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sherapop drank Wisdom Pu-erh Chai by Chai Diaries

1737 tasting notes

I brewed up a glass of this gringo pu-erh blend today, after yesterday’s first ever pure pu-erh experience. I was happy with my little tuo cha, which seemed to want to be reinfused over and over again. I called it quits after three servings, but I am pretty sure that it would have lasted many more.

I was thinking about pu-erh blends such as this Wisdom Pu-erh Chai, which present some questions to my mind. For one thing, how can they be rinsed without removing some of the flavors? Or perhaps they do not require a rinse? It’s strange because the chunks of tea in this sachet do look like broken off pieces of Pu-erh from a cake, along with some dried leaves. So it does look like pu-erh to me.

Another question is whether pu-erh blends should be adulterated with cream. My understanding is that people drink pure pu-erh straight, without any adulterants. Is that right? I ask because this blend tastes better with cream, so I gave it a bit of a douse.

The color is much redder than most black teas I’ve seen. It’s not a red amber, but more like a reddish gray liquor—once the cream has been added. It tastes pretty good, but I think that I’ll probably refrain from buying many more pu-erh blends in the future, given my positive experience with pure pu-erh yesterday.

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MzPriss
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If you like it with cream and it tastes better to you that way – drink it that way. As you try new ones, I would at least taste them without it first because they are different, but if you want cream, add cream. It’s bout making yourself happy.

sherapop
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Thanks for the wise advice, MzPriss! ;-)

TheTeaFairy
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I second everything MzPriss just said :-)

MzPriss
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Cheri
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I agree as well. Tea is about enjoying what you’re drinking. Who is to say it’s wrong to add cream or sugar or honey or syrup or milk or whatever if that’s what makes one happy?

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MzPriss
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sherapop
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Thanks for the wise advice, MzPriss! ;-)

TheTeaFairy
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I second everything MzPriss just said :-)

MzPriss
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Cheri
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I agree as well. Tea is about enjoying what you’re drinking. Who is to say it’s wrong to add cream or sugar or honey or syrup or milk or whatever if that’s what makes one happy?

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I have fallen off the “tea log boat”, as I am now in New Zealand and was really flailing about for a while, having depleted all of my Chinese and Japanese green tea supply! Fortunately, my first order of 2015 has now arrived! I should begin writing very soon about tea at my new blog, sherapop’s tea leaves. Please stop by and contribute your ideas—all viewpoints are welcome!

A long-time tea and perfume lover, I have recently begun to explore the intersections between the two at my blog: http://salondeparfum-sherapop.blogspot.com//

The scent of tea can be just as appealing as—sometimes more than—its taste! Tea also offers boundless visual beauty in its various forms and states of preparation.

A few words about my ratings. In assessing both teas and perfumes, my evaluation is “all things considered.” Teas do not differ very much in price (relative to perfumes or any luxury items), so I do not usually consider the price when rating a tea.

What I do consider is how the particular tea compares to teas of its own type. So I might give a high rating to a fine herbal infusion even though I would never say that it is my favorite TEA. But if it’s good for what it is, then it deserves a high rating. There is no point in wishing that a chamomile blend was an Assam or a sencha tea!

Any rating below 50 means that I find the liquid less desirable to drink than plain water. I may or may not finish the cup, depending upon how thirsty I am and whether there is another hot beverage or (in summertime) a source of fresh water available.

From 50 to 60 indicates that, while potable, the tea is not one which I would buy or repurchase, if I already made the mistake (I have learned) of purchasing it.

From 60 to 70 means that the tea is drinkable but I have criticisms of some sort, and I probably would not purchase or repurchase the tea as I can think of obvious alternatives which would be better.

From 70 to 80 is a solid brew which I would purchase again.

From 80 to 90 is good stuff, and I probably need to have some ready at hand in my humble abode.

From 90 to 100 is a tea (or infusion) which I have come to depend on and look forward to imbibing again and again—if possible!

If you are interested in perfume, you might like my 2400+ perfume reviews, most of which have been archived at sherapop’s sillage (essentially my perfumelog):

http://sherapop.blogspot.com/

Finally, please note that after a great deal of debate with myself, I have decided to use the cupboard here at Steepster as a “museum” of sorts—to commemorate all of the various teas which I have purchased and truly enjoyed since December 2013.

I do not currently possess all of the teas listed in this cupboard, but am using the function as a way of recording how many times I drank every tea which I did own at some point and wish not to forget. Teas found both in my “cupboard” and on my “wishlist” are those which I did own and intend to restock. Teas best forgotten have been removed from the cupboard once depleted (in some cases tossed…).

I have also decided (beginning in 2015) to use the tasting note function to maintain a chronological record of the teas I’ve consumed since December 15, 2013. Most new reviews will now be posted directly at my blog, sherapop’s tea leaves.

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Curio Bay, South Island, New Zealand

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http://salondeparfum-sherapop...

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