TAETEA Pu-erh Tea Puerh Tea 8.82oz

Good color and taste

Disclosure: This was sent to me for free via the Vine program. I did not receive monetary compensation to write this review, just the product itself.I love pu-erh tea so to see a brick of it on Vine was like a sign from the Gods. Naturally, I snapped it up and put it in my pu-midor (yeah, I have a pu-erh humidor) to settle a good while before I broke it out. Today felt like a chill day and I need some warming tea to get me through the day so I broke off about a 5g chunk, threw it into my gaiwan, and added water. First steep got ditched as a wash steep, the second steep was a pretty standard flavor of "raw" pu-erh: slightly vegetal with a deep...funk to it. It's not quite fermented but it's getting there and will only get better with time. I did a few more steeps after that (I made it up to about 8 before it lost a lot of it's flavor) and they were all pretty similar to the first but with more and more sweetness opening up as the washes went on. Honestly, I'm blown away. Normally if you want good (or even mediocre) pu-erh tea, you have to go with an independent vendor to get something worthwhile but this stuff...this is a solid, knock-around, beater blend that you could drink all day and not feel bad about. It's not overly complicated but it's no Johnny-one-note either so for the price (about $35), you're doing pretty good for a daily drinking tea. It'd be good for beginners or for someone that just wants to order pu-erh and have it show up two days later. Granted, for the price you CAN get better but it's an involved process. If you want simple tea shipped simply, this stuff is for you. It's pretty good, arrives fast, doesn't have to go through Customs, and arrives at your door wholly intact with minimal breakage. I consider that a pretty fair win. Would I recommend it? Yeah, I think I would. Give it a shot if you're interested in pu erh and don't know where to start; it'll give you a good idea of what it's about. But if you've got the chutzpah, you can look elsewhere for better cakes for the same price. But it won't be simple.

Pu'erh is an aged tea that - like wine - is naturally fermented. Also like wine it improves over time, acquiring an earthy, slightly mushroomy flavor with age. Traditional Chinese Pu'erhs are unique: the leaves are aged in mountain caves or cellars for weeks, months, years, and sometimes even decades, depending on the quality of the tea leaves and the intention of the producer.Tea that comes as a brick can be a little puzzling at first but it has certain advantages. It's compressed, so it's easy to store, it's easy to prepare for brewing, and it doesn't deteriorate quite as fast as loose leaf tea (less surface area). I've been a fan of Pu-erh in this format for years.I break off a suitably sized piece and place it in a ceramic brewing cup, pour newly boiled water that I allow to cool for a minute or two, and let it steep for 3-5 minutes in the cup (I like strong flavored tea). This Pu-erh has a robust earthiness but still shows some delicate floral and vegetal flavors. I like it.Pu-erh is also renowned for its positive impact on digestion, and it's very high in anti-oxidants. You can steep it several times by adding a minute or two each time that you do. There's a lot of tea goodness in this brick, and it's worth checking out if you've never tried this unusual tea variety.

I ventured into the TAETEA Pu-erh Tea Cake with high hopes, especially given its price tag. Sitting just above $40, I expected a taste that would be a notch above the rest. While it offers a smooth and calming sip, it didn't quite hit the robust, bold notes I was anticipating.Now don't get me wrong, it's a decent tea. Its soothing qualities could make it a perfect companion for quiet afternoons. But for those seeking a richer and more intense flavor profile, you might find this one a tad gentle for its price point. All in all, it's a pleasant experience, but not the impactful taste journey I was hoping for.

I was intrigued by the price of this tea, but the fact that it comes in a brick, requiring me to break off the tea, wasn't my favorite aspect. The flavor is decent, though not exactly what I anticipated. It's possible that my expectations were influenced by my lack of experience with this particular type of tea. As a tea enthusiast who typically enjoys a variety, I found the taste to be okay, but it might be a matter of personal preference.

The flavor is on the milder side, especially if brewed the way they suggest. I found that if you "awaken" the leaves (their words not mine) and let them sit like that for at least half an hour, you get a much stronger (and in my opinion, better) flavor than you would get right away. So the way I'm having these now is, quickly dip them in hot water for a few seconds, make my first cup with a brew time of 10-20 seconds, and let them sit while I have that cup. The second cup I let brew for much longer, and it comes out with a nice flavor.This was my first time having puerh tea so I made sure to follow the steps they've listed on their page, which more or less match what I can find online about having this tea. It definitely a bit of work to break the brick into pieces you can use, and it's also difficult to measure exactly how much you would need due to the compacted non-uniform nature of the pieces. All in all, a bit involved for daily consumption, but a fun thing to do with friends.

The box is opened when it’s delivered, not only the packaging box, but inside is also damaged. And there is no return option.

This tea was not for me. It was out right disgusting, I couldn’t put my finger on what it quite tasted like, but it wasn’t good.