Ripe Puerh Mini Cakes
Jinglong Tea Factory
$9.49USD for 50 mini cakes

I found Jinglong Tea Factory on Instagram. They posted about their Puerh and immediately had my attention. They ended up sending me 4 sets of samples. Some for me to try and others for me to use for #teatriviatuesday be sure you are following me on Instagram for your chance to win!

Packaging

My Puerh Mini Cakes arrived in a factory sealed bag with 25 individually wrapped puerh cakes. This bag is not resealable but since the cakes are individually wrapped that is really OK.

The Package gives a lot of information other than the name. Under the company logo it says “Ripe! Natural! Tasty!” and underneath:

L-theanine for good mood. Natural energy boost. Active lifestyle product. Traditional & trendy Dietary Supplement Tea for everyday

I am sure that is a good “hook” for some people but, in my opinion, that isn’t necessary on packaging.

How To Brew

The back of the packaging gives a lot of good information on the tea and the company. Including information about the teas origins (Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Menghai County) steeping instructions and the company website. They recommend using 1 Mini Cake for 300-500ml at around 203*F for 2-3 minutes. This goes right along with what I know about Puerh so I was ready to go! The only thing I wish they mentioned, for Puerh newbies that might not know, is this tea does well with a 5-10 second rinse before the initial steeping.

When I unwrapped the mini cake it smelled sweet and earthy. There was a cocoa aroma that came out as well. As it brewed the sweet smell heightened and a nice nutty smell accompanied the cocoa. It smelled perfect.

The Experience

Jingalong Tea Factory’s Ripe Puerh Mini Cakes steeped to a really nice deep amber color. The first steeping was much darker than the second. Interestingly though, in my opinion, the second steeping actually tasted better.

I heated my water to the recommended 203*F and got ready for greatness! The first steeping sat for 2 minutes which is the lower end of the recommended steep time. It tasted incredibly light, almost like the tea leaves hadn’t quite woken up yet. Maybe I didn’t let them rinse long enough, maybe they needed the full 3 minute steep time. The flavor that I did get was very nutty but I was disappointed by the initial flavor.

But the leaves smelled INCREDIBLE! So, before writing the tea off completely I decided to give it one more shot. This time allowing the tea to brew for the full 3 minutes. I expected the same deep dark color that I got with the first steeping and was surprised by how light the tea was. I was worried that meant even lighter flavor.

Boy was I mistaken! The second steeping brought out the sweet, earthy, slightly fruity flavor that I was expecting with the first steeping! I couldn’t stop sipping it. The little mini cups weren’t enough. I poured everything into a big cup and enjoyed it throughout the morning.

Puerh’s are known for being high in caffeine. This one is no exception. I was suddenly full of energy and ready to take on the day! The best part of caffeine in tea? There is no crash at the end of it. I felt great all day!

In Conclusion

I am absolutely looking forward to making this again. Next time I will rinse a little longer and let the first steeping sit for the full 3 minutes to see if that helps the flavor. Otherwise, I know that the second steeping is going to be AWESOME! I know Finnegan the Fish will enjoy a nice bath with the first steeping should I decide not to drink it.

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