Yunnan Golden Curls

Grunt. Meh. It’s morning. So, tea.
The usual breakroom tea treatment, which holds up well in this particular tea.

Not much to say, except that I’d like to go back to sleep. But that’s not going to happen, so, tea.

I don’t think I could add anything different to the review of this tea that has not already been stated. The curls are like a poodle puppy who is fresh from the bath. Very cute. The smell is most definitely pepper and hay. Yummy hay. And the flavor is pepper and leather. I don’t get the sweetness but I have a young palate yet. A good tea.

Many thanks to Tabby for sharing some of this tea with me! The leaves, while curled, are golden and black — and sadly remind me a little bit of spiders’ legs. I try not to think about it as I scoop tea into my cup. This tea smells rich and sweet! A little bit of pepper and a little bit of sweet potato. I can’t wait to sip! There is something a bit leathery and thick about the first few sips. I suppose I was expecting something a bit sweeter. Yes, it’s a bit like thick smoky, peppery bread. Quite dry and earthy. I think this would make a better morning cup of tea. It might be a bit too heavy for this evening!

oh boy! Yunnan teas are my favorite and this one just got on my list for must haves to add for a yunnan collection. Balanced earthy, sweet, smooth, extremely well tempered and hardly astringent work of beauty this tea is! Made of the finest tippy unfurled shoots, with slight accents of cocao and maybe caramel that seems to be so balanced out enough to complement tastes without any conflict. A great tea to be enjoyed in its own right and the majesty that is art of simplicity.

The Nose and Color: The leaves of this tea feel amazing in your hand. They feel little silky smooth curls. The leaves are really unique and I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The color is a vibrant golden red like many high quality black teas. The nose immediately hit me with a strong pepper component. The smell reminded me of Rishi Tea’s China Breakfast which also was a tea with a very strong aroma.
Image provided by Steepster

Tasting: The taste isn’t as strong as I expected. Like most teas in this collection the different components of the tea are very subtle. I can taste the pepper notes as well as some leather undertones. This tea doesn’t have any astringency and it has a very fully body. Adagio says that as the liquor cools you can taste sweet potatoes which I would have never thought of unless they mentioned it but they’re right. I do taste a slight sweet potato component which is very unique flavor that I’ve never found in any other tea.

Steep Instructions: 3g/8oz at 212 F for 3-5 minutes

Price: $29.00 for sampler set.

Summary: Read my rating here: http://www.indieteas.com/home/2010/4/29/tea-review-21-adagios-yunnan-golden-curls.html

First, I loved the looks and touch of this tea. It is such a beautiful tea. It brewed up very nicely. It was golden in my cup and so smooth. I felt there was perfect harmony with this tea. It wasn’t too sweet, too bitter, too watery, nothing. Just right.

Very black pepper driven on the nose and palate. Earthy flavours abound.

Would like to try more of this type of tea to see if I can come to understand it.

Found the brewing directions of 3-5 minutes at boiling to be best at the 3 minute mark, as the astringency becomes a bit too much for my taste after that point.

Leaves are beautiful, golden little spirals. Scent of chocolate and hay.

The smell of hay in the leaves gives way to maltiness in the liquor. Choclolate is there, but less pronounced, and now a hint of caramel and butter toffee in the nose.

The liquor tastes peppery like a yunnan usually does, but is way more smooth than your typical yunnan. Malty/hay taste like an Irish breakfast, but sweet, with a buttery, toffee finish. Very nice tea.

Wow, this tea is delicious!
Hurray, I’ve finally made it! I’ve acquired a taste for black tea, unflavoured even! I thought that if I just kept at it, it (black tea) would be a taste that I would acquire, and yay it’s happened! Thanks to Starfevre for this sample, and for the whole adventure. I’m a happy tea-drinker. :-)

This particular tea is pretty special. I don’t get many of the flavours already mentioned here, but what I do get is a lovely smokiness, and the smell and taste of toasted whole-grain bread (organic spelt sesame bread, to be exact ;-), and perhaps some malt. It’s complex and smooth and fabulous. Mmmm…..
Oh yeah, and it IS lovely to look at… all those little soft curls.

This tea smells wonderful, malty like an assam but sweet and peppery as well. Taste wise it’s good but not fantastic, especially for how much it costs. It has a syrupy brothiness, almost like unsweet caramel. The pepper is there but not as strong as other Yunnans I’ve had. I’m going to try a couple of resteeps to see what happens. Its still a great morning tea but still out of my budget except in samples.