1 Tasting Note
Steeped in a sort of gaiwan (don’t ask…) at about 205 degrees (almost right off from the boil)
First Steep:
Lots of raw fresh fish nodes on the inhale. Can’t really smell the spicy chai.
Tastes almost entirely spicy chai with a certain earthiness which is suspect is the pu erh coming through.
color very dark, even for a 15-20 second steep
Second Steep:
This is more of a baked tilapia scent (very faint baked fish smell) with a certain underlying sweetness
Taste: much sweeter chai flavor, not as much spice, with a few mellow earthy nodes, and that fishy taste in the back of your mouth about 30 seconds after a sip… mmmm
Color: almost coffee black, steeped for about 30-45 seconds
Third Steep:
Smell: here comes back that nice raw fish smell accompanied with a very nice spicy scent. they tango very well.
Taste: the chai taste overall on this steep is starting to decline and is instead being taken over by that wonderful earthiness, and as this steep gets a little cooler, I can taste more of that fermented/fishy/whatever earthy taste it is.
color: still very dark brown and heavy for a 45sec-1 min steep
this is where I took a small break to vape on my e-cig… definitely affects the flavor of my juice… very interesting to say the least.
Fourth steep:
Smell: lots of chai on this one. dat fish smell sort of takes a backseat on this steep
Taste: more fishiness, but also the spice from the chai is coming back out
color: almost just as black as the second steep, looks like I’m going to be able to steep this a few more times.
This tea has outlasted my patience in writing a review.
All in all, this tea blew my socks off for it being my first pu erh. The spicy/sweet chai and the what I’m guessing is pu erh flavor take turns coming in and out in between steeps.
I’m hoping other pu erhs are like this even heavier in the mouth feel and scent/flavor. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy the fishy-ness that I’ve read about at first, but to my surprise I really liked it. sorta sad I only got an ounce of this to try out.
10/10 would buy again.
