Hi~ Long time no see. I have neglected writing for a while now in that my emotional state was, well… precarious at best of times. I had started a couple of blogs but when i looked at polishing them i realized that they really reflected the depth of my despair and it wasn’t anything that anyone would really want to read.
Numi is probably my favorite “bagged” tea, though if i could buy it loose leaf for less than an arm and a leg I would. They actually have an entire line of pu-erh teas that can be got at Whole Foods, etc. specialty grocers. I believe I’ve reviewed some in the past. Anyway this week they were on sale when i needed to go grocery shopping and it’s a pretty rare event (though not as a rare as Rishi which remains stalwartly bourgeois).
Although I think i’m coming down with a cold, with Emperor’s Pu-erh i can detect a terrificly bitter and dirty aroma similar to cocoa. The flavor is also similarly rich and smooth–smoother actually than i was expecting and smoother than a lot of pu-erhs.It makes a nice malty, barky bridge between regular black tea and regular pu-erh. The moment I take a sip, i’m bowled over by the intensity of the malt and the dryness of the roast. Numi’s page seems to indicate Emperor’s Pu-erh would make a good iced tea… I highly doubt it (with a lot of pu-erh, the cooler it gets the more bitter it becomes), and do not recommend following the way they suggested doing it anyway (steep two bags and pour over ice does NOT make a decent iced tea. Three bags, maybe but even then it’s just a guessing game because there’s no way to balance against melting ice). Icing Emperor’s Pu-erh would be fine if you maybe just can’t stand hot tea (but then, why would you be drinking pu-erh?). Emperor’s Pu-erh would be ideal for someone who drinks too much mocha and wants to quit. Or, if you’ve never tried pu-erh and you don’t like chocolate, I’d probably recommend Emperor’s Pu-erh. Otherwise, the Chocolate Pu-erh is definitely the way to go.
選別 parting.gifts 