Mini Tuocha Pu-erh
Mini Tuocha Pu-erh
Pu-erh tea comes from the Yunnan province in China. The popularity of Pu-erh tea has been increasing mainly due to the many health benefits that are attributed to it. Studies show that pu-erh not only lowers blood cholesterol but also prevents bad cholesterol from forming in the arteries, that pu-erh has great antioxidant benefits, stimulates weight reduction and is beneficial to digestion.
The approximate 1-inch round, black, individually wrapped mini bowls (bird nest shaped cakes) are from the Yunnan province of China. Each mini bowl brews to a burnt umber color and yields a full bodied, earthy, peaty tasting tea, capable of 3-5 steepings.
To brew add one mini bowl per cup, bring the water to a rolling boil (212ºF) and steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on how light or dark you like your tea.
- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
Appearance & Packaging: The Mini Tuocha Pu-erh comes in little nest-shaped cakes, each wrapped in a simple paper that look like they were crafted by a tea alchemist. Visually appealing and convenient for both storage and portioning. The tea has a dark compressed appearance.
Aroma: I smell deep, earthy aromas, like having a rainforest in my kitchen. There are notes of wood, tobacco, and hints of mustiness. It is very inviting.
Flavor: The initial brew delivers a smooth and full-bodied taste. It is rich and earthy with a pleasant, almost sweet undertone that balances out the more robust notes of leather and aged wood. With subsequent steepings, the flavor evolves with notes of cocoa, dried fruit, and a mild spiciness. The tea is incredibly smooth with a slight astringency that fades quickly, leaving a clean finish. Each steeping brings out different notes. The leaves expand nicely. Added bonus, since they improve with each steeping it is like having a magical never ending supply of tea that keeps getting better.
4.5/5 Stars
First let me say I own 70 canisters of Simpson and Vail teas and love 69 of them. I also have several other brands of Pu-erhs so am well aware of the taste profile. This one sadly tastes like rotting fish. Either the grower did not ferment it properly or it was shipped next to a crate of dead fish. Either way, it is now becoming plant food.
Just starting to explore Pu-erh teas, but I've really enjoyed this. As a neophyte, the mini tuocha formfactor makes serving size easy. Brews to a full body with an inky black/brown color. Very intense flavor: earthy with woodsy/mushroom character. I enjoyed this a lot. Can easily brew three or more times from the same leaves and track the evolution.
A fishy smell in the dry leaves is a mark of improperly stored ripe Pu Er, and, unfortunately, the pouch of mini-tuos I bought have it. In the future, I would recommend buying my ripe Pu Er elsewhere.Making the best of a sub-par purchase, I find that 2 or 3 flash washes of the leaves before the first steep reduce the fishiness to a medicinal-herb aroma and bitterness much like horehound. I also detect a note of antique cedar wood and a slight peppery bite in the aftertaste.