A rare aged, fermented tea from Yunnan, China, pu'erh stands apart with its uncommonly soft earthy flavor. Freshly damp forest aroma, warm hay inside a barn, mushrooms and savory vegetables. Wilted flower notes and faintly dark chocolate texture.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Pu-Erh Poe, 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.
I'm not sure tea reviews are very helpful. Taste is subjective and anything I would hate, somebody else might love. However, I am on a mission to try every tea I can so here's the scale I use.
*** Won't turn it down if somebody offered me a cup.
Subtle earthy flavor and scent, very smooth and not at all bitter. I brewed in a glass filter pot and just poured a little at a time so it wouldn't get cold, and the tea that brewed longer in the pot did not taste overbrewed at all.
Tasted dark and nicely fermented, with some mineral notes. I feel like I need to try/learn more about pu-er to appreciate them more.
I was unfortunately not particularly wowed by it, it was a pungent smell right off the bat and I did do the warm water rinse as everyone suggested but the earthy tones were perhaps just too strong for me.
This one required two steeps from me. My first steep was unpleasant to be honest. It was like over the top mushroom broth with hints of fish for the most part and hiding that deep loamy earthy pu-erh flavor I love it for beneath it. I realize if I had done a rinse it probably would have been spot on. So I did give it a second steep before reviewing which I don't normally do unless it's an oolong where second=best to me. 2nd steep turned out like I wanted very deep earthy hints of woodsy flavors and something that reminds me of bold coffee as well. Very good pu-erh, but I will remember to rinse next time. 212° 5 min both times.
Yum! I didn't expect to like this tea as much as I have. It's full-bodied and delicious with a little dip of honey. I find myself holding the smooth swig in my mouth just an extra few seconds longer than usual to savor it before swallowing. So far I've only had one cup, but I don't doubt that extra steeps would hold up just as well. This one is definitely going on my wishlist!
Earthy and musky deliciousness, I really enjoyed this one this morning, 195 for 3 minutes.
this is a deep, rich tea that has a nice earthiness, without tasting dirty. the difference between my steep with sugar crystals & one with bamboo honey was interesting, each pulling out some different nuances. I will enjoy a few steps of this when in my arsenal!
It's a perfect pairing for a chinease dish and great overall for a nice refreshing pick me up. I wouldn't recommend it iced but I would recommend following the Gaiwan method if you have time.
Very earthy flavors with none too overbearing. Even on a second infusion the flavors still held true. Smooth and elegant tea!
I did find this to be a strong, smooth tea, but I'm not a fan of the mushroom-ness of the earthy flavor. So while I'm glad I was able to try it, it'll probably be a pass in the future.
not a pu-erh girl I have learned. I think it's the 'mushroomy' part, though I have liked other teas that felt 'savory'.
I really liked this! It was mellow and smooth. Personally, I enjoy the earthy flavor. I can kind of see what people say about a fishy odor to the leaves, but I don't taste it at all.
The woods are calling;
Come walk amongst trees and soil;
Look for mysteries
This tea is woodsy;
Not midsummer, but late fall;
With leaves down and damp
Each sip transports you;
And enlivens your senses;
A ceremony
(Haiku Review)
Brief rinse, followed by 15 sec infusion. Second cup for 25 sec, then 45 sec, 1:15, 2:00, 3:00, 5:00, all infusions at 212. This shou pu-erh is very rich, dark, and heavy. It has an earthy flavor with some warm sweetness beneath it, maybe something kind of like molasses. I get some mineral notes in there, and it reminds me a lot of warm, fresh water from a running stream. That, with a dark, earthy black tea, very thick and creamy mouthfeel! Definitely one that you want to use for multiple infusions!
Like other reviewers, I suggest flushing the tea with your first brew for 30 seconds to actually open it and remove some of the more off-putting aroma and first-tastes. It's very nice after that!
Unlike other reviews, I actually found the first steep incredibly clean and the second fairly fishy! Overall I really like it :D
My new favorite. Mild but incredibly flavorful. Great with sweet pastries and savory sandwiches. A delicious tea that you can look forward to every day.
To earthy for my taste and I normally like earthy. This one tasted like a barn. It might be good in blends that use it as an earthy base .
not a bad tea, but in my opinion it doesn’t reach 5 points
This is not as high quality of a pu-erh as I had hoped, for the price. There are fishy notes. I need people to know that good pu-erh is not fishy, this is not how things have to be!! I see plenty of reviews that don't mention fishiness though, so it is possible that my batch was just contaminated (which is what causes the fish taste). Adagio pu-erhs have been so hit/miss for me. I feel like there is not consistent quality control.
I like the flavor better than the other Pu-Erh. It is convenient for me because I drive a truck and sometimes my making tea gets interrupted, and this tea won’t get bitter, even after 90min. of steeping. Also I have observed some health benefits. If you decide to try it, note that it tastes different from black tea. Not extremely, but different. After a day or two, the taste becomes normal, and if you notice the health benefits, you will choose to drink it regularly.
Very dark tea, absolutely no astringency. Aroma is a little pungent, but the flavour is deep and smooth. Very good for cold and rainy weather.
Rich earthy smell and flavor. Such a dark warm brown it makes too, just like coffee.
I know that Pu-erh's are mellow, but this one was not as dynamic as I thought it would be given the flavor profile. In any case, it is certainly drinkable and seems to be endlessly steep-able.
200 degrees for 4 minutes.
Pu-erh Poe is smooth and earthy. It reminds me of the fragrance of Oud and Oakmoss. Like the forest floor, this tea boasts layers of woodsy, rich, loamy goodness, yet it transcends even that with hints of cocoa and spice notes. I did do a 15 second rinse on the first steep to stave off any fishy flavors. Then, I steeped it 3 times and each steep was just as good as the last. Very complex tea that I enjoyed immensely.
I forgot to do a rinse with this tea as suggested. I didn’t find any fishy flavor in this cup.Instead a rather deep earthy and yes, barnyard hay flavor which I found enjoyable.I also added some honey for sweetness.I will add this one to my regular tea rotation
I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this Shou; it is so much more enjoyable the the very good Pu-Erh Dante and went into the order list immediately. It has the smooth (what my mind thinks of as flatness because the fermentation smooths out any astringency) finish of a good pu-erh and stands up to multiple steeps nicely. No fishiness and it did not need a rinse before the first steep. I recommend gongfu brewing for all of the pure teas from Adagio and this one certainly works beautifully that way.
A fantastic black pu-erh tea. Slightly smoother than pu-erh poe, but even more flavorful. No rinse required, as I'm not getting any of the fishy aromas that people are mentioning. Even good for a second brew.
Tried as a CommuniTEA sample. I did a rinse but it was still fishy tasting with a hint of smoke. I had it plain. It wasn't horrible but I didn't like it. I probably wouldn't mind it in blends but wouldn't go out of my way to have this again.
I loved this tea! I am already a fan of Pu-Erh teas but this one was so enjoyable. Very earthy and woody. Second steep was equally enjoyable. 210 degrees for 3 min. Second steep 210 for 5 min.
My husband and I both found this tea extremely unpleasant. It was our first time trying pu-ehr. Perhaps it is just not for us.
This is an earthy tea that I really enjoy. It is rich and complex.
I enjoyed this tea today. Added a little honey. It was earthy with a mushrooms undertone. I did not rinse. I did not find it fishy at all as some did.
extremely earthy and woodsy. i know its not everyones cuppa, but i enjoyed it
This tea had a mildly sweet, earthy flavor that was rich and slightly minerally. I can definitely see where the comparisons to dirt or mushrooms are coming from, but I really liked this!
I haven't found one type of pu'erh that tastes good to me, and unfortunately this one fell into that. Despite a rinse, and even after adding sweetener, it only tasted like I was drinking the infusion of a dead fish wrapped in leaves. Not my type of tea.
CommuniTEA portion: 195 steep for 4 minutes. Did a slight rinse beforehand as directed by some. Definitely very earthy, which I don't mind. Something wasn't quite working for me, may have been the mushroom as I'm not generally a fan. I would like to explore this a bit more with multiple steeps when I have the time.
Wow! This time I remembered to give this a brief rinse before steeping, and it’s much less “fishy” and has an aroma more like tanned leather, which I love. The flavor is earthy yet mild, probably because I was heavy-handed when I added the water. Makes for a much more pleasant sip than the first time I tried it!
I gave my CommuniTEA packet a hot water rinse for about 20 seconds. This tea has a taste reminiscent of the scent of a combination of barn yard and potting soil. The flavor is very earthy, and isn't a flavor profile that I enjoy.
Bring on the PuErh! This particular Puerh thus far is the most Potent, Earthy one which I have came across (thus far, imo.) My CT packet was *very* in need of extra rinsing! I do have a sample pouch of Poe which is way less pungent than the CT packet experience, today. Overall, I like Earthen, Mysterious, Woodsy, Elemental teas, so-- PuErh's are for me! However, Poe is def not a place to start with a PuErh journey ..more an Adept experience, if you will. (Not that I really am, but I tried other PuErh's firstly and glad I did!) Also, I added a dash of rock crystal sugar to the Poe, to enhance and balance--and that worked wonders.
Puerh is a pretty polarizing flavor... I like flavored puerh but i can't remember having a plain one. The first steep was a bit strong with the hay scent for me but i enjoyed the second steep!
2023 CommuniTEA Update - This seems to be slightly different than last year. More dusty, dirt notes instead of fall/leafy notes. Not sure if it is the same batch as last year and aged a bit different or if it is a new batch. It's still good, but not quite to the level of last year.
2022 Review: This is a wonderful Pu-erh. Simple gong-fu steep with no rinse. It has a very earthy and slightly smoky aroma. Steeped for 30 seconds for first cup and 45 seconds for second cup. This is a very dark Pu with a bit of a thick mouth feel. It is earthy, but not muddy. No hay, dirt, or fish. It tastes like a wonderful, cool fall day and a walk in the woods.
I highly recommend this as a starter Pu-erh for those that are new to it. If you like bold flavors, this will be a good one for you.
My first pu-erh tea and I loved it. Round, earthy when brewed for 5 mins. No fishy notes at all for me. The flavor I got was malted--like Horlick's for those of us of a certain age from UK! Nice with oat milk and 1/2 a tsp of black tea honey. Delicious.
Not my favorite. The scent was a little fishy. The flavor wasn’t as bad, but wasn’t enjoyable.
I've tried puerh teas before so I was shocked at how much I disliked this one. Its aroma is 'off' and reminds me of decay or spoiled food -- I can see the 'fishy' scent that people are reporting as well. Couldn't get past the smell.
Nice smooth tea. Based on the color you would expect it to be strong, but it is not. Just a nice dark smooth tea.
Love the smooth earthy and deep dark black tea deliciousness that puts a smile on my face. I use sweetener and temp 212: 14 oz mug.
Roasty earth, dark and luscious with a nice full bodied, rich and smooth mouthfeel.
2023: Update: Still an awesome black tea.
2008 Review: This Pu erh Poe is an excellent strong black tea. I love the earthy flavor and all its woodsy full-body black tea magic.