Uh… 3-4 teaspoons for 8 oz?
WHOOPS
This is what happens when they don’t put the leafage on the bag! Grrr!
Ah well. It’s a free sample, so there’s only so much griping I can do. I would try steeping it longer, but I have a bad feeling that would only result in the overwhelmingly flagrant essence of FISH! Like the last pu-erh I had, which is still sitting in a bag in the back corner of my cupboard with absolutely no plans for a sipdown anywhere in this dimension of time and space because it tastes exactly like FISH!
This one is… earthy? It’s got a fair amount of FISH!, especially in the aroma, but the flavor itself is darker and bassier. There is actually a bit of maltiness in the aftertaste too. It’s actually fairly pleasant, at least once I stop smelling it. Next time, I’ll use more cake per water. Also I won’t spill it all over the damn stove as I’m trying to pour it.
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some really are that way,though i have no idea why. verdnat’s golden buds puerh isn’t and the mandala puerhs aren’t…. but i’ve discovered that i taste a moss pillow or fish if there isn’t astringency to balance it(but that’s just me). =0)
Yeah. I was wondering about that, since I’d only had one other pu-erh and I figured since I’d heard good things about that kind of tea, they can’t all taste like FISH! In fact, I’m curious to explore the world of pu-erhs simply because I’ve heard so many contradictory and counterintuitive things said about them, I can’t help thinking they must be such an interesting tea, even if not my favorite cuppa.
have you tried steap shoppe’s cinnamon swirl bread? that’s a combination black and puerh with the puerh playing the part of the bread VERY convincingly. so long as you like cinnamon this may be a good way to get into them?
i started with flavoured ones from david’s teas and teavana and then moved into the unflavoured. for myself an astringent (but not acrid or bitter) balance is necessary or i really feel like i’ve been whacked in the tongue with a moss pillow dipped in fish, lol.
I’ve never had this pu’erh, but Teavivre has good quality teas and all the reviews are favorable. I’m just wondering if you didn’t rinse it enough. Sometimes lack of rinse or too long of a first steep with yield some fishiness even in great pu’erhs. I would suggest 2 10 second rinses and then short first steep. Even western brewing a pu’erh I usually only steep 20-30 seconds for the first steep. I’m not sure, just suggesting. Did you resteep it? Was the next steep also fishy? If not then I would look at longer/more rinse for next time.
James, I have yet to try a flavored pu-erh. To be honest, the flavor of pu-erhs is so distinctive I have a hard time imagining them with other flavors! It sounds like at least the cinnamon swirl bread was a success though?
Dexter, it’s definitely a good tea. I have yet to rinse a pu-erh although that’s something I’ve heard you should do, more than anything because I just haven’t had the time/patience to do it yet. :P I would have resteeped, but it was late at night and I was afraid to do more than one cup of a fairly caffeinated type of tea.
Ew. There’s tea that tastes like fish in this world? Even if you rinse it…I just. I can’t imagine why you’d rinse away the fishiness of tea when there’s so much tea that isn’t fishy to begin with?
LOL keychange – I’m not sure if that’s a rhetorical question or if you would like an explanation. My answer would be because great pu’erhs are AMAZING teas. If you look at my tea ratings and change the sort by to highest rated, 5 out of my top 6 are pu’erh. When it’s good it’s amazing, but it’s not for everyone – some can’t get past the fishy, some can’t get past the “earthy”, “barnyard”, “mouldy”, “stinky feet” part of it. There are lots of unflattering words used to describe it. I put some in the travelling tea box. You should at least give it a sniff if you get the chance. :))
some really are that way,though i have no idea why. verdnat’s golden buds puerh isn’t and the mandala puerhs aren’t…. but i’ve discovered that i taste a moss pillow or fish if there isn’t astringency to balance it(but that’s just me). =0)
Yeah. I was wondering about that, since I’d only had one other pu-erh and I figured since I’d heard good things about that kind of tea, they can’t all taste like FISH! In fact, I’m curious to explore the world of pu-erhs simply because I’ve heard so many contradictory and counterintuitive things said about them, I can’t help thinking they must be such an interesting tea, even if not my favorite cuppa.
have you tried steap shoppe’s cinnamon swirl bread? that’s a combination black and puerh with the puerh playing the part of the bread VERY convincingly. so long as you like cinnamon this may be a good way to get into them?
i started with flavoured ones from david’s teas and teavana and then moved into the unflavoured. for myself an astringent (but not acrid or bitter) balance is necessary or i really feel like i’ve been whacked in the tongue with a moss pillow dipped in fish, lol.
I’ve never had this pu’erh, but Teavivre has good quality teas and all the reviews are favorable. I’m just wondering if you didn’t rinse it enough. Sometimes lack of rinse or too long of a first steep with yield some fishiness even in great pu’erhs. I would suggest 2 10 second rinses and then short first steep. Even western brewing a pu’erh I usually only steep 20-30 seconds for the first steep. I’m not sure, just suggesting. Did you resteep it? Was the next steep also fishy? If not then I would look at longer/more rinse for next time.
James, I have yet to try a flavored pu-erh. To be honest, the flavor of pu-erhs is so distinctive I have a hard time imagining them with other flavors! It sounds like at least the cinnamon swirl bread was a success though?
Dexter, it’s definitely a good tea. I have yet to rinse a pu-erh although that’s something I’ve heard you should do, more than anything because I just haven’t had the time/patience to do it yet. :P I would have resteeped, but it was late at night and I was afraid to do more than one cup of a fairly caffeinated type of tea.
Ew. There’s tea that tastes like fish in this world? Even if you rinse it…I just. I can’t imagine why you’d rinse away the fishiness of tea when there’s so much tea that isn’t fishy to begin with?
LOL keychange – I’m not sure if that’s a rhetorical question or if you would like an explanation. My answer would be because great pu’erhs are AMAZING teas. If you look at my tea ratings and change the sort by to highest rated, 5 out of my top 6 are pu’erh. When it’s good it’s amazing, but it’s not for everyone – some can’t get past the fishy, some can’t get past the “earthy”, “barnyard”, “mouldy”, “stinky feet” part of it. There are lots of unflattering words used to describe it. I put some in the travelling tea box. You should at least give it a sniff if you get the chance. :))