Small Tribute Ripe Pu-erh (Puer, Puerh) Tea Cake - 2004 Vintage, Autumn Harvest (200 Grams) - All Natural

Annoying is that it doesn't come with any suggestions how to brew the tea, I haven't used a "tea cake" yet and it's all in chinese.

Buying niche products on line can be challenging, but Amazon rose to the occasion. My brother in law left me with a large chunk of unknown ripe Pu-erh tea. I scoured the web when I ran out, totally convinced that I wouldn't be able to get good tea at a reasonable price. After much shopping I decided to go with this cake, as it seemed to be in the target zone of what I was looking for. Bana tea company did not disappoint! Nice packaging, the cake was fun to break apart, (After watching the youtube video)and the tea is quite tasty. I'm sipping some right now, enjoying the 5th infusion of this tasty brew. My pallet isn't sophisticated enough to describe it, but I do know what I like, and I like this tea! I'm especially enjoying the subtle differences between infusions. Some flavors leave off while others emerge. This could easily become a "Daily drinker"! Thank you Bana for your great tea selection, and the samples of other teas you include in the order. That allows me to expand my pu-erh horizons without breaking the bank!

Ripe is the key word here. I rinsed the tea as suggested. But brewed it tasted like an old barn smells. I still tried to drink this tea three times a day for a week but I never got use to the awful taste and I could not tell any difference drinking it.

I received some sample teas from Bana tea company when I bought my gongfu teacup and thought this was the exact product I sampled. It was good, but not as good as I remembered the sample being. It is a good price, just not as stunning a tea as I had hoped. And yes I have followed the brewing instructions. I have purchased other teas from Bana tea company that I have enjoyed.UPDATE 9/24/2012Not sure why but the tea does taste better than it did when it first arrived, so I am adding another star. It is good!

but should be for the price. Be wary of low priced teas that have lots of stems, unless you like a headache.

I used to get Pu-erh tea when I lived in Taiwan, and this product seemed rather under the mark to me...

But I am really enjoying this. I have reviewed proper technique for brewing this tea, and I find that each bit can be re-infused perhaps 8-10 times. The third is I think the best. Very smooth, refreshing tea that just makes you feel great. If broken gently it contains nice whole leaves. Not a trace of bitterness. I look forward to sampling more Pu-erh teas.

This was the first pu erh that I've tried, and I think it was a good choice. Before brewing the dried tea has a very pleasant aroma reminiscent of leather and aged pipe tobacco. On brewing, the color is a deep, clear red with a strong and pleasant scent. The flavor is rich, complex, and faintly sweet. I've been enjoying it almost daily.