Tea: Vanilla Mint Chai (Pu-erh Vanilla Tea, Vanilla Mint Pu-erh)
A Flavored Pu-erh from Rishi Tea - 
Organic
| Brand: | Rishi Tea |
| Style: | Flavored Pu-erh |
| Region: | Blend |
| Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
| Loose? | Loose |
| # Ratings: | 1 View All |
| Product page: | Vanilla Mint Chai (Pu-erh Vanilla Tea, Vanilla Mint Pu-erh) |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 4 of Flavored Pu-erh
✓ 261 of Flavored Tea
✓ 39 of Rishi Tea
✓ 317 of blends
Review of Vanilla Mint Chai (Pu-erh Vanilla Tea, Vanilla Mint Pu-erh)
December 17th, 2009
| Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
| 8 of 10 | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 83 of 100 |
| Excellent | Excellent | Good Value |
This one just sounded bizarre to me, but when I smelled the dry leaf, it started to make more sense to me, and when I finally tasted it I understood fully! =) It brews a very dark opaque red, just like Rishi describes. The aroma is very complex but in a way I haven't experienced before.
Initially with each sip I notice the earthiness of the pu-erh, and the cinnamon, which thankfully isn't too strong. The licorice is very noticeable and I find it blends very well with the other flavors. I don't notice the vanilla but I imagine the tea might be significantly less creamy and smooth without it. The mint imparts a fresh, cooling quality to this otherwise warm, earthy tea.
It really smells like there's some cocoa in there too, even though there's not. In overall experience, this almost resembles unsweetened cocoa (which I enjoy drinking) more than tea. Don't be scared off by the strangeness of this tea...it's really worth trying, especially if you like creamy, spiced-cocoa-like beverages.
I also found this to be good for multiple infusions. A second infusion of 10 minutes was almost as flavorful as the first.
