This tea is an inexpensive but very flavorful alternative to second flush muscatel Darjeelings and Himalayan teas. It has the flavor profile of a rich muscatel type tea without the cost.
5 Tasting Notes
This tea comes in cubes and brews up to a medium dark color (reminds me of a darker Indian tea in color) but turns pitch black the longer it sits. It starts off with an earthy flavor but finishes like caramel. I have come to like this Hunan version of Pu-ehr much more than even expensive puehr tea cakes, and it is priced far more reasonably than puehr.
The leaves are forest green colored, tiny and curly just like the picture Verdant Tea displays. This is my new favorite green tea! The flavor is smooth and creamy with a hint of vegetal flavor at first but finishes with butter.
I use two teaspoons, water shy of boiling, and steeped for three minutes.
I am very impressed with this tea. The appearance of the leaves is very curious-thin, curly, like they were extruded to make pasta instead of plucked. The dry aroma is a of dark chocolate, the steeped aroma is spicier. The cup is unusually light for a black tea- everything about it is new and fascinating.
The flavor tops off the impression- I pick up dark chocolate, a little mace and it finishes with the buckwheat flavor note mentioned in other tasting notes.
I was hoping to taste more mace or spice in this tea but as pleasant as it is, it is not much of anything in particular. The leaves are large and clearly plucked, processed, and packed with care. I recommend trying it to satisfy one’s curiosity about the Burmese x Taiwan varietals but with managed expectations. This is a good tea- mild, friendly, inviting, but not an exceptional one. Steeping for about 4 minutes seems ideal to get all of the potential into the cup.