I’ve had Adagio’s Yunnan Gold and enjoyed it so I was happy when I got a sample of this from the lovely teaplz.
When I poured the water over the leaves, it was like I had just opened a container of cocoa powder. Really strong. And nummy. The tea smells lovely, too. Not as cocoa-y as it was at first but sweet and faintly earthy. There’s something else, too, but I can’t figure out what it is. It’s sweet. I like it. Brown sugar maybe? Cane syrup? Something along those lines.
The taste is a little heavier and not quite as smooth as what I remember of Yunnan Gold. But it’s got a nice thickness to it and rich flavor that reinforces the cane syrup idea. There’s a little prickle on the end that I’d have to say is the peppery, but it’s not quite the white pepper I’d occasionally get from Yunnan Gold. Can’t say it is overly black pepper either but it is something. Almost an acidic aftertaste like coffee but not quite. A little roasty if I slurp. When I hold the tea in my mouth for a moment, some cocoa notes pop up which is really cool.
This tea is bolder than Yunnan Gold but I really like it. I’m having trouble giving it something below a 70 but it’s not quite a 4-star tea for me but rather a high 3. If this were at the store, I’d totally pick some up but I’m not sure if I’d go out of my way to order it.
ETA: I’m getting a pretty good caffeine rush from this one – it would be a good morning tea!
3g/8oz
