Orange you glad I found this tea? OK, enough with the bad puns. I debated trying this tea for some time and in the end decided to order just a sample (a long with several other goodies). It is a clementine that has been hollowed out, filled with tea and then aged. According to Chicago Tea Garden , these were obtained in Guandong, China in 2005 and since then have been aged in man-made pu-erh caves in the United States. I brewed this tea in a gaiwan, steeping for 45 seconds on the first infusion and gradually increasing for each subsequent steeping. The liquor was lighter than I expected, with a definite orange tint to it.

This tea was surprisingly smooth and mellow with only a slight cooling, citrus aftertaste. It was earthy but not in the “forest floor” way that pu-erh is synonymous with. In fact at times I found myself wishing that this tea had a bit more of a bite to it. That being said, sometimes a nice mellow tea is exactly what the doctor ordered. It lasted quite a few infusions without loosing any of the original strength or character. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable and peculiar foray into the world of pu-erh. I would definitely recommend this tea.

— To purchase Chicago Tea Garden Wild Orange Pu-erh, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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