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Alex Zorach

(1448 reviews)
Picture of Premium Pu-erh Tea - Green

Premium Pu-erh Tea - Green from My Zen Tea

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 4th, 2015

The best Pu-erh I've tried in a tea bag.

A sample from the Philadelphia Coffee & Tea Festival. The tea bag is not at all aromatic, but upon brewing, the cup becomes much more interesting.

Aroma is like a rather typical young sheng Pu-erh, a lightly aged green Pu-erh. The aroma is fresh and grassy, with a hint o...

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Amanda

(338 reviews)
Picture of 2009 Guan Zi Zai Xiao Man Shu

2009 Guan Zi Zai Xiao Man Shu from Life in Teacup

Style: Pu-erh Tea – Region: Yunnan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 16th, 2014

the aroma is so evocative of a coniferous forest that for a moment I can transport myself to the forest I used to romp in as a teenager. It was a mixed forest, but since this was the South, a large portion of the forest was pine, so I am very familiar with the at times almost intoxicating aroma of pine loam, wet pine w...

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Brytta Sóþword

(333 reviews)
Picture of Emperor's Puerh - Black Tea

Emperor's Puerh - Black Tea from Numi Organic Tea

Style: Pu-erh Tea – Region: Yunnan, China

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Nov. 11th, 2014

I actually liked this one a bit more than the version with cardamom. It has that distinctive fish cake aroma, but not to an overwhelming degree or in an unpleasant way. I could really see enjoying this with a tasty Japanese meal, or at least with a dish of seafood.

I wasn't sure I'd like this one, but its simplicity...

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Kelsey

(142 reviews)
Picture of Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013

Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Oct. 9th, 2014

My entire thought while drinking this was "nothing beats knowing that I'm drinking tea from an ancient tea forest; how cool is that?!" I liked it! It was a nice brew.

The dried leaf does a have a fruity smell, like Alex suggested, not sure if I'd call it grape. The tea once brewed didn't have much of an aroma, ...

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Picture of Fengqing Golden Buds Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2005

Fengqing Golden Buds Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2005 from TeaVivre

Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

50 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Oct. 6th, 2014

This tea was meh. I was expecting a little more from it and slightly disappointed. There wasn't much flavor and not much of a scent either, and I'm all about aroma with tea, even if it is "damp basement" smelling pu-erh, which is what I was told to expect. I work with old books and things, so I kind of like that sme...

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geologyguy

(108 reviews)
Picture of Fengqing Wild Tree Yesheng Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2013

Fengqing Wild Tree Yesheng Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

57 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 1/5
Sep. 17th, 2014

aroma is vegetal and medium-mild...flavor is the same but a bit more bold...vegetal...but one dimensional...that's the only trick this "pony" has...

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Amanda

(338 reviews)
Picture of Lotus Leaf Raw Pu-erh Mini Tuocha

Lotus Leaf Raw Pu-erh Mini Tuocha from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 17th, 2014

The aroma of this little tuo is not very strong, with faint notes of wet hay, sweet freshly mown hay, a bit of yeasty bread, a touch of mineral, and salty lotus leaf. Specifically the lotus notes remind me of the lotus wrapped sticky rice (or lo mai gai) that I love so much when going out for dim sum. Delicious!

The...

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geologyguy

(108 reviews)
Picture of 2006 Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuocha

2006 Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuocha from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

77 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 14th, 2014

5 minute steep for first cup, Smells smoky and good! Amanda's rating of the smell is pretty descriptive of it too! Great strength to this tea...steeped just right...a touch of bitterness off the bat, then I taste the sweetness on the end...the opposite of what others tasted! Not sure about the value as it was a gift......

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Picture of Fengqing Zhuan Cha Raw Puerh Brick Tea 2005

Fengqing Zhuan Cha Raw Puerh Brick Tea 2005 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

47 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Sep. 4th, 2014

smell is a little vegetal...taste is too...7 minute steep....just the right amount of boldness, unfortunately flavor isn't the greatest...

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Amanda

(338 reviews)
Picture of 2006 Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuocha

2006 Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuocha from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

90 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 2nd, 2014

The aroma of this tea reminds me of nature, it is like being on the edge of a pine forest and a field right after a summer rain storm. There are notes of wet hay and wet wood, along with fresh pine and camphor, also a little hint of flowers and minerals, much like rain water. It is very sweet and refreshing.

The fir...

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Brytta Sóþword

(333 reviews)
Picture of 2005 Jing Mai Autumnal

2005 Jing Mai Autumnal from The Tao of Tea

Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Lancang, Yunnan, China

70 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 2/5
Aug. 27th, 2014

Very interesting tea! A bit pricey, based on the website and their recommendation of using 2 teaspoons worth for a cup, but good quality. I detected an undertone of raisins with a hint of a spice I wouldn't be able to name. It tasted really very good at the beginning. Later in the morning it developed a bitter flavor, ...

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Alex Zorach

(1448 reviews)
Picture of Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2014

Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2014 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

92 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 27th, 2014

Another superb tea! And how completely different this tea is from last year's batch! Multifaceted, complex, surprisingly floral in aroma, with a very pleasing flavor, able to be infused many times.

The dry leaf has an explosion of aroma, sweet, springy, suggestive of a tippy, spring harvest green tea, but followed...

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Picture of Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013

Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Aug. 14th, 2014

Hello, concord grape! The dry leaf of this tea smells initially like a sweet, tippy spring green tea, but this is followed by an intense fruitiness strongly suggestive of concord grape. Tea often smells like grape to me, but more often it is the muscatel grape of Darjeeling or Bai Hao oolong, or the deep raisin notes...

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SarsyPie

(119 reviews)
Picture of Heart of the Old Tree Sheng Pu'er 2012

Heart of the Old Tree Sheng Pu'er 2012 from Mandala Tea

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: China

93 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jul. 13th, 2014

Method: 3 grams, 3 oz, 200 degrees, 10-15-15-15 seconds, ru kiln gaiwan and Dr. Who mug

Dry Leaf Aroma: This isn’t like some stinky pu’erhs I have smelled! It’s overwhelmingly pleasant, even though I can’t put my finger on the exact aromas.

Brewing Aroma: This has a mineral smell and then something elseâ€...

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geologyguy

(108 reviews)
Picture of Fengqing Old Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2013

Fengqing Old Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

40 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Jul. 3rd, 2014

very good smell but taste is quite bitter and earthy...steeped 7 minutes...probably should have gone a bit lighter...too much bitter earth power on this one...not my style....let it cool to room temp and tried again....holy BITTER batman!!! way bad....

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SarsyPie

(119 reviews)
Picture of Special Dark

Special Dark from Mandala Tea

Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jul. 3rd, 2014



Method 1: 1.5 tsp, 4 oz, 208 degrees, seconds: 30, 45, 60, ru kiln gaiwan. Then I blended these together to make 1 cup of tea

Method 2: 1 tbsp, 8 oz, 208 degrees, grandpa style

Method 3: Slightly less than 1 tbsp, 8 oz, 195 degrees, 2 and 3 minutes, Forlife brew-in-mug strainer, Dr. Who mug

Dry Leaf Aroma:...

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Alex Zorach

(1448 reviews)
Picture of Shu Pu-erh Classic Vintage Blend

Shu Pu-erh Classic Vintage Blend from Rishi Tea

Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
May. 13th, 2014

Thank you to E. Alex Gerster for this one. I took a while to review it primarily because I tend not to be a huge fan of this type of tea. It looks like it's already been discontinued from Rishi's catalogue. There's no harvest or packing date printed on the container, so I don't know how old this is, but it tastes li...

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Amanda

(338 reviews)
Picture of Mini Pu'erh Tea Bar

Mini Pu'erh Tea Bar from Teasenz

Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

93 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 9th, 2014

The aroma a great blend of sweetness, wet leather, peat, forest floor, and a touch of that slightly metallic market place aroma that I have come to love in ripe pu erh.

The first impressions of the first steep, dense. Not in a 'this is a tea that is not passing its physics class' but more like 'this forest is very ...

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SarsyPie

(119 reviews)
Picture of Organic Sun Ripened Raw Puer

Organic Sun Ripened Raw Puer from The Tao of Tea

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
May. 1st, 2014

My first pu erh! Before steeping, I took a whiff and it smelled like a hardware store! Tried again: the second sniff smelled like tea and cookies. Much better!

This was surprisingly good. I was nervous about trying this style, but I was very happy. The tea was a light amber - quite pretty. It smells warm and swe...

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Amanda

(338 reviews)
Picture of 2006 Chang Tai

2006 Chang Tai "Seven Star - Alkaid" from Life in Teacup

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 24th, 2014

The aroma of this Pu Erh is really intriguing, blending sweet notes of anise, pine needles, hay and wet oak wood. It smells really clean and nature like, the sweetness is that of new growth and anise.

The taste is very light and quite smooth in the mouth. The taste is one of sweet hay and honey that fades to a bit o...

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Alex Zorach

(1448 reviews)
Picture of Fengqing Wild Tree Yesheng Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2013

Fengqing Wild Tree Yesheng Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

97 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 24th, 2014

Wow. Exceptional, unique. The dry leaf of this smells completely unlike any other tea I've tried...and so does the cup when brewed. The leaf smells like honey and flowers, but with a smoky quality. Definitely the smoothest raw Pu-erh I've ever had that was effectively un-aged (being less than a year old when I trie...

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Picture of 2006 Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuocha

2006 Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuocha from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

95 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 23rd, 2014

This is among my favorite Pu-erhs that I've ever sampled.

This cake has a very fine leaf, tightly packed, and is tricky to break apart. I'm glad TeaVivre had already broken it off for me for the sample.

The dry leaf has a pleasant aroma, like caramel with a hint of worcestershire sauce, and still some remnants o...

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Picture of Fengqing Zhuan Cha Raw Puerh Brick Tea 2005

Fengqing Zhuan Cha Raw Puerh Brick Tea 2005 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 18th, 2014

This is just about my favorite age range of Pu-erh: aged but still relatively young.

The compressed leaf is not very aromatic, and is devilishly hard to break apart. Thankfully TeaVivre already broke off this sample for me, but just judging by the texture of the compressed leaf, this one looks like it would be anno...

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Picture of Fengqing Old Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2013

Fengqing Old Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

73 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Mar. 5th, 2014

This tea is the youngest raw Pu-erh that I've consumed to date. Like I'd expect, it is potent, but it's smoother and more drinkable than even some Pu-erh I've tried that has been aged by a few more years.

The dry leaf smells strongly vegetal, with tones of honey and camphor.

Brews a strong-flavored cup with a li...

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Amanda

(338 reviews)
Picture of Fengqing Arbor Tree Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2010

Fengqing Arbor Tree Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2010 from TeaVivre

Style: Pu-erh Tea – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 26th, 2014

The aroma of the leaves is a blend of loam, wet pine wood, and leather. It reminds me of a forest floor and is quite enjoyable. Once the tea has been steeped and rinsed the aroma is sweeter with caramel notes, loam, and wood. The liquid is sweet, earthy and loamy.

I was able to get quite a few steeps out of this te...

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