Magnolia Pu・erh ~ Numi

I don’t review as many bagged teas as I used to, but occasionally I do run across something that deserves mention.

Although I’ve only tried a few Numi teas here and there, they have a strong tendency to impress. Such is the case with Magnolia Pu-erh (their font uses a middle maru, which is fun but it looks bizarre on here so i’ll keep to the tried and tested hyphen). Given how little tea there is to a tea bag, and how fine Numi has CTC chopped this Pu-erh, my gut reaction would be to completely ignore it. However, Magnolia Pu-erh has a few surprises up hidden in her sachet. For starters, the aroma embodies a lovely earthy bark that reminds one of a moss-covered oak, damp from the rain. After cooling and taking a few spins on my marble lazy susan, a eucalyptus-like note emerges. Additionally, the liquor features a rich velvet chocolate color that will doubtless stain my mug.

In texture, Magnolia Pu-erh offers up a terrific medium-low grit. Homogenized a bit by the CTC grade, a delicate tingly sensation lingers longer than I’d have imagined. The one place where I find Magnolia Pu-erh lacking however, is taste. The one thing I can say definitely is that it has a bit of muddy aftertaste (which is good!). Cut Tear Curl rarely impresses me as the body of a full leaf opening, releasing juices during brewing is much different than the flavor exuded from boiling a handful of tea dust. Sure, the texture will resemble that of a traditional Pu-erh, but to my mind the taste is often too even and noteless. Magnolia Pu-erh does taste like Pu-erh… but the sensation leaves one wanting. *shrugs* If you enjoy tea as simply being a neat beverage alternative, you’ll definitely love Magnolia Pu-erh. For me, it works in a pinch. ;)

1. Aroma – 92
2. Taste – 86
3. Texture – 89
4. Spunk – 89
5. Price – 90
6. Availability – 87
7. Appearance – 91

Mean score – 89%