790 Tasting Notes
I’m glad I waited to try this at work before rating it. When I had it here at home, even with spring water, it wasn’t really standing out. I was looking at the price for a pound and thinking “Wow, really? I would never pay that much for this. Glad I only got 2 ounces.” After having it at work today, it turned into a nice, mellow, smooth blend. Honey and cocoa and medium maltiness. I wouldn’t pick it over Golden Monkey alone but for being the best of both worlds, it’s really very good. I guess when I do it at home I need to err on the low side of water temperature. Can’t really get above about 185-190 at work I think.
Preparation
The leaves smell soooo vanilla with sweet bergamot… reminds me a lot of Paris from Harney. But when steeped, there isn’t much vanilla or bergamot. It is however, massively Darjeeling. Deeply muscatel with stone fruits and some grassyness. I got zero astringency as well. I quite like this one, even if it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.
This has darker leaves than the Yunnan Black Buds from Upton. It also has more of the flavor I expect. Hay, dust, minor hint of smoke (or maybe it’s just my super paranoid smoke detector tastebuds), some sharpness. I normally would expect sweetness rather than sharpness though. While this is better than the Black Buds, it is still a wholly unremarkable Yunnan. Still, better than no Yunnan, but nothing I’ll get more of.
This was a fairly plain Yunnan to me. I steeped for 1 minute and then for 3. Not much change and the flavor didn’t really deepen or expand at all. At 5 minutes there was more classic Yunnan flavor. It’s better than no Yunnan, but aside from the dry leaves being very pretty with a goldeny mix, this is not a standout for me.
I’ve now had this 5 times. I’ve tried varying temperature, steep time and prepared it like chai with milk and sugar. I just find it unimpressive. I don’t get any caramel at all. Just a nondescript sweetness, possibly a sweetness that wants to be chocolate but isn’t. Oh, well. It was really, really inexpensive so I can’t complain too much. If anyone wants to try this, it’s going in the rehoming box so just let me know! :)
This is my last black Yunnan from boychik’s generosity. :)
This smells fruity and dark. Initial steep at 1:30 was fruity and golden tasting with a bit of sharpness. At 3 min it was sharper and the scent reminds me sooo much of Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black from Butiki. The flavor is raisiny like so many have mentioned with TWMB but this is not quite as sweet and the sharpness on the tongue is more noticeable.
It’s an excellent tea. Not sure I’d keep it over TWMB but that may be sentimentality speaking as that was the tea that really supercharged my interest in all of these malty, bready, deep blacks, even though it is not a Yunnan. :)
Glad you had fun with YS ;-)
I see an order in my future, their prices are so low! There’s an overwhelming selection, though, so I’ll have to ask boychik for her recommendations when I do… :)
You will be getting some hand me downs from boychik’s sharing with me! :) Spread the love!
Makes me so happy. But I have to warn you, YS is dangerous site. You want to get EVERYTHING. And once you get to dark side of Puerh – that’s it.
Om nom nom. This is buttery, thick and yummy. Everything I want in a Yunnan. The dry leaves didn’t hold a hint of what was to come. It wasn’t until I caught a whiff as I carried my cup back to my desk today that I got really interested. :) This one certainly goes on the wishlist for a future order! Thanks, boychik!
It’s all Terri’s fault. I was drooling over her notes for some time. And after swap I jumped to YS site and ordered a bunch
Well, I’m going to blame you for my order :)
If you going to order wait. They have sales pretty often. Like them on FB and follow on Twitter. Last times their sale was like 12% off. Not bad at all.
Good tip. Thanks!
This is an oddity. It’s a strawberry flavored tea and a green tea and a bagged tea – that I liked! This one was quite enjoyable today at work. I steeped twice. It was a bit weaker the second time but still decent. I need to try this one cold, too, since I generally prefer fruity teas cold. But it was very good hot! I do wish they sold it loose as well but the bag wasn’t a terrible impediment to enjoyment. :)
Lovely leaves yield a malty, thick and sweet liquid. This is super.
This one I did all in one long go as I had to deal with the window salesman. He arrived just as I was pouring the hot water over the leaves. I didn’t keep close track but I think it was probably around 3 minutes. Buying new windows is a painful-to-the-pocketbook process. :( Good thing I’m well stocked on tea so I don’t have to worry about spending my tea money on windows! :)
Bottom line: another on the list to order!
Did you try it in store? Sounds delicious !
How is it different than Golden monkey taste wise?
I think I did try it in the store. So it must have impressed me there. :)
@TeaTiff: It’s milder. Blend a golden monkey with a good, medium tippy Assam. A milder malt, not as much cocoa, not as much honey but with more mild fruity notes maybe.