bit more than a teaspoon of this in my 12oz tetsubin and did an initial infusion of 1 1/2 minutes. The second infusion I’m drinking now was steeped for 3 minutes and is darker than the first. I probably could have gotten away with a 2 minute steeping time. I’ll likely do a third infusion at 4 1/2 minutes and might even get a fourth. I’ll have to update this if I do.

On the third infusion of this and loving every moment. I’m so glad I took advantage of Chi of Tea’s samples offer and if the other two teas are as good as this I will definitely be ordering from this company.

The first two infusions (2 and 4 1/4 minutes respectively) had identical color and flavor: a deep red liquor with an earthy-sweet and slightly floral orange flavor. The third infusion (7 1/2 minutes) has a slightly lighter, deep peachy-red color with a slightly lighter flavor.

Thanks to Chi of Tea for the sample offer! This is the first of their teas I am trying. Smell from sample pouch=Orange. It is a pleasant orange! This has a hint of ginger taste but orange is the dominant flavor. Very nice! I am hoping the ginger and ginger root in this will help settle an upset stomach from eating a McDonalds Quarter pound cheeseburger last night. That would be great! This is a tea I could definitely see reordering!

Oh, yum. I am loving the combination of what tastes like orange zest with a subtle presence of chrysanthemum, and of course the pu-ehr. This isn’t one of those ‘cave moss’ pu-ehrs, but a light tea with a dark (lookin’) brew. Really delicious. I love that the orange isn’t overpowering, and that despite not really digging plain chrysanthemum tea, I can enjoy this. Chi of Tea gave me this as a bonus sample and I am thanking them in my mind right now. Of course, this is on the re-order list now too. :)

Sample #2 from Chi of Tea (out of Little Rock, just down the road) thanks guys!
Glad to see some folks down south doing tea right! Ok, as much as I enjoyed the Orange
Chysanthemum Pu-erh, I LOVE this one! The orange is refreshing and just enough ginger (which can be overdone for my taste) to compliment the Oolong base. Strong on the orange side, not understated at all. The woody Oolong flavor appears with the aftertaste.
This is a delicious blend and I WILL be ordering some! I think this
would be very good iced as well. I will give it a try and review that sometime.

Oooh this is absolutely delicious. I love it. I can’t believe it’s oolong, but at the same time, it definitely has the smoother mouth-feel of oolong and none of the astringency of black tea. It’s also lightly sweet and creamy, perhaps perfect for a tea latte (but delicious by itself). I am seriously into this one. MmmmMmmm…. I love that it manages to not be artificial. I tried a "vanilla"+earl grey blend recently that tasted so plasticky. This doesn’t.

Braved the snow drifts to get to the mailbox and my efforts were rewarded with samples from Chi of Tea!
While this is only my second Pu-erh ever, there are many differences in this and the bagged I tried yesterday. I have so much to learn!
The characteristic earthy feel is there, but pretty subtle. The orange is on top, with the Chrysanthemum close behind.
The orange channels blossom rather than zest, a less mature presence than ripened peel. Brewed, it is a dark, coffee-brown color.
After the sip, the orange lingers and draws me back for more. I really like it and am a little surprised, it is much lighter than the other
Pu-erh I have tried.

This tea has one of the best scents. It’s not at all artificial and seems to have many layers to it. I can smell vanilla, caramel (one scent I have never smelled clearly in a tea before) and nice black tea in the background. It has a smooth taste in the sip with just the nicest bit of sweetness. The flavors blend well together to make a very yummy cup. I bet that this would be an amazing dessert tea with milk and a touch of sugar! The only thing that bothers me is the drying effect that it leaves in my mouth. I don’t think this is something that can be helped, but I would have liked a smoother finish. Otherwise, this is a very delicious blend.

These cute little hearts are perfect for Valentines Day, but really I’d enjoy them at any point in the year. They make it extra- fun to make a cup of tea. And the cup that results is great- not too smokey, or too dark, just a good rich cup of what’s almost like an oolong to my palette. I had an acupuncturist who recommended pu-ehr as a beauty treatment (drinking it), and also for stress-relief. While I don’t know about these claims, I’m enchanted by the little hearts, and even took a photo of them before I brewed one.

I have this right between the two Yunan/Hunan golden teas I have rated because this tastes far more like a golden needle than a pu-erh. I suspect this is because the aging time is very short.

I really like this tea, and the heart shaped packs are very cute. Just don’t expect it to taste much like a truly aged, fermented pu-erh.

PS: THANK YOU to Chi of Tea for the free samples of this and a few other teas!

This tea smells great. It’s almost foresty. Once brewed, the deep golden liquor picks up a vague spiced scent, but upon tasting, it’s back to a foresty taste. It’s very nice and very smooth. There’s no bitterness. It’s a beautiful tea for all of the senses.

First sip… sweet! (And more sweet!) I think there’s a bit too much stevia in here. After the sweetness hits my mouth, I can taste mint… and a fruity undertone. It’s nice. It’s calming. It’s pretty good.