I’m trying to put all my Strand Tea orders to the forefront due to age, so I made a cup of this for my work thermos this morning. They call it “Pu-erh Mocha” but it is obvious from the ingredients that it is wholesaled from Metropolitan Tea Company and is their Ethiopian Mocha Pu-erh blend.
Don’t like coffee? Then you won’t like this tea. I think this is one of those “gateway” blends, as the coffee element is very strong. I haven’t had coffee in quite some time now, so I imagine the caffeine is going to hit me hard; this actually has ground coffee in the blend, not just whole beans to give it a “coffee flavor”, so it will pack a jolt. I used to drink coffee quite a bit back in the day, but my stomach is a lot more sensitive these days, and even mixed with the pu-erh, I’m not sure if I can handle something like this anymore, even though I don’t mind the taste. It’s just a might too acidic-feeling when I deal with a lot of nausea/IBS with my migraines and the pu-erh doesn’t seem to be cutting that feeling in my gut down enough. I get some subtle earthy notes, and the mild hint of burnt sugar from the butterscotch is nice, but I wouldn’t mind that being a bit stronger, just to add a touch more sweetness to the cup to counter how bitter it is coming off… perhaps next time I should try this latte-style with some almond milk? That may make all the difference. Otherwise, I’m not sure if I can possibly sip down this much leaf of this tea. It’s just too wrought-iron strong for how sensitive my stomach has become.
Flavors: Bitter, Burnt Sugar, Coffee, Earth
I wonder if brewing this as if it were coffee might help? I’ve just been reading Roswell’s notes about the DT ‘tea espresso’ and they seem to be quite mild.
But those were actually tea, not coffee grounds. Just formulated for use in an espresso machine. This does have pu-erh leaf in it, so I’m not sure if, say, putting it in a coffee machine vs. a gravity well infuser and having that steaming hot water dumped over it would be the right choice…
Hmm, good point.. I would be tempted to say try it and see, just because coffee grounds and pu are things I usually prepare similarly anyway. Maybe a French press? closer to a gravity steeper? Idk. Maybe not worth it if it’s giving you an upset stomach.