Sourenee FTGFOP 1 CH First Flush Darjeeling from Lochan Teas Limited

Alright, I am going to make this review brief, because it is Friday at 4:15 PM, and I want to get out of my office to start the weekend. Any reader of this blog knows that I am always happy to review the excellent quality teas provided by Lochan Teas Limited. Today’s Sourenee FTGFOP 1 First Flush is one of those excellent products, and I would once again like to thank the Lochan family for providing the samples. Check our the Lochan’s website here.

The amazingly floral and fruity sweet aroma of first flush Darjeeling tea is beckoning to me, so let the journey begin…

Sourenee FTGFOP 1st Flush Dry Leaves

The dry leaves have quite a variation in colors, typical of a Darjeeling first flush, ranging from bright green to reddish-brown to black. The leaves have a uniform size and shape. All leaf fragments, no unbroken leaves, some stems. The aroma is phenomenal, with very floral (rose) and sweet (dried fruit) scents.

Today’s chosen pot and cup.

Nine grams of dry leaves were placed in an 18 ounce (500 ml) cast-iron teapot. Purified spring water was heated to 195°F (90°C). Leaves were infused for one minute on the first infusion, one minute thirty seconds on the second infusion, and two minutes on the third infusion.

Sourenee FTGFOP 1st Flush 1st Infusion

The first infusion produced a liquor with a golden-yellow color, clear and transparent. The aroma had a nice floral bouquet or jasmine and roses, with a slight honey scent. The body was medium, with a supple and balanced feel. The taste was almost purely floral, with strong notes of jasmine and rose, and a light fruity (grape) note. The aftertaste was floral and had a pleasant longevity.

Sourenee FTGFOP 1st Flush 2nd Infusion

The second infusion produced a liquor with an identical golden-yellow color to the first infusion. The aroma remained floral, sweet, and amazing. The body and mouth feel lightened very slightly. The taste had a better balance, and remained floral (jasmine, rose) with a touch of grape. This was one of the best second infusions that I have obtained from a first flush Darjeeling tea. It lost very little character from the first to second infusion.

Sourenee FTGFOP 1 1st Flush 3rd Infusion

The third infusion produced a liquor with a slightly lighter shade of golden-yellow color. The aroma lightened some, but was still enjoyably floral and sweet. The body and mouth feel lightened some, but not as much as I expected. The taste was lighter, but retained dominant jasmine and rose notes, and a very slight touch of grape. The aftertaste remains floral, as well. Overall, I was impressed with the strength of the third infusion.

Sourenee FTGFOP 1 1st Flush Infused Leaves

The infused leaves had the typical variation in color, ranging from a fresh light green to copper. The leaves are all fragments and some stems. The leaves are quite delicate, suggesting that they are close to being exhausted of taste. The aroma remains floral, and lightly sweet. This is a very pleasant smell to the infused leaves.

To best describe my overall experience with this tea, my senses of smell and taste took a trip through a fresh field of jasmine and roses. Very refreshing, very uplifting. First flush teas have a very specific energy that can easily be felt, even if one cannot feel energy in other teas. This Sourenee First Flush definitely had that special energy. From the first sniff of the initial infusion through the last sip of the third infusion, I was very pleased with this tea. For the organic tea drinkers out there, this product is also labeled as organic. I am certainly looking forward to the fresh first flushes of 2014. Thanks again to Lochan Teas Limited for giving me the opportunity to try this excellent first flush organic Darjeeling tea. Cheers!

Dinjoye FTGFOP 1 CL 2nd Flush Assam from Lochan Tea Limited

Time to get back to the samples from my favorite tea company in India, Lochan Tea Limited. As I searched my mood this morning, I decided that today would be a nice day for second flush Assam black tea. Thankfully, the Lochans sent several of these excellent teas in their last package of samples. This review will focus on a FTGFOP 1 CL Exclusive Tippy Second Flush Assam black tea from Dinjoye Tea Estate in the Assam District of India. There is a very fruity sweet smell and plenty of golden tips in this sample packet, so let the journey begin.

Dinjoye FTGFOP 1 CL Assam Dry Leaves

The dry leaves have a brown to black color with a nice amount of golden tips being present. The leaves have a fairly uniform size and shape, and are twisted in the usual Assam orthodox form. All leaves are fragments, as is the norm in teas from India. The aroma is very fruity, with strong scents of dried fruit and muscatel grapes. There is also a lightly floral scent in the background.

Five grams of dry leaves were placed in an 8.5 ounce (240 ml) kyusu teapot. Purified water was heated to 205°F (98°C). Leaves were infused for one minute on the first infusion, one minute thirty seconds on the second infusion and third infusion.

Dinjoye FTGFOP 1 CL Assam 1st Infusion

The first infusion produced a glowing, full, and deep red color with a perfect orange rim. The liquor was clear and perfectly transparent. The aroma had malty, muscatel grape, and very light floral scents. A very light spice was also noted. The body is full, with a mouth filling and moderate-heavy astringent feel. The taste was mainly malty, with notes of muscatel grape and spice. The aftertaste was sweet (malt).

Dinjoye FTGFOP 1 CL Assam 2nd Infusion

The second infusion produced a liquor with a orange-red color, the orange ring lightening to gold. The aroma remained malty, muscatel grape, and slightly spicy. The body lightened slightly, but was still full. The astringency balanced nicely in this second infusion. The taste remained the same, though slightly lighter, with malt being the main note, and a light floral hint being noticeable.

Dinjoye FTGFOP 1 CL Assam 3rd Infusion

The third infusion produced a much lighter orange colored liquor with a slight reddish tint. The aroma lightened, but remained sweet. The body lightened to medium, with a slight astringency still being felt. The taste lightened significantly, allowing the floral notes to become more evident. Although much lighter in all ways, this third infusion was certainly worthy of drinking.

Dinjoye FTGFOP 1 CL Assam Infused Leaves

The infused leaves had a uniform copper color. The size and shape were also fairly uniform and standard for an Assam tea. I do not believe a fourth infusion would produce a full enough taste to enjoy. The aroma is sweet, like muscatel grapes, and a sweet floral scent.

This Dinjoye FTGFOP 1 CL Assam black tea was exactly what I was looking for this morning. The full bodied, astringent yet sweet taste will certainly open your eyes and give you a kick of energy. Teas from both the Assam District and Darjeeling District have such an incredibly sweet and floral smell to the dry leaf, and this was no different. There is little wonder in my mind why Assam black teas are very popular for being in breakfast blend teas. These teas are an excellent replacement for coffee.Thanks, Lochan Teas, for providing the sample. I am looking forward to the 2014 harvests! Cheers!

 

Another Successful Tasting Event at Spring Street Cafe

Everyone had a great time learning about tea and tasting all of the He Cha Tea products last Sunday at Spring Street Cafe in Zelienople, Pennsylvania. Read more about it here, and see some photos from the event. Cheers!

The Official Blog for Hē Chá Tea

Our second Hē Chá Tea tasting event at Spring Street Cafe in Zelienople, Pennsylvania was a great success! This event had even more attendees than our first event, and the level of energy and enthusiasm from this round of guests was slightly higher, as well.

Here are a few of the photos from the event.

If we had to choose one tea that got the best overall response from the guests, it would definitely be our Traditional Masala Chai! The Earl Grey Prime also received great feedback. As usual, every tea was at the top of someone’s list. It is always interested to see which teas come out on top at the end of these events, and it always seems that each event has a different top tea. That’s great news to us!

Hē Chá Tea would once again like to thank the owners and staff of Spring Street Cafe for…

View original post 140 more words

Yanagi Bancha Green Tea from Kyoto Obubu Tea

As I begin writing this post, I realize that the only bancha that I have ever tasted came as part of the samples included in my Certified Tea Professional course through the American Tea Masters Association. Certainly, then, I have not written a review on a bancha yet. Thank you to Kyoto Obubu Tea for providing this sample. To learn more about Obubu Tea, check out their website here.

The Yanagi Bancha from Obubu Tea is produced from the same bushes as their Kabuse Sencha is made from. The leaves and twigs that are found in the Yanagi Bancha are harvested about a month after the Kabuse Sencha harvest. This second harvesting helps promote leaf growth and volume on the tea bushes. Generally, bancha is considered a lower quality tea by Japanese standards, but if it comes from Obubu, I am more than happy to give it a try.

The sample pack has been opened, and I have detected smells of dry grass, sweet hay, and a slight cedar chip-like scent. Let the journey begin…

Yanagi Bancha Dry Leaves

The dry leaves have a forest green to dark green color, with the twigs having a yellow color. The leaves are tightly rolled, and larger than most sencha teas, indicating the more mature leaves cut from the tea bushes for this particular style of tea. There are quite a few stems and twigs present. The leaves are all fragments, with no unbroken leaves, as is common with Japanese teas. The aroma has scents of dry grass, sweet hay, and wood (cedar chips).

Five grams of dry leaves were placed in an 8.5 ounce (240 ml) kyusu teapot. Filtered tap water was heated to 175°F (80°C). Leaves were infused for one minute on the first infusion, forty seconds on the second, and one minute on the third.

Yanagi Bancha 1st Infusion

The first infusion produced a pale yellow color with a slight haze, but still transparent. The aroma had scents of hay, dry grass, wood, and slight marine hint. The body is medium, with a mildly savory (umami) mouth feel. The taste had notes of hay, dry grass, moderate astringency, and a slightly salty, marine seawater note. The aftertaste had notes of grass, with a mild flowery essence being left on the breath. To breath in through the mouth gives a salty feel in the mouth, like inhaling sea myst. This is not a bad characteristic, but certainly unusual. I tasted the filtered water by itself to make sure that my water was not strange, and it tasted normal to me. Also, I had nothing to eat or drink for two hours leading up to the tasting, so I have concluded that this salty taste is either authentic and chemistry related, or I am misreading the astringency level.

Yanagi Bancha 2nd Infusion

The second infusion produced a liquor with pale yellow color and a light jade tint. The aroma remains grassy, with scents of hay and sea myst. The body remains medium, and the savory (umamu) feel has lightened, but is still there. The taste also remains the same, with the astringency not lightening at all. The aftertaste is grassy with hints of sea myst. The salty sea myst feel remains in the mouth when inhaling.

Yanagi Bancha 3rd Infusion

The third infusion produced a liquor with a nearly identical color to the second infusion. The aroma remains the same, perhaps slightly lighter. The body has lightened, and the savory (umami) character has lightened to the extent that it is nearly non-existent. The taste retains the same characteristics, with the astringency lightening considerably.

Yanagi Bancha Infused Leaves

The infused leaves have a uniform fresh forest green color, with the stems and twigs having a greenish-yellow color. All leaves are fragments, but there are some that are quite large, as the photo above shows, again indicating more mature leaves. After four infusions, the leaves still have some durability with a slightly leathery feel. Although the fourth infusion was lighter than the first three, I believe a fifth infusion is possible. The aroma had the scent of cooked leafy green vegetables.

This Yanagi Bancha green tea from Kyoto Obubu Tea was quite different than any other tea that I have had in recent memory. Although I prefer a better grade of sencha over this bancha, it still has plenty of Japanese green tea character to offer. The marine, sea mist taste and feel were interesting, but again I recognize the possibility that I may have been misreading the astringency level or perhaps another taste altogether. Honestly, I probably would not have this tea in my personal collection, but if I came to a point where I wanted Japanese green tea and had a strict budget to follow, I would not hesitate to purchase this Yanagi Bancha.

Thank you for taking your time to read this review. Please leave a comment and start a discussion.

Vangedi Pekoe Black Tea from Amba Estate (Plucky Tea)

It’s one of those rare days that my house is quiet and clean, allowing me to devote time to a more intriguing review. This product, the Vangedi Pekoe from Amba Estate, Sri Lanka, is quite unique to Plucky Tea. Plucky Tea is the only estate in Sri Lanka that produces this style of black tea commercially. According to the Plucky Tea website, which may be found here, the estate workers in Sri Lanka tend to process teas in their home in this fashion. The people use a stone mortar, called a “vangedi”, to grind the tea leaves into coarse fragments before they undergo the oxidation and firing process. For some reason, the large estates in Sri Lanka forbid this style of production, thinking that the estate workers are somehow stealing leaves for personal consumption. A little more research is needed on my end to understand why the large estates feel this paranoia.

As I look through the samples and product descriptions from Plucky Tea, I find that the majority of products are quite different than other Sri Lankan companies offer. Of everything that I have tried, the only thing that I found to be overall “average” was the pan-fired green tea. Everything else has been very unique in at least one, and in several cases many ways. Note: I would like a second chance to review the pan-fired green tea. I get the feeling that my senses were out of sync at the time of the original review. I will give the green tea another review if and when I get the chance. Anyway, Amba Estate and Plucky Tea have some top quality and highly intriguing products, moreso than any other estate that I have found in Sri Lanka.

If you want to try the GF OP Black Tea or the OP Black Tea with Tea Flowers, I believe Tealet Teas is still offering sample packets. Their website is http://www.tealet.com.

I may have mentioned this in a previous review of a product from Amba Estate, but I really like the amount of information that they supply regarding their community and even their workers. Amba really seems to encourage strong relationships among the workers and the community. They also have some great videos up on Youtube, including one regarding this vangedi pekoe.

The packet has been opened, and a very fresh, classic black tea smell is in the air. Let the journey begin…

The dry leaves have shades of light brown to dark brown color. There is much variation in the size and shape of the dry leaves since they are coarsely ground into flakes. Impossible to determine the plucking standard or make any other useful visual observations. The flakes are very dry, and crumble easily. The aroma of the leaves is a bakey, almost biscuity sweet scent with malt. There is a slightly earthy hint, in a way similar to a shu puer. Considering the appearance of the dry leaves, I was interested to see if this tea could last for my usual three infusion review.

Four grams of dry leaves were placed in an 8.5 ounce (240 ml) kyusu teapot. Filtered tap water was heated to 205ºF (96ºC). Leaves were infused for two minutes for the first infusion, three minutes on the second, and three minutes thirty seconds on the third infusion.

The first infusion produced a liquor with a glowing reddish-copper color, clear and transparent. The aroma had scents of malt, and very light citrus and floral (dandelion). The body is full, with a very smooth yet mouth filling texture. The taste is moderately astringent, with notes of malt, light citrus, and light floral (dandelion). The aftertaste is sweet with a modest hang time. This is what I consider to be a classic, but high quality, black tea taste. Now let’s see how this tea will be in the second infusion.

The second infusion produced a liquor with a slightly lighter shade of reddish-copper color. The color is fuller than I expected. The aroma also lightened some, but remains quite fragrant. The body and taste were both surprisingly full, despite a slight lightening in all aspects. The taste maintained the same general characteristics, with the astringency lightening significantly between the first and second infusion. This infusion was very enjoyable, much to my surprise. It can’t possibly give another decent infusion, can it?

Again, the color lightened some, but is surprisingly full with a lighter reddish-copper color. The aroma has lightened again, but is still strong enough to enjoy. The body has lightened to medium, and the taste has lightened. However, the taste is certainly strong enough to be enjoyed. This third infusion was still better than any bagged black tea that I have had. Very impressive.

The dry leaves have a uniform dark copper color. The leaves are all small flakes. The aroma is sweet, malty, and lightly citrusy. Although I doubted this tea from the beginning, only to be proven wrong on two occasions, I still have a hard time believing that it can make a fourth infusion. I can very easily be wrong.

I have had a few black teas over the years that I would refer to as having a “classic” black tea taste, but this Vangedi Pekoe had the smoothest and most agreeable “classic” black tea taste. In fact, I could see this as being a perfect every day morning tea, as the estate workers in Sri Lanka have come to find. Although I cannot say that the complexity or general taste characteristics were outstanding or unique, the texture of this tea was definitely remarkable. I am happy to have another two kyusu loads of this Vangedi Pekoe in the sample pack, as I will be looking forward to enjoying it soon. Another success from Amba Estates and Plucky Tea. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try a truly unique Sri Lankan black tea. The estate workers definitely know what they are doing when producing this tea. Cheers!

Thank you for taking your time to read this review. Please leave a comment and start a discussion.

Tea Spotlight: Mount Ali Milk Oolong

The Mount Ali Milk Oolong is my personal preference of all of the current He Cha Tea products. This tea is pure Taiwan Jin Xuan oolong with no flavoring added.

The Official Blog for Hē Chá Tea

The focus of today’s Hē Chá Tea Spotlight segment is our Mount Ali Milk Oolong Tea.

We at Hē Chá Tea are very proud of our Mount Ali Milk Oolong tea. It is the only tea that we currently offer that is pure, unflavored, unscented, unblended tea leaves. This simple fact also makes our Mount Ali Milk Oolong different than many other milk oolongs available in the U.S. Many milk oolongs are flavored, giving them a buttered popcorn scent, and a strong buttery taste. The problem with this is that the tea leaves used are usually of lower quality and most times do not even come from the type of tea bush that traditional milk oolongs originated from (more on that below). The result is a milk oolong by name only. A true milk oolong does not need flavoring to give it a milky, creamy smell and taste.

What is a “true” milk…

View original post 926 more words

Liu An Gua Pian Green Tea from TeaVivre

It is unfortunate to say that this is the last tea, the Liu An Gua Pian, to be evaluated in the sample package from TeaVivre. So far, I have had nothing but good things to say about their products. Liu An Gua Pian is one of my preferred styles of Chinese green tea, so I wanted to save this sample for last. As always, I recommend that you visit the TeaVivre website here, as they provide a noteworthy amount of information on each of their products.

Liu An Gua Pian is unique from other Chinese green teas in multiple ways. Unlike other Chinese green teas, there are no buds used in the production of Liu An Gua Pian. The second leaf down from the bud is the only leaf used. The leaves are separated from the stems. The main leaf vein is also removed. Liu An Gua Pian leaves are plucked from a variety (cultivar) of the tea bush known as San Hao Xiao Ye Zhong, a local bush found in Anhui Province, China.

The sample packet has been opened, and the fresh forest green color of the leaves has caught my eye. Let the journey begin…

Liu An Gua Pian Dry Leaves

The dry leaves have a fresh forest green to dark green color. The leaves are rolled, and vary in length. There are no stems whatsoever. There are few crumbs. Leaves appear to be large fragments, with perhaps a few unbroken. The leaves have a slightly shiny appearance, the result of repeated rounds of pan firing. The aroma has scents of fresh grass, sweet hay, sweet brown sugar and molasses.

Three grams of dry leaves were placed in an 8.5 ounce (240 ml) kyusu teapot. Purified water was heated to 175°F (80°C). Leaves were infused for forty seconds on the first infusion, one minute on the second, and one minute and twenty seconds on the third.

Liu An Gua Pian 1st Infusion

The first infusion has a light, pale, jade green color, clear and transparent. The aroma is mostly fresh cut grass, with light scents of roasted nuts and brown sugar. The body is medium, with a fresh and brothy (umami) texture that coats the tongue and throat. The taste has notes of fresh cut grass, vegetables (corn and asparagus), with a sweet umami character. The aftertaste provides a lasting floral essence.

Liu An Gua Pian 2nd Infusion

The second infusion has a slightly fuller shade of light jade green color. The aroma remains grassy, with a light floral scent blending with roasted nuts and brown sugar. Body remains medium with a brothy texture. Taste remains mostly grassy with vegetable, and a slightly sweet (melon) taste coming through. This second infusion maintains a pleasant umami character, and a lasting floral aftertaste.

Liu An Gua Pian 3rd Infusion

The third infusion has a slightly lighter jade green color than the second infusion. The aroma has lightened, but is still full, and has a light spice coming through and blending with the grassy, sweet scent. The body has lightened some. The taste remains grassy with vegetable, and the umami character has lightened some, but still exists. The floral aftertaste is still quite strong and lasting.

Liu An Gua Pian Infused Leaves

The infused leaves have a uniform fresh forest green color. All large fragments, no fully intact unbroken leaves were found. Some leaves had the main center vein intact, which is inconsistent with the description of the processing technique. No stems were found. The leaves are quite soft and delicate, but based on the taste of the third infusion, I believe one additional infusion is possible. The leaves have a fresh, grassy, and cooked vegetable smell.

The Liu An Gua Pian from TeaVivre is a good quality green tea that is a nice change from other styles of Chinese green teas. The brothy (umami) texture gives this tea a characteristic similar to a Japanese green tea, but maintains most characteristics of the traditional Chinese green tea. This tea has a refreshing and revitalizing effect, and the texture gives it a healthy, hearty feel. This tea would be an excellent bridge for fans of both Chinese and Japanese green teas who are looking to cross borders to find and develop a taste for new styles of tea.

TeaVivre, it’s been a pleasure reviewing these five products, and I look forward to reviewing more of your products in the future. Thanks for the opportunity, and for the five great teas!

Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea from TeaVivre

There are some styles of tea out there that cause excitement and curiosity as soon as you open the container. For those of you who have experienced Tai Ping Hou Kui green tea, this is one of those styles of tea. Every aspect of the appearance of this tea is unique, and the aroma is usually very fresh and pleasant.

According to the TeaVivre website (click here), Tai Ping Hou Kui is traditionally grown in Hou Keng, Xinming village, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. This style of tea is produced from a specific cultivar called Shidacha (Shiyecha). This type of tea bush produces rather large leaves, which are easily noticeable in Tai Ping Hou Kui due to the unique processing method of this style of tea.

Let the journey begin…

Tai Ping Hou Kui Dry Leaves

The dry leaves vary in shades of green color, from bright to dark green. The leaves vary in length, but are uniformly flattened. The length varies from one (25 mm) to three and a half inches (90 mm). The bud and two leaf pluck is apparent in several of the leaves. Many leaves appear to be unbroken, while others appear to be large fragments. The leaves are quite large overall, indicative of the Shidacha cultivar. The aroma of the dry leaves is that of fresh cut grass, sweet hay, and a slight toasted nuttiness.

Four grams of dry leaves were placed in an 8.5 ounce (240 ml) kyusu. Purified water was heated to 175°F (80°C). Leaves were infused for one minute, with an additional ten seconds added to subsequent infusions.

Tai Ping Hou Kui 1st Infusion

The first infusion produced a liquor with a light and pale shade of green color, clear and transparent. The aroma has scents of orchids, fresh cut wet grass, sweet butter or cream, and a slight nuttiness. The body is medium, with a rounded and mouth filling feel. The taste has notes of water chestnuts, orchids, and a sweetness most similar to citrus fruits. There was a slight bitterness to the otherwise floral and lingering aftertaste. As usual with a good quality tea, the flowery essence in the olfactory glands persisted for minutes after swallowing.

Tai Ping Hou Kui 2nd Infusion

The second infusion produced a liquor with a slightly livelier shade of pale green. The taste balanced out some, having stronger orchid notes and lighter water chestnut notes. Other than that, there was little variance from the first infusion.

Tai Ping Hou Kui 3rd Infusion

The third infusion was nearly identical to the second infusion in all aspects. A nice aroma, great flavor, medium body, floral aftertaste. I am truly enjoying the consistency from infusion to infusion. I will continue with two additional infusions.

Tai Ping Hou Kui 5th Infusion

The photo above depicts the fifth infusion. As you can see, the color is still quite consistent with the third infusion. The aroma, body, and taste are also surprisingly consistent, with a very slight lightening in character. Overall, the quality of this liquor is amazing for a fifth infusion of a green tea. And this is not even the highest quality of Tai Ping Hou Kui offered from TeaVivre. If I were not running out of time at the office today, I would have tried two additional infusions just to see if it could last. Interesting to note that these are not flash infusions. This fifth infusion steeped in water for two minutes.

Tai Ping Hou Kui Infused Leaves

The infused leaves have a rather uniform fleshy green color, with a slight variation in the shades of green. The pluck of a bud and two leaves is apparent. Many leaves are unbroken and fully attached to the stem, while others are very large fragments. The leaves are quite large. They are quite delicate at this point, but I still believe another infusion or two is possible. The aroma is very pleasant, with scents of orchids and fresh cut wet grass. There is some taste left in these leaves.

I have been intrigued by Tai Ping Hou Kui since the first time I tried it about a year ago. I can honestly say that the TeaVivre product is the best that I have had to this point. I would love to try the Nonpareil variety that they offer, just to see if the higher price tag can provide such a better experience than this premium variety. This is an excellent style of Chinese green tea, and one that I highly recommend to any green tea enthusiast out there. Just be careful on the brewing technique. Again, I must highlight the consistency that this tea had over five infusions. I cannot remember the last time a Chinese green tea gave me five consistent infusions. Excellent product. Thanks, TeaVivre. You are four for four so far! 🙂

 

 

Da Hong Pao Wuyi Rock Oolong from TeaVivre

I am excited today to be reviewing the Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) Wuyi Rock Oolong tea from TeaVivre. It has been some time since sampling a better quality Da Hong Pao, and the two other reviews on TeaVivre’s products have been quite positive, so I am expecting to enjoy this review. Take a moment to learn more about the Da Hong Pao Wuyi Rock Oolong on TeaVivre’s website by clicking here.

Generally speaking, authentic Da Hong Pao rock wulongs come from tea bushes that all have the same genetic material, and are grown and produced in the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian Province of southeast China. This style of wulong leans on the heavier side of the oxidation scale. The leaves are also roasted for a longer period than many other styles of wulong.

Upon opening the sample packet, the familiar roasty scent of Da Hong Pao has hit my olfactory glands. Let the journey begin…

TeaVivre Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong Dry Leaves

The dry leaves of the Da Hong Pao are a uniform hazy black color, with few lighter brown stems. The leaves are fairly long and twisted. Some leaves are attached to the stem, but most are detached. There appears to be a generous amount of unbroken leaves, but some appear to be large fragments. The leaves feel very dry and crispy, results of the increased roasting period. The aroma consists of roasted chestnuts, leather, wood, caramelized sugar, and a slight earthy, undergrowth scent.

Eight grams of dry leaves were placed in a seventeen ounce (500 ml) cast-iron tetsubin. Purified water was heated to 205°F (96°C). Leaves were infused for three minutes.

TeaVivre Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong 1st Infusion

The first infusion had a golden-yellow color with an orange tint. The infusion was clear and transparent. The aroma had a roasty character, with scents of wood, flowers, and caramelized sugar. The body is medium, with a nicely balanced feel. The taste had notes of roasted chestnuts, flowers, and wet stones. There was a slight astringency to the infusion. One unusual and interested effect of this infusion was the mineral feel that remains on the tongue. The aftertaste has a great floral essence to it, but the mineral is more of an effect than a taste.

TeaVivre Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong 2nd Infusion

The second infusion has a lighter shade of golden-yellow, with less of an orange tint. The aroma remains roasty, but the floral scents have become more apparent. The taste has changed some, with the floral, mineral, and wet stones becoming more apparent, while maintaining a lighter note of roasted chestnuts and wood. The sweetness seems to be more fruity than sugary with this infusion. The aftertaste maintains the nice flowery essence.

TeaVivre Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong 3rd Infusion

The third infusion again lightened in color to a light golden-yellow, with no orange tint. The aroma remains largely the same as the second infusion, with a slight lightening of the roasted scent, and the floral and mineral scents remaining prominent. The body has lightened some. The taste again has lightened on the roasted chestnuts, and retains the floral, mineral, and wet stones notes. A slight sweetness remains also.

TeaVivre Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong Infused Leaves

The infused leaves display two colors, dark green and a purplish brown. The leaves vary in size. There are many unbroken leaves, and some large fragments. The leaves have a wet and soft leather feel to them. The durability of the leaves suggests that additional infusions can produce an acceptable infusion. The scent of the leaves is very floral and somewhat fruity, with a slight woodsy undergrowth scent, similar to wet stones. I will be infusing these leaves at least one more time.

This Da Hong Pao Wuyi Rock Oolong from TeaVivre had everything that I look for in a rock wulong. The roasty character, strong floral essence, and perfect balance of floral, mineral, and sweet tastes make for a very pleasant review for me. Although I cannot say that this is the very best Wuyi Rock wulong that I have had, I can say that for the price that TeaVivre charges, it gives most of the important features with a more affordable price tag than the other that I speak of, which was quite expensive. This tea lasted four infusions using the steeping method specified above, with each infusion having slightly different and enjoyable characteristics.

Thank you, TeaVivre, for giving me the opportunity to review your Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea.

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea from Teavivre

After the successful review of the Jin Xuan Milk Oolong from Teavivre, I have been highly motivated to dive in to the other samples. Although the Da Hong Pao Rock Wulong keeps calling me, the Yun Nan Dian Hong black tea is more appropriate for this early morning review.

I have to give Teavivre credit on their website. They have a very helpful amount of information, complete with reviews, for each of their teas. A link to the information they provide on this Yun Nan Dian Hong black tea is available here. I will note a few details here. This black tea is hand-made in the Fengqing region of Yunnan Province, China. According to the TeaVivre website, Fengqing is the origination point of Yunnan black teas. Below is a map of Yunnan Province, China. Image is courtesy of the TeaVivre website.

Map of Yunnan Province, China (Courtesy of TeaVivre.com)

The appearance of abundant bright golden tips in the sample pack has me excited, so let the journey begin…

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea Dry Leaves

The dry leaves of this tea are mostly bright gold, with some dark brown to black. The leaves appear to be almost entirely buds. The few pieces that do have any additional leaves included with the bud show a fine pluck, where only the first leaf down from the bud is picked. The buds and leaves are nicely twisted. The buds are softer to the touch than most black teas. The aroma has scents of sweet hay, caramel, and a light dried fruit (raisin) scent. The aroma also has a bakey character to it.

Four grams of dry leaves were placed in an 8.5 ounce (240 ml) kyusu teapot. Filtered tap water was heated to 190°F (90°C). Leaves were infused for four minutes.

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea 1st Infusion

The first infusion had a dark orange-red color, clear and transparent. The aroma has scents of caramel, citrus, dried fruit, and lightly floral. The liquor is full-bodied, with a velvety smooth feel. The taste has notes of citrus, raisins, caramel, and light malt. The finish has notes of malt and cocoa, and the aftertaste is sweet and lingering.

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea 2nd Infusion

The second infusion had a lighter shade of orange-red color. The aroma changed rather significantly, lightening on the citrus scents, and gaining strength on the raisin scent. There are also scents of honey, and a touch of black pepper. The taste also lightened on the citrus notes, but otherwise retained the notes of raisins, malt, and caramel. The aftertaste took a slightly floral turn, but also had the sweet notes of the first infusion in a lighter form. This change of character was very surprising in a good way. These two infusions were like two different teas, both of which were very good.

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea 3rd Infusion

The third infusion had a bright orange color, significantly lighter than the second infusion. The aroma retained scents of raisins, honey, and black pepper. The body has lightened to medium, but retained the velvety smooth feel. The taste again lightened on the citrus notes, and notes of raisins and other fruits began to come forward. The aftertaste continues to turn to the floral side and lightened on the sweet notes. Again, this third infusion was quite different from the other two.

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea Infused Leaves

The infused leaves had a uniform copper color. The number of buds far outnumbered the fine plucked leaves with buds. Almost all buds and leaves are whole, with only a few fragments found. The aroma has scents of raisins and malt, and is an overall sweet aroma. The buds and leaves feel as though they could provide an additional infusion or two.

This Yun Nan Dian Hong black tea from TeaVivre is a very high quality tea. The aroma, color, and taste of the liquor are all very welcoming. The layers of taste that seemed to come with each infusion were very different, interesting, and all were thoroughly enjoyable. The change of tastes from citrus to raisins to other fruits was very interesting. Another TeaVivre review has been completed, and another recommendation is in order. This is certainly a tea that should be experienced. Thank you, TeaVivre, for including this tea in the samples! Highly recommended.