Hide

Welcome to Steepster, an online tea community.

Write a tea journal, see what others are drinking and get recommendations from people you trust. or Learn More

Small
Stephen Wise said 2010-04-26 19:18:36 -0400

Teas that taste like Earth - Earthy, woodsy, grassy, and ancient tasting teas?

I’m a huge fan of teas that taste like the essence of Earth, stuff that taste like old trees, grass, smoke, and even straight up dirt. A lot of Pu erh’s do a pretty good job giving me this fix.

Any of you have great suggestions for EARTHY teas?

17 Replies
Avatar_small
Cofftea said 2010-04-26 19:20:26 -0400

Lapsang Souchong and any shu steeped for 5 min in boiling water like black tea instead of traditional Pu Erh steeping parameters.

Small
gmathis said 2010-04-26 19:28:22 -0400

Keemun Encore by Adagio (my canister is a little old; not sure if it’s been replaced by another variety) is earthy/grainy … kind of tastes like my grandma’s hay barn smelled.

Small
Harfatum said 2010-04-26 19:46:39 -0400

Pu-erhs are pretty much the way to go for earthy teas, especially cooked ones. Beware fishy puerhs, they are too old or poor quality.

The Simple Leaf’s “Shanti” does a pretty good job of being a green earthy tea, you might enjoy that as well.

Small
Stephen Wise said 2010-04-26 20:17:25 -0400

When you say fishy, do you mean it tastes like an actual fish? That would scare me for life.

Small
Lori said 2010-04-26 20:35:23 -0400

I hope to avoid those!

Small
Harfatum said 2010-04-26 21:55:41 -0400

Yeah, it’s not a really strong fish flavor, but a few cooked puerhs have fishy notes in the smell. Most don’t, though – I still love cooked puerh.

Small
Pithy said 2010-04-27 01:34:33 -0400

If you get high grade teas that aren’t blended with anything, they’re going to naturally taste very earthy and vegetal. As for specific teas, I’d recommend you try wuyi oolongs. They are higher oxidized and go through a heavier roasting period so they’ll be good and earthy without being heavy like a black tea or malty like a pu-erh.

Small
Lori said 2010-04-27 22:34:28 -0400

I have ordered a sample of a wuyi oolong and am looking forward to trying it….

Avatar_small
Cofftea said 2010-04-27 22:38:13 -0400

I’ve tried 2 wuyi’s and haven’t found any roasty notes… and I’m ubber roasty sensitive lol.

Small
Lori said 2010-04-28 17:33:34 -0400

Hmm maybe I shoud qualify that I like smoky but not toasty-

Avatar_small
k_t_bug said 2010-04-28 10:11:30 -0400

One of my favorite earthy teas is Hojicha. I was able to pick some up in Japan a few years ago and still am drinking that batch, but you can get Big Green Hojicha from Republic of Tea. Here is their description:
Chop Wood Carry Water Tea—Flat roasted green leaves yield a tea with an earthy aroma and nutty flavor (the leaves turn brown during roasting). A classic tea rarely found outside of Japan.

Avatar_small
Cofftea said 2010-04-28 12:49:10 -0400

Oh yes, and Gen Mai Cha. Both are ubberly roasty toasty. I don’t like either, but the fact that they are so is why.

Small
Cloudwalker Teas said 2010-04-29 07:24:55 -0400

I like the uncooked (sheng), aged, wet-stored pu erh. But you have to be careful. You want a red label tea that has been stored properly (i.e. not too humid or dry). I prefer a tea that has aged at least 20 years, but the older the better! If you like the earthy smoke though, you might want to aim for closer to 5-15 years old. The flavours are less refined and smooth.

Avatar_small
Cofftea said 2010-04-29 19:31:57 -0400

Yay for sheng lovers! I don’t prefer Yunnan pu erhs though- I don’t like peppery flavored teas either.

Small
Stephen Wise said 2010-04-29 20:51:24 -0400

That’s what I’m talking about!

Older the better- Cheers!

Avatar_small
Hanna Jrad said 2010-04-30 02:14:59 -0400

I think Yerba Mates in general have a very earthy taste to them… try Guayaki Yerba Mate.

Avatar_small
Cofftea said 2010-04-30 12:29:43 -0400

There are roasted mates and unroasted- roasted ones really do.

Add a Reply

Please keep things friendly and .

Login or sign up to post a message.