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I’m glad I broke this out of the cupboard because I kind of forgot how great this tea is. I was excited to have it again, but going through the exercise of rating it here really demonstrates the excellence of this tea.

Medium bodied, sweet tea with a fantastic aftertaste.

The overwhelming taste for me is honey, but I also get mineral, peach, pear, berry, and grass/hay to balance it out perfectly so it’s not too sweet.

It also gives me a solid l-theanine feeling which goes well with the mellowness of the taste.

Simply put, this is top shelf tea.

All in all, an fabulous tea that will be stored and saved for special occasions, as sadly it’s no longer available for purchase.

This tea is not for everyone, but after purchasing on a whim a month ago, it has quickly moved into my list of top shelf favorites. It’s just a fantastic and unique tea for me. It’s right in my wheelhouse – and has enough that set it apart from others that I’ve tasted to make it really enjoyable.

I should note that I may not be drinking the same version of Big Red Robe that previous people have reviewed. This version (bought in 2020) is a blend. Taken from the TeaSource website:

“This tea was made by Mr. Tang Shuang Jiang and is a blend of teas from Jian Ou County (Jian Ou is next to Wuyi, a traditional rock oolong area) and Anxi County. Mr. Tang has a classmate in Jin Ou who makes Shui Xian, Mei Zan, Qi Lan, and Rou Gui teas. He took all four of these finished teas back to Anxi to blend with Ti Kwan Yin. He then roasted the leaves to create this traditional Big Red Robe flavor profile.”

The flavors I get on tasting are sesame oil, roasted nut, smokiness, malt, caramel, and even (dare I say) a hint of cannabis. These flavors melt together into a delicious liquor.

It’s also great for multiple steepings.

Perfect tea to drink on a cold autumn night, right before training your lethal Wu-Tang sword style techniques with the other monks.

I’m surprised to not see any note of sesame oil in the reviews! That is the number one flavor I get with this tea. It sounds kind of weird – and it sort of is – but it’s really wonderful. (There isn’t a flavor pre-made yet but I just sent in the suggestion.)

Based on this tea, I think my next journey might be exploring rock oolongs in further detail.

Brews up slightly darker and fuller bodied than I expected (1 minute steep)

Smooth and complex. I’m tasting caramel, honey, melon, grass, some earthiness, and malt. Even a bit of lemon. Very slight astringency. An all-day drinker.

Note to self: steep this longer (at least twice as long) than a typical puer.

It’s a very solid dark tea, but it doesn’t quite stand out… still, I will be enjoying this one for a while.

Light and easy drinker, but underneath has some complexity.

On first infusion, I get a sweet mineral taste. Peach and apricot undertones. Also some vegetable in there. And a hint of something spicy, maybe ginger? Maybe pepper? It’s mild and you have to search for these flavors – but nice overall.

On second infusion I am tasting more of the spiciness and much less sweet, though now I get a mild pear taste. It’s subtle, and I like spicy flavors so I could be underrating the spice. I still can’t decide if it’s ginger or pepper.

A medium sheng puer vibe/buzz for me.

A couple of minor complaints against this – the taste is just a bit too mild for me, and the buzz is also mild. Those keep this in the 70s, which is still very good.

Overall, very good stuff though.

I don’t have much left, so I’ll probably be storing this for a while to try later.

Reviewed 9/21/2020. I don’t do anything special to store my puers – just keep them in the original bag, sealed.

One of my favorite teas ever from TeaSource, Black Needle, was discontinued a while back and this was one of their suggestions to try in place. It sounded like something I would like so I went ahead and ordered it.

The leaves are quite large for a black tea which is pretty cool. The tea leaves have a fantastic smell to them.

Upon brewing it doesn’t disappoint. Smooth, malty with a good flavor: sweet potato, brown sugar, and some earthiness. It doesn’t have the dark molasses that I love so much in Black Needle, but it’s very good in it’s own right.

Not quite full-bodied as I expected. A little more and this would be even better in my opinion. Nonetheless this looks to be a new favorite in my rotation.

Some different flavors in this one. I first smell a floral scent, which is usually a turnoff for me but thankfully it’s not too overpowering. The taste is sweet – mostly honeydew. It’s almost too sweet for my taste but not quite there. I do taste the green tea but I don’t get much of a dark tea feel at all. Which could be great for some.

This is an interesting blend for sure. Not quite in my wheelhouse and it’s not available anymore anyway, but I think some people would really like this.

Mild, slightly sweet melon, honey and a hint of a vegetable broth taste on the first infusion. A little bit of mineral flavor. Smooth, but somewhat bland. Which is good if you don’t want an earthy puer.

I’m not noting a large difference on the second infusion. Still nice and mild.

On third infusion with a longer steep it seems to be getting sweeter with an almost cake/bread taste.

I get a good theanine vibe/buzz on this, which is why I enjoy sheng puer teas. That definitely boosts the rating for me.

Enjoyable, but the price might be a little high for this one. Try to get it on a sale.

Reviewed 9/18/2020. I don’t do anything special to store my puers – just keep them in the original bag, sealed.

Complex flavor. Slight astringency. Fruit, hay, and other subtle flavors that i can’t quite put my finger on. But overall very pleasant.

Has a slight flowery flavor which I personally dislike – don’t oversteep and you will avoid this.

Overall, a great tea.

Mild, and decent overall. Can taste some bitter chocolate and a hint of maltiness. Solid but nothing really stands out for me.