Chocolate & Strawberry Puer

Medium-dark liquor with chocolate, caramel, strawberry aroma with a hint of leather, hay aroma similar to other Pu-erh but when it came to the taste, the leather taste wasn’t present and if it was, I didn’t notice it. :P

Like the Kotobuki, it was very mild, but yet a very pleasant taste. I liked this one much better (no rose at all that I can tell) and had hints of chocolate, caramel, strawberries, maybe even Kahlua-like with a little bit of rum-like and vanilla bean in there. When I was drinking it, I thought of chocolate covered strawberries, and if you blended it up, added a lot of water, this is what the juice would taste like. It was sweet but not sugary. I liked it very much. Hard to believe it’s Pu-erh though.

Boo, totally over-steeped the 2nd infusion. It was much stronger though lol. o.O Cats began fighting…

additional notes:  My original note for this was for a really old teabag — so I think it’s time to update for the loose leaf.  It’s Lupicia’s extra special strawberry flavoring — the rare tea shop that can get strawberry right, with a nice balance of chocolate on rich puerh. Usually if I crave a strawberry tea I know to go for Lupicia.  If I wasn’t trying to make this small amount of this last a while, I’d probably use two teaspoons but a teaspoon and a half is fine.  Raising the rating from 80.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug //  19 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4-5 min

This is a standard for me, one I will usually have on hand. Ridiculously over the top, luscious, fruity with lots of chocolate flavor. Like drinking chocolate-covered strawberries. Seriously. If you love puerh, you may be disappointed, as there is only a subtle earthiness coming through from the tea, almost obliterated by the chocolate and strawberry flavors. Works for me, though! One of my favorite dessert teas, wonderful with milk.

It’s hard to get either chocolate or strawberry flavor down right, and this tea does both in one lovely, creamy, natural-tasting combination. And, accounting for the minor difference of a puerh vs. black tea base, it’s an almost perfect rendition of a long lost favorite, Butiki’s Red Queen Cupcake. I never thought I’d encounter another blend with all the things I loved about it again! That was a tea I enjoyed over the holiday season too, a couple of years back. The cold weather makes these richer, flavored teas more enjoyable. And, although both might have the same base, this one knocks Sunny Fruits way out of the park.

Trying this tea was enough to remind me to return and start logging my teas again. It’s been a busy few months (as usual) but life is pretty good. I’m glad to see many familiar names still active around here, and hope everyone is doing well!

This was a sample from the February mailer. I really liked the strawberry and chocolate notes in this tea, but the puer base still reminds me of drinking rubber. The reviews seemed to say that for the most part it was hidden and I would agree, but every once in a while I got a hint of it. I enjoyed the cup but not something I need to visit very often.

[Backlog] – I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of puerh. It’s one of those teas that my tastebuds can’t seem to enjoy. Most of the puerh teas I’ve tried seemed too dusty, earthy and the very worst, fishy! I’ve personally found that there are so many teas out there that I enjoy more so I haven’t gone out of my way to find puerh. I have high hopes for this blend, though, as it’s supposed to have notes of chocolate and strawberry. Lupicia does fruit flavoring quite well, in my experience, so I bet this will be a tasty cup.

Ooh, this is lovely! The beginning of the sip offers a strong chocolate flavor and a bright strawberry. It reminds me a little bit of a melted chocolate bar with strawberry jam. How delicious! The puerh is actually so far in the background that I can’t truly taste it. I suppose it does come out at the end of the sip as something a bit dry and dark. If I gulp the tea, the puerh does become more present. This is where the blend falls flat.. but only because I don’t like puerh. Hah! The tea base does work with the flavorings, though.

I recommend this tea for anyone who loves the combination of strawberry and chocolate. Lupicia could not have made a more perfect blend of the two. Those who enjoy puerh might be a little disappointed as it’s not terribly strong, but really.. it’s all about the chocolate and strawberry!

Ooooo quite good! Very fitting with my egg on toast. Woodsy, slight twiggy, chocolate, strawberry. Goes down smoothly. Good earthy undertones that flow so well with the rest of the flavors. I gave it a 4 minute steep time but it tasted just fine at 3.

A longtime perennial in my tea cabinet, and one of my favorite Lupicia teas, despite my general dislike for puer. There seem to be real dried strawberries and cocoa nibs blended in there, which is amazing! It’s worth brewing for a full three minutes to really bring out the smoky-bitter chocolate and puer flavors.

Taken straight, this tea is as dark as coffee, and the bitter cocoa flavor comes through strongly. It combines with the smokiness of the puer for an almost coffeelike experience, although milder and (to this non-coffee-drinker) much more palatable. The strawberry just floats around subtly as a warm, pleasant aftertaste in the mouth.

Add a dash of sugar and cream, however, and the whole character of the drink is transformed. The sweet strawberry flavor leaps to the fore, and the cocoa notes combine with milk to create a texture and flavor almost like fruity hot chocolate. The puer recedes to a background hint, just enough to give it a little personality.

I enjoy it either way, but drunk as a latte, it’s my go-to dessert tea for relaxing and playing video games on a chilly evening.

One teabag yielded a strong 8oz steep, then two milder 8oz steeps. The fourth steep has color but not a lot of flavor. First steep is seedy/jammy, earthy toast. Second is a light fruity strawberry. Third is a mild pu-erh tea. Fourth is a bit earthy water.

Puerh is my favorite tea. This is an excellent, flavored puerh. It is very different from a traditional puerh because of the flavoring. Somehow it reminds me more of a flavored black, but without any bitterness, astringency, or malt. The strawberry flavor is prominent, followed by the chocolate. The flavor of the puerh is a distinct third. Because of that it is probably an excellent puerh for non puerh drinkers to try. There is basically no fermentation flavor detectable in this tea. I rate this as probably the best flavored puerh I have drank, although not the best puerh. I also don’t think this one would benefit as much from Gongfu brewing as a traditional puerh. I brewed this western style and it tastes amazing.

I brewed this once in an 18oz teapot with 3 tsp leaf and boiling water for 30 sec.