Japanese Pu'er

This tea may not be officially called Pu'er because it was neither grown nor produced in Yunnan, China.   Japanese Dark Tea is a good moniker for this fermented tea.  Hailing from Shizuoka prefecture in Japan,  it was produced using rice culture/yeast for fermentation for several days.  Kombucha is also a fermented 'tea' but is a different animal.   Kombucha tea, a sweet and sour beverage, is made by incubating the culture of bacteria and yeast in sugary tea.

Japanese Dark Tea does not look, smell or taste like Chinese Pu'er.  It does have a pleasant flavor profile akin to lightly roasted coffee or cacao.   Its leaves exude rich soy sauce aromas.   Similar to other 'cultured' food (e.g., yogurt and sour kraut), the tea is probably good for the digestive system.

Japanese fermented  tea (pu'er)

Type:  Pu'er/Fermented     Producing Country: Japan     Preparation:  95°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark cut leaves with a few twigs have the aromas of fermented black beans and thick soy sauce.
Wet Leaf:  Notes of roasted Japanese green tea (Hojicha) and light soy sauce can be detected.
Liquor:      The liquor is coppery and a bit cloudy with sediments.  It is only slightly astringent and spicy.   The flavor is coffee-like but not as flavorful.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5