From 2006′ autumn harvest comes this ripe pu-erh tea, a wonderfully smooth tea with one dominant flavour: almonds.

I have Linda from Bana Tea Company to thank for this lovely sample (disclosure: Bana Tea Company is an advertiser on Tea Finely Brewed). It’s the fourth tea from Bana Tea Company that I have reviewed here, and again it’s an impressive, high-quality pu-erh.

Denong brick is included in loose form in Bana’s sampler set, which is how I received it. You can also buy it in brick form ($18 for a 250 gram brick).

As I mentioned at the outset, this tea is dominated by the flavour of almonds. But it doesn’t have the sharpness or mouth-drying quality that nutty teas often seem to have; instead, it’s very, very smooth ? calming, in its way. I was briefly reminded of vanilla, though this is a much subtler flavour. Also subtle is the hint of apples that starts to emerge with later infusions, balancing out the almond flavour.

After writing my notes on this tea, I thought I would take a look at what I wrote about Bana Tea Company’s Denong Wild Ripe Pu-erh, which is a wild-grown pu-erh tea. It struck me just how similarly I described the wild denong: it had “flavours of almonds”, a “smooth, almost delicate body” and a “refreshing effect on the mouth”. While the cultivated pu-erh doesn’t seem to be as complex as the wild-grown pu-erh, it is nevertheless remarkable to read how similar the two teas are.

Denong Pu-erh Brick is available from Bana Tea Company.

Browse more pu-erh tea in the Tea Finely Brewed marketplace.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Denong Brick from Bana Tea Company | No comment |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, ripe pu-erh, shou pu-erh

When I first started drinking wine, one of the things that I most enjoyed was the feeling afterwards, once the wine had coursed through the throat and into the stomach. That warmth. It was amazing to me to feel how the body responded to the drink.

I had a similar experience this morning with tea. The tea is an aged pu-erh tea from Bana Tea Company, a Menghai factory raw (sheng) pu-erh that has been aging since 1996.

What struck me about this tea was how refreshed the mouth felt after drinking it. Just like you can feel the wine burning in your chest, I could feel the tea coating and cooling my mouth.

I had steeped the tea according to Linda’s (the owner of Bana Tea Company0 instructions: start with two rinses, followed by a 10-second infusion; increase it by 10 seconds for the next three infusions; then infuse it for a minute, and increase it by a minute for every subsequent infusions. I am now on my fifth infusion, and the tea still has plenty of juice to give. In fact, many of the leaves have only just now begun to unfurl. I’ll be drinking this all day.

Dry, the tea looks impressive. Big, lush leaves, with some bronzed tips. It smells of earth, as you would expect from a pu-erh.

This is a very earthy pu-erh. But perhaps the most notable flavour I have found is a citric tartiness. This becomes more pronounced as the tea cools, and it has also become much more obvious with subsequent infusions.

Menghai Aged Raw Pu-erh is available in cake form from Bana Tea Company. Linda still has a limited supply of the loose leaf pu-erh, so if you’re interested in that, email her directly. Browse and compare more pu-erh tea from different merchants in the Tea Finely Brewed marketplace.

Disclosure: Bana Tea Company is a current advertiser on Tea Finely Brewed. This tea was sent to me as a free sample.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Menghai Aged Raw Pu-Erh from Bana Tea Company | No comment |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, raw pu-erh, sheng pu-erh

If you’re looking to pick up some cheap tea and teaware, head over to Teavana and take a look at their New Year’s sale. They’ve slashed 30%-75% off some items.

For some high quality pu-erh, I heartily recommend Bana Tea Company. I’ve reviewed two of their pu-erhs lately, including a very special wild-grown denong pu-erh.

Finally, those Canadians among you should check out Orange Tea Co.. I’m looking forward to trying some of their teas soon and reporting back to you.

If you are interested in advertising on Tea Finely Brewed, either now or down the track, please do get in touch. There are a few low-cost spots up for grabs in January.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Thank you to Tea Finely Brewed sponsors | No comment |
Post categories: Site news
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, Orange Tea Co, Teavana

Today’s tea: Denong Wild, Bana Tea Company’s newest offering. This is a 2009 pu-erh tea made from 100% rare wild ancient arbor trees. (Disclosure: Bana Tea Company is a Tea Finely Brewed advertiser and this tea was received as a free sample).

With pu-erh, parameters are important. Here’s what I used: Six grams for the gaiwan. A twenty second infusion, the first time around. Add ten seconds for each of the next three infusions. Two minutes for the fifth infusion, and then add a minute for every infusion after that.

Brewing tea like this lets you experience how the tea opens up, as each infusion coaxes a little more out of the leaves.

The first infusion here yields a light amber infusion with a striking sweetness. The tea has a smooth, almost delicate body. But there is complexity there. As it cools, I notice how the tea changes in the mouth, from a sweet almond-like nuttiness to a mild tartiness. I also find that the tea has a cooling, refreshing effect on the mouth.

With the next infusion, the tartiness has become much more apparent. The liquor is much darker now, and the body isn’t delicate anymore. The earthy, campfire qualities that I have noted in other ripe pu-erhs is here, but it’s in balance with the other flavours. I have had other pu-erhs where all you can taste is that earthy flavour, but here it is part of a greater whole. Flavours of almonds and citrus fruits float around, interacting playfully.

I find it hard to do this tea justice. There is a great deal of complexity here. Ideally, I think you would allow this brick to age, but it’s great for drinking right now.

Denong Wild is available from Bana Tea Company for $12 for a 100-gram brick, or as part of their Beginner’s Gift Pack.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Denong Wild Ripe Pu-erh Tea from Bana Tea Company | No comment |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, ripe pu-erh, shou pu-erh

Teavana are offering free shipping on all orders (no coupon codes and no minimum orders required) between now and Wednesday, December 9th.

Bana Tea Company have a special 20% discount for Tea Finely Brewed subscribers. Quote 3838383838 at checkout.

Mighty Leaf Tea also have a 3-day sale running. Any order over $20 made in the next three days gets free shipping. And be sure to check out their collection of tea gifts, which have all had their prices slashed by 20%.

If you run a tea shop and would like to know more about advertising on Tea Finely Brewed, please get in touch.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Teavana, Mighty Leaf Tea and Bana Tea Company specials | No comment |
Post categories: Specials
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, Mighty Leaf Tea, tea coupons, Teavana

I’ve been writing about tea for almost a year, and drinking it for much longer than that, but sometimes I still feel like a kid in a candy shop full of sweets he’s never tried. There is an almost never-ending variation in the world of tea. How one tree can yield such an immense array of flavours never ceases to amaze me.

Within this world of teas is pu-erh tea, itself a wild and varied beast. My dabbling in pu-erh has so far consisted of a couple of loose leaf pu-erhs, a small brick and a mini green tuocha that, according to a much more experienced pu-erh aficionado, isn’t green at all. But I am very thankful to Linda from Bana Tea Company (a current advertiser on Tea Finely Brewed), who has graciously sent me a sampling of her pu-erhs, along with plenty of advice on how best to prepare them. Today, I turn to her Treasures from Five Mountains, a 2008 vintage, early spring harvest pu-erh tea.

Right off the bat, it’s clear that this is unlike any pu-erh I’ve had before. It infuses into a golden soup, suggesting to me that this is going to be far milder than previous pu-erhs I’ve tasted, which tend to brew into a very dark tea.

As anticipated, this tea has a milder taste ? the earthiness that dominates other pu-erhs is faint here. Instead, this tea is marked by a sharp nutty flavour. It’s astringent and mouth-drying, but leaves me feeling warm and nourished. There is just a wonderful sense of wholesomeness after drinking this.

I enjoy three infusions of this, the last of which I enjoy the most, perhaps down to the fact that I used water that had cooled to 65º C. I’ve no doubt I could have re-infused these beautiful leaves at least a couple more times, but responsibility calls and I’m due to go to work.

Treasures from Five Mountains is available from Bana Tea Company on its own ($28 for a 200 gram brick) or as part of their $10 sampler pack, which features 7 of their pu-erhs teas.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Treasures from Five Mountains: Vintage 2008 Raw Pu-Erh Tea from Bana Tea Company | No comment |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, raw pu-erh, sheng pu-erh