Peculiar name notwithstanding, I enjoyed this tea. The dry leaf has a wonderfully fruity and peachy aroma, which carried through into the brewed tea. It was really peach-forward! Sweet tasting as well, likely from the apple content, but I added a strong dose of Splenda, too. While the apple and ginger were discernible, I can’t say that I was aware of safflower, dandelion, turmeric, or even the pu’erh itself. Does safflower even HAVE a flavor?
It was not disclosed whether it was a shou or sheng puer, but there was none of the compost/ woody/ forest/ fishy/ camphor notes that might be expected. And the steeped brew was fairly light in color, too. Not bitter nor mushroomy, non-astringent. So my guess is that it is a soft, young sheng. Anyway, pu’erh aficionados may be disappointed, but those afraid of typical pu’erhs can sip this without hesitation. I was only sipping on a friends supply and don’t think I’ll buy it myself, because the peach was just a bit overwhelming for me.
Perhaps if it had been real peach pieces rather than flavorings, I might have enjoyed it more. But it’s definitely not bad, and if the good comments I’ve made here intrigue you, then I’d encourage you to try some! I brewed one sachet western style in 8 oz of 95°C alpine spring water for 4 min, as directed.
Flavors: Apple, Ginger, Peach
Seems like this is meant to be a wellness blend for digestion/gut health which is where the name is coming from.
Ros, yeah, I had a feeling—a gut feeling—that was the intended implication. I get annoyed at all the pseudoscience and outright quackery dispensed by many tea vendors, including Tealyra. But I still liked the flavors promised by this tea, and wish it had fully lived-up to the promise.
Although much quackery is noised about, webmd and other sources tout puerh for gut health AND the bacteria involved produce their own form of what we know as lovastatin, which is why it relieves feelings of heaviness after a fatty meal supposedly. The older the pu the more “statin” type compound is produced. And it has worked for me after too much pizza plus crust dipped in garlic butter.
Looks like they have truncated their article but google has plenty.
https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/pu-erh_tea.htm
ashmanra: brilliant! glad you get measurable benefit from the puer!