Rishi Tea’s Vanilla Mint Review

Type: Pu Erh
Origin: Yunnan, China
Price: Free sample (regular price - $5.00 for 1oz.)
Vendor: Rishi Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 5 - 6 minutes
Overall Score: 4.0 out of 5

Vanilla Mint is a pu erh base blend with vanilla, peppermint, cinnamon, and licorice root – all of which are organic ingredients. My first thought when the aroma of the dry leaf hit me is that is smells like toothpaste… and I mean that in a good way. It has a fresh scent with the mix of peppermint and vanilla. I can smell a bit of the cinnamon, as well. The dry leaves are a colorful sight. The small, black pu erh leaves are twisted within the mix of green peppermint, and brown cinnamon and licorice root.

The steeped tea was fun to pour out of the teapot. When I started to pour the tea into the pitcher it was a light yellowish orange color, then all of a sudden a blood red color comes out of the spout of the teapot. This gave the tea a dark red hue. The aroma of the tea is a mix of vanilla and mint with a licorice aroma in the background.





Wow, what an interesting combination of flavors and sensations. At first I taste the sweet vanilla, and then I feel the coolness of the mint. I few seconds later I feel the heat from the cinnamon in the back of my throat.

The tea isn’t as heavy or bold as I thought it would be. Steeping pu erh for five minutes scared me because I know how bold they can be. However, this one tastes more like an herbal tea. The only thing I’m getting from the pu erh is some astringency. It isn’t bitter at all. In fact, the sweetness from the vanilla and the coolness from the mint make it rather refreshing.