★☆☆☆☆
This is the first Pu-Erh I’ve tried, so it may just be that I don’t like this style of tea. It tasted mildew-y to me.
Generously sized for teapot brewing, this extra-large pearl gives the term tea ball new meaning.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Pu-Erh Pearls, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
This is the first Pu-Erh I’ve tried, so it may just be that I don’t like this style of tea. It tasted mildew-y to me.
Perfectly sized for gong fu style brewing, I popped one into my pot for a quick rinse, 30 seconds, then drop to 10 and add 5 each steep. The brew is the color of burnt caramel and tastes delicious. The flavor of dirt and earth comes through with a smooth texture.
These are tasty, but you don't get the full flavor unless you have a diffusor that lets them properly bloom. I tried an extra large tea bag and it didn't quite work.
This pu-erh tea is delicious! The flavor is strong, earthy and smooth. And it didn t taste bitter when I over brewed my second steep. I like that these pearls are big enough for a 24oz teapot or tumbler. @adagioteas @adagioteas
This Pu Erh lacked the rich earthy flavor I prefer
So fun to watch the pearls unfurl, and pu-erh has such a unique earthy flavor. There's nothing else quite like it.
My first time having Pu-Erh that isn’t the hazelberry. I was pleasantly surprised at how earthy and aged it tasted. It has a distinct fishy smell too, in a good way.
Pu-Erh fan here so of course I love these. If you have had Dante and Poe, this is right between them in taste. There is still that wonderful earthy smooth flavor with little to none of the fishy aroma. Perfect for drinking all day since you can make at least a pot with just one pearl. I suggest using a glass tea pot if you have it so you can enjoy the dancing leaves as it steeps. Like other pu-erh teas, it is almost impossible to over-steep and there is no astringency or bitterness. @adagioteas
Awesome tea, rich and hearty and a nuanced delicious cup @adagioteas
Nice earthy flavor. I would definitely get these again.
This is a splurge. But I so love the earthiness of this tea. It smells like the forest and makes me feel peaceful.
Out of the bag, this smells really good--earthy, dark and dank. I did not rinse it and at 5 minutes steep (1/4 pearl for one cup) it tasted as it smelled; earthy and forestlike, a tiny bit fishy (but not in a bad way, more like in a seaweedy way). I let it sit in my yixing pot another 5 minutes and the flavors really came out more. I threw a few rock crystals in to sweeten it, and it was even better. Second ten minute steep: no fishiness, still earthy and mellow. I think I like the Hazelberry Pu Erh better, going to have to do a side by side comparison of the two!
Absolutley my favorite tea so far from the pu-erh variety
Wow! You definitely get your money's worth from one of these pearls... This allowed for several resteeps and provided a nice, earthy flavor. I did do a rinse before brewing up my pot.
Love that these are large ...to make a whole teapot. I first rinsed... then made a wonderful pot of earthy goodness. I'd love to try what they mentioned in the description someday...'just pop one in your travel tumbler for a day of smooth, earthy sips'
Eathy rich flavor. This tea is thick when brewed gongfu style, and softens to be less bold more. The 1st few infusions are strong like a wet land kind of muddy smelling and taste more like old wood and wet leaves with a very smooth finish. The later infusions were a bit more warm and creamer in taste then has raw and Eathy as the 1st few. Overall if you like the earthiness in teas I think you would like this
Earthy and deep. I didn't experience any of the negative tastes some of the other reviewers mentioned. I didn't rinse prior to brewing. I mixed a titch of Masala Chai as I was sharing this pot with my sweetie and he is partial to chais. He also enjoyed this tea very much.
This one was VERY weird. First off, the description and reviews gave me the impression that it was best to just drop the pearls into the pot. In hindsight, I don't know why I thought this was a good idea, as (obviously) when I poured in the water the pearls immediately unfurled into a gigantic mess of black floating tea leaves. I had to get a second pot and strain the entire first pot into it to avoid oversteeping.
Once that fiasco was settled, I was still not too optimistic that I would even enjoy the Pu-Erh. It was VERY dark (almost black-coffee-looking), and the description of 'earthy' is usually something I avoid, as I prefer lighter, crisp teas (simple Earl Grey is my favorite). However, I'm determined to try everything Adagio has to offer in an effort to expand my palate, so I kept an open mind.
Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the Pu-Erh. If it wasn't for the unfurling/straining debacle, I would have given it 5 stars. I do taste the earthiness, but I think the 'smooth and comforting' qualities in the description really overpower the 'earthy'. This tea is bold, strong, and straightforward -- there are no 'notes' of anything else -- and is really amazingly smooth. I will be considering reordering once my sample size is finished.
In short, it's a good tea, but not really my thing. The flavor is bold and very earthy, kind of reminds me of a barn, but in a good way. The tea is good for multiple infusions and is pleasant to watch open up.
I'm a big fan of Pu-Erh tea, and I drink it for it's (shou pu-erh) health benefits to the digestive system. Pu-Erh is great to de-grease and helps with digestion after a heavy/ meaty meal and it goes perfectly with a dim sum meal. I love this pu-erh in ball's shape which is great for long-term storage as I'm going to age it further to intensify the flavor. One pearl is good for one pot and it could be brewed for three times (the third brew had very light color and flavor but still good to drink). I like its earthy and woody flavor, but it's relatively too mellow to my taste (I like strong black tea). Probably I'll try Pu-Erh Poe next.
This tea is very delicious. It has a bit of sweetness, as well as an earthy flavor and aroma. I would highly recommend this tea.
These are great for easily making a whole pot of Pu-Erh.
What an interesting tea. To me it taste like drinking a wildfire. I know that might sound weird but it tastes very smoky & woodsy the way a wildfire smells. I’ll definitely be trying it again. It was fun watching the pearl uncurl.
This is a perfectly fine and solid Pu-erh, especially for beginners. Very enjoyable and unique alternative to black teas.
You have to be into Pu-Erhs to enjoy this. It is very earthy like all Pu-Erhs but does not have the harsh taste that many Pu-Erhs can have. I was able to get 4 solid steeps. Each steep took on a different flavor.
Wonderful earthy/rainy taste, you do need to calibrate your water volume since you can't adjust the amount of tea leaves though.
These are very large and have a heavier woodsy aroma. Now I feel like hiking through the woods! =) Love them!
Earthy character to this. The preformed balls make it super convenient for single serving sessions. Zero bitterness and zero astringency. I got about 6 brews per ball. The flavor grew on me and has some subtle sweetness that disputes quickly.
This is our favorite Pu-Erh tea. It does not taste as strongly of mushrooms as the Dante and is a bit smoother than the Poe. We use a teapot and the pearl was just the right size for the initial two cups. The second brewing was still rich with flavor. If you brew it longer the taste will deepen but will not get bitter. Very earthy and distinctly different from black tea.
This was a bit too earthy for me. Tasted a bit too much like dirt
Big enough for a 1L teapot. These have almost a floral hint to them, surprisingly for a pu-erh tea.
This is a bit earthier compared to what I would usually drink but it is still a very tasty tea. I had this tea with a bit of honey added to brighten it.
WOW! This tea is like fire in a cup. Dark right from the first pour, meaty, mushroomy, savory. Would be lovely to cut through something creamy and sweet, or beside a salty stew. Smells like the sea, is briney without being salty. It's so intense, I can't drink it on a regular, but if you're looking for a Pu-Erh to light you up from the inside, this will do it!
It smells incredible from bag to cup, earthy and strong, but unfortunately the flavor is a little weak for a pu-erh. It s still good, but it definitely needs a longer brewing time than I m used to pu-erh needing. But after about ten minutes instead of five, it s delicious, and it definitely holds up to multiple steepings.
Good flavor but I steep this a really long time to get the full effect
So wonderful and earthy and never bitter, perfect for a large thermos
One of the better non-aged pu-erh I have been able to locate. Love the second and even 3rd infusions
First time having Pu-erh... Delicious! I've had black dragon pearls and I thought I loved them but these are very much in the run for the best black tea I have experienced thus far
I expected the taste of a mossy forest floor but what I got was a taste of mildew from an old, wet basement. The smell of the tea in the bag reminds me of some cigars I got that maybe had water damage. I rinsed the leaves, I did everything that people recommended, yet it tasted awful. I was going to steep it a second time, but the pungent aroma turned me away. I don't know what I'm going to do with the other four balls...
My new favorite! Very smooth flavor and forgiving when it comes to steeping; it does not get bitter.
Lovely smooth earthy flavor, and good for several resteeps. My batch has a bit of funky odor right out of the bag and needs a rinse--I ve had good results with both a hot rinse or cold under running water. My only complaint is that the pearls are sized for a pot of tea, but cup sized would be more convenient.
I love that this pearls are large and I can do an entire pot with one. The flavor is so smooth and pleasant. I love it with a slice of lemon in the pot, too.
Very earthy and strong, complex taste for experienced palate
My new favorite this one is even better than the pricier version just enough earthy flavor. Worth the money
Rich aroma, dark brew, notes of Tabaco, maybe a bit of leather. Very enjoyable if you like a nice dark tea.
The pearls are large and for making in a tea pot, not an individual cup, my husband loved this tea
The smell of the pearls is admittedly a bit 'fishy', and oily. But once the water is added, and the leaves steep and unfurl, the smell is gone, leaving behind a dark, rich amber color. The taste is surprisingly subtle, and not at all strong like some Pu-Erh's are, to the point that I actually added a second pearl to my teapot to steep with the first one, when I resteeped it. Not sure if it was the result of steeping twice, or just the concentration of the leaves, but it was a very rich, intense flavor the second time, compared to before. A little rock sugar added to the cup, and the flavor really came out in force. I would recommend rinsing the pearls off with cold water, before adding to the teapot, though, and don't be afraid to steep it twice, thrice, or even four times. The flavor profile really does change the more you steep it, and as long as the color is dark, then it's still good, and delicious.
This is so bold, strong, smooth. I made it as iced tea for the family. Absolutely delightful!
Take multiple brewings to fully open up, react best to an initial hot water rinse to open up. I'm not one for traditional tea steps but this would probably benefit from traditional treatment. I'm not sophisticated in pu-erh but I find this an enjoyable tea with good mouth feel.
Rich, smooth, earthy, and absolutely no bitterness make them perfect for my 18oz travel mug, even after 4 refills.