Caramel Chai Pu-erh

Additional notes: This was my first pu-erh a year plus a few months ago. I can’t believe it hasn’t been longer than that… I feel like I’ve had a ton of pu-erh since then. Sipping this one again has inspired me to order from Fusion’s AWESOME Black Friday sale (if you want a ton of samples anyway – you still have two days left!) I just love this blend… even when there doesn’t happen to be a giant piece of caramel in the infuser. Two sample size packages of this in the cart they go. (I only had one cup left & not many pu-erh blends! It was a necessity!)

This is another sample that Fusion Teas generously sent to me :)
My fiance came over last night and specifically requested a tea session. I first let hi, try the Jumpy Monkey tea I had that he was interested in. He liked it so much I sent it home with him.
Next I decided to brew up a pot of the Caramel Chai pu-erh. The scent of the leaves is wonderful – deep, earthy, salted caramel-y, umami awesomeness.
Brewed up, it was much smoother than the spicy scent would have you expect. I definitely tasted all the chai spices, but they weren’t overpowering. I didn’t end up tasting too much of the caramel in the final tea, and the pu-erh was also backgrounded as well, but I liked that – I wasn’t in the mood for an overwhelming pu-erh last night.
My fiance really liked it and we finished the pot together. It’s a nice tea to warm up with on a cool night at the beginning of fall.

Ohhhh, this is sooo good! My thanks to Dexter3657 for this tasty sample!! The first time I tried this, I had it without cream or sugar. I found it to be smooth and spicy.

I wanted to pull out the caramel flavour, so I decided to added a bit of cream and sugar, and it took this tea from yum! to this is REALLY YUMMY AND DELICIOUS AND CARAMELY!!!.

With added cream and sweetener this pu’erh is OUTSTANDING! Sweet spicy caramel is very nicely balanced with the smoothness of this pu’erh. A lovely after dinner sweet treat!! Do I need to say it again? Yes! So GOOD!!!

I’m trying really hard to like this, I’ve had a few cups this weekend – played with steep times, amount of leaf. Nope can’t do it. It’s was too spicy. In your face cinnamon and clove. I don’t think the balance of spice is wrong, there’s just too much of it. Totally cover the caramel and the pu’erh. Nope don’t like it. Glad to have it out of my cupboard.

Chai to Stay Dry! I don’t think I’ve had a pu-erh chai yet this month, and I really have been trying to get to those Fusion Tea samplers that I’ve had sitting around forever! So this is a good excuse to get to this blend of chai spices, caramel, and a pu-erh tea base.

I have to say, this is a very satisfying chai. As far as more “traditional” tasting chais, I’d say that this one and Reena’s Chai from TeaSource are probably my favorite I’ve tried this month. Like Reena’s Chai, this chai also has a very balanced flavor of spices, while offering a bit of natural sweetness that really compliments the spice flavors and allows them to have a nice warmth in the mouth, but to not be overbearing or leave an unpleasant lingering heat. I get this nice mix of ginger and clove in the main sip, with just a hint of pepper in the background, but the sip closes on a sweet note. I wouldn’t say there is a pronounced caramel flavor, but certainly a noticable sweetness that works well with the spices. The pu-erh here is very smooth, without any of the pronounced earthy notes I get from, say, Scottish Caramel Pu-erh (or the hint of fishy smell I get from that blend, either). I think as soon as I finish off my Scottish Caramel Pu-erh, this tea is going to be it’s replacement in my cupboard. It may not be as caramel-y, but the base tea alone gives it a more pleasant flavor on the whole, and it’s just a really good daily-drinker chai, to boot!