For you previous--or current--coffee lovers (Be ye professed or unprofessed)

I have found that a good quality shou pu-erh is a good tea for coffee drinkers (it has a rich and deep taste I like) and when I brought some to a potluck, someone commented to me that this was a tea she would like as she wanted to cut back on coffee. I’m currently enjoying Yunnan Moon in this type of tea.

I never thought about a pu-erh as a possible replacement for coffee. I have only had pu-erh once (Specialteas Tuo Cha) and I remember that it was very rich tasting—in an interesting and good way—and very intense. I like intense flavors, but I wasn’t ready for it in a tea.

I’ll have to give it another shot the next time a crave a good cup of joe.

Thanks for your reply, @Javan.

btw, shou as opposed to sheng? Shou is the ‘cooked’ version, correct?
It appears as though the Specialteas Tou Cha is a sheng pu-erh (since the descriptions says it ages).

I am certainly no pu-erh expert, and I hope some of those who know more will chime in, but yes, shou is the cooked or fermented (composted) type which many people scorn, but which I quite like. I have not had any really aged sheng pu-erh, but the young sheng I’ve had tastes “greener” to me. I am aging some so that in a few years I’ll be able to tell what I taste and see as the differences. As with other teas, I can vary the intensity with less steeping time. I start with about 25 seconds, and progress 5 seconds for each steeping. Some people say shou does not age, others disagree. I am completely undecided!

As a semi-former coffee drinker, a big mug of a malty black like an Irish Breakfast or any Assam with milk and sugar is what I crave when I am thinking about coffee.

As a former coffee drinker, I did have a few rounds where I loved JavaVana Mate from Teavana. But I got tired of paying that much. I now mix, into the pot rather than ahead of time, Roasted Yerba Mate (inexpensive) with either a Chocolate, a Vanilla, or a Chocolate Hazelnut black tea that I had in my cupboard anyway. Ratio is about 1 RYM : 3 flavored tea. I also like David’s Chocolate Rocket.

As I sit here drinking a very bold chai tea I can’t help but think Chai would make a great gateway tea for coffee lovers. Not that I am one, but still.