Pu-Erh Gourmand

mmm had a cup of this to kick start my day. Sometimes it’s nice to have a flavoured puerh and a straight one on the go at the same time heh. Still really enjoying this one, so i may need to put i on the list for someday when i get to go back to france/uk sigh

It’s all Sil’s fault. I wasn’t going to have another cup, but she just had to dangle that tasting note in front of me.

This smells insane. Going by the dry tea alone I understand all the hype when it comes to the famed Dammann Frères caramel notes, because this is all lush caramel and vanilla… and pu-erh. This particular pu-erh really is like drinking an exquisite, wooden box, polished to perfection.

Steeped, its flavour mimics what a room in my house in the country smells like on certain days – down to the very last nuance. It used to be my grandmother’s room, and her fine, carved wooden box from India is still there. She always had caramel toffees, so I keep some in there for her ghost… and that’s what’s in this cup exactly.

It’s almost a little too freaky – a little too close to home, a little too intimate.

But still absolutely wonderful.

[From my epic Instant-Thé order to Rome, October 2013.]

This is another one of those, if I loved puerh I would be in love with this tea. Still, I definitely enjoy it all the same; it just takes me a bit to reorient my flavor and scent expectations for a puerh.

I love the caramel-cookie notes in this, and how rich and sweet it is. I would actually restock this one as I do like to keep one puerh around. I have no problem drinkinga big cup of this one, which is not something I can say about most puerhs.

This came my way from JustJames – another tea I would never have tried if not for you, so thank you!

The flavours in this puerh are really prominent. The first flavour that jumps out is the almond, followed by sweet and creamy vanilla and caramel. For the second steep the almond disappeared but I still tasted the caramel and vanilla.

I really enjoyed this one. Vanilla and caramel is just so good.

I’ve sipped this one twice now and I could swear there isn’t any additional flavor to the pu-erh. That was before I looked at the description though. To me, this doesn’t warrant an 84 Steepster rating, but possibly the flavors meld so well and seamlessly with the flavors of a ripened puerh that you can’t really taste the difference. I’m tasting possibly a little of a marzipan type flavor (this seems to be a theme with DF teas, but I’m glad I like marzipan.) Otherwise, much of the flavor goes missing in the second steep that was barely there in the first cup. It’s a solid ripe pu-erh though, so I like it.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug// few minutes after boiling // 2 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // few minutes after boiling // 3-4 minute steep

I’m changing my rating on this tea because I discovered yesterday that I like it a lot better when steeped strongly (strong enough to be thick and almost black, lol). I’m also impressed that the leaves are able to brew so many strong cups of tea without weakening.

Didn’t particularly enjoyed this tea. Flavours too subtle, pu’erh base not interesting enough. Just taste like a regular pu’erh (at least to me [many people seems to enjoy it])

I actually have two samples of this tea – one from Stephanie and one from ashmanra. Sorry ladies, I dunno how that happened. I’m not the hugest puerh fan, but I find some flavored puerhs can be quite tasty. The loose puerh here is a dark chocolate brown color. Dry scent is earthy but sweet with a touch of cinnamon?

Hmm… I’m actually not getting a lot of additional flavor here besides the puerh itself. And I will say, this puerh is earthy but it’s extremely smooth and there’s no fishy taste at all. I can perhaps taste a tiny touch of caramel? I think the vanilla may be hidden by the fact that the puerh is pretty woody and vanilla is sometimes woody as well. It’s not bad, but it tastes like a straight puerh to me.

Almonette cookies.

Like, you know those gorgeous, delicately flavoured, perfectly crumbly iced cookies Voortman makes? Man, those were my favourite when I lived in Canada. I didn’t realise how much I missed them until I had this tea, and it was the same gloriously biscuitty, just a hint of almondiness, buttery gorgeousness, bolstered by a really nice backbone of earthy pu erh. I’m on my second steep of this and having au naturel this time after trying it first with milk. Yeah. This is a winner. I expect this one will stay in rotation in my cupboard until you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

hoards

Wowzers, this is one of the best flavored puerhs I’ve had! It tastes like a sweet almond cookie or maybe a scone with an orange glaze. Slightly earthy puerh undertone. Dirty sexy French scone! hahaha! YUM :)