Pu-erh Cabernet

This is pretty freaking amazing…on several levels! Let me start off by saying I’m on my 4th cup of the day! The first I did 2 infusions of the same leaves and they were both tasty!

Starting with a ‘fresh’ batch for reviewing purposes…

The aroma…is REALLY comparable to Cabernet! It’s pretty freaky yet cool!
This is considered their Dark and Decadent of their flavor choices and I would agree with that.

This is an amazingly-flavored Pu-Erh! It’s well rounded – from start to finish – but the flavors mixed in – are RIGHT ON! The Cinnamon is potent but totally makes sense and contributes to the overall Cabernet-feel…drier wine type ‘happy juice’ if you will.

The cherry and vanilla combo are lovely…very well done and combine nicely with each other. There is a bit of a floral aspect to it, too, which is pleasant and true. This is really yummy and special!

Wow! OK… so this is AWESOME!

Normally, when I brew a pu-erh, I’m kind of … hesitant. I’m usually hesitant to even brew it. And after it’s brewed, I’m hesitant to taste it. I’m getting much better, because I’ve found so many wonderful pu-erh teas that I’ve not only enjoyed but even loved. But, those first few experiences when all I tasted was dirt and fish and just… yeah… all that still comes back to me when I smell that earthiness of the pu-erh.

Here, I do smell the pu-erh, so, yeah, I was hesitant… until I took that tentative first sip. and WOW! This tastes nothing at all like those first few experiences with pu-erh way back when. There is some earthiness to the flavor, but it sort of melds with the other flavors in such a way that it is not in the least bit off-putting.

What I’m trying to say here is that if you’ve tried pu-erh and did not like it because of the earthy/peaty/fishy kind of taste … TRY THIS. You’ll be amazed!

I taste a full-flavored tea, with notes of sweet cherry, warm cinnamon and clove, hints of soft vanilla, and even the faintest note of cocoa in the distance. This is where that earthiness sort of melds … into the cocoa, tasting more like a deep, rich chocolate note than anything. Amazing. So VERY amazing, at that.

I have been SO impressed with everything that I’ve tried thus far from Vintage TeaWorks. I LOVE this company!

Thank you Azzrian for including this in my special Christmas package last month!

My goodness it is blended pu-erfection yesIjustsaidthat.

It really does taste like a spiced or mulled wine. Sweet deep berry notes that taste like they will stain your lips. How decadent. Thank you so much for sharing!

Thank you so much for the generous samples of these teas, Azzrian! Though I already bought the riesling one because I was sent a free shipping code for leaving it sitting in my cart. So much for the no more buying thing.

Out of the 6 wines Vintage TeaWorks used as inspiration, Cabernet is my favorite. Out of the 6 teas Vintage TeaWorks used in these blends, puerh is my least favorite for flavored tea.

It smells really good…rich and spicy.

And the taste? It’s quite the hybrid between tea and the flavor of wine. And my problem has always been that it seems like low quality puerh ends up in blends, and then brings out fishiness and whatever else that doesn’t match. Not here. I can barely even taste it. There’s a slight earthiness still present but it blends in with everything else beautifully.

The flavor is mostly blackberry and cherry, with a hint of vanilla, cinnamon, and clove. Pretty much just like an awesome cabernet, but far more mellow.

Definitely going for a second steep as soon as I finish this one, this is fantastic.

Second steep just slightly different from the first. It kind of loses the berry. Still, it’s not bad, just more obviously tea and more subtle in the wine flavor.

Got this tea for Christmas along with the Merlot and Green Tea one.

I was quite surprised by this tea – it’s very complex. I have to say the smell kinda put me off as it has alot of cherry to it. The flavor still has the cherry but it’s more of a smooth taste. I didn’t get any cinnamon coming out for this steep so maybe this cup just had more cherry in it. I really like cinnamon so hope next time will reveal it.

I can’t wait to try it again and resteep (didn’t think to save my leaves the first time). I’m not quite sure if it’ll make my repurchase list but it was definitely worth getting.

I’d definitely recommend this if you like darker complex teas that are smooth.

This is pretty interesting. It’s very cherry (and maybe cinnamon?) and slightly pu-erh. Pretty good. I’d even suggest it to people who aren’t fans of pu-erh, just to give it a try.