Tea of the morning……
Sample provided by TeaVivre.
It has been a few years since I last had this one. TeaVivre very generously offered a sample package of oolong teas to me recently. Since I know myself very well in that I nearly always stick with black teas, I respectfully declined. I know there are oolong drinkers out there that would be better served by their offer. Angel offered to send me black teas in place of the oolongs. I cannot tell you how happy that made me! There are a few I had not tried, as well as a few I had not had for some time. I am also at a place in my tea journey where I don’t seek out free samples as I have reached a point of being quite content with my tea stash. However, a custom black tea sampler from them was very tempting as I shop there frequently and will likely buy some of these at a later date. They also added in a gaiwan to my package. Can I just add how wonderful this company is? They really take care of their customers.
This one is every bit as good as I remember. It is definitely a classic Keemun taste, and the beginning of the sip is a hearty blend of cocoa, malt, and slight earthiness with a touch of astringency. But, by the end of the sip, the astringency disappears. How do they do that?! It is like the aftertaste cleanses the palate to prepare you for the next sip. Wonderful. It is definitely a more refined Keemun. I am not sure why I did not purchase this before, but it is definitely a contender. We shall see how it stacks up the the Hao Ya. Stay tuned.
Usual teapot method.