Red Jade

I got this with my first Steepster Select box, and I like it. The flavor is lighter than a straight Assam, but the texture is very pleasant…not thin, but not too thick either. It’s got a slight bite on the back end, which is indeed reminiscent of cinnamon, and a somewhat mint/menthol-like “feel” (not “flavor”, per se) on the front, making it very intriguing.

I’m enjoying this cup very much…and now that I’ve read other reviews, I think when I try the second packet I’ll do a gong-fu style brew, as it sounds like that brings out more of the spicy flavors. Still, good stuff even brewed just normal cup style, IMO.

The dominant smell is molasses, with a honey undertone. It also smells like an Assam. Very earthy and comforting on this unseasonably chilly April day. The first sip is surprisingly mellow for the way it smells, and a bit bitter when it first hits the tongue. As it’s swallowed, it becomes kind of malty. I expected a bolder flavor, but it’s really good in spite of being so laid back.

Backlog:

This one was in my January Steepster Select Box and I was thrilled to find teas from Eco-Cha in that box! I love Eco-Cha!

The aroma is gently spiced. These spice notes are part of the sip too, I taste notes of cinnamon and clove. Mid-sip, I notice hints of mint. There is a grain-like flavor to this too, sort of like malt. Not like a malty note you might taste in an Assam, but more like the flavor of a hot cereal. That kind of malt.

A very comforting tea. There is a fruit note that is somewhat fruit-like, like currant.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/02/05/red-jade-tea-eco-cha/

This tea has a distinctly mint flavor to it. I also gets hints of cherry and cloves. Uniquely flavored.

I would like to say “Ditto” to what CelebriTea posted! I read her note as well as the description about the spices that followed. I didn’t intend for it to be sweet if you will, when it said cinnamon, but I did intend to detect it in either smell or taste. This had just a basic black taste to me, nothing complex about it. I drank this straight, I knew from the taste that sugar and cream would not complement it for me even. Sorry

Wonderfully and interestingly complex flavor, medium amber color, holds up well with milk.

Mildly spicy, fairly full-bodied tea. Definite notes of clove, but other flavors fairly muted. Almost had a chai-like aspect to it, but not overpoweringly so. Very comforting and warming flavors, but not a terribly complex tea. Would be great to warm up on a very cold day. 6.5/10, wish it had slightly more interesting flavors, but would drink again.

2/23/14 Vertical tasting, thanks to the awesome guys at Eco-Cha!

I had the rare opportunity to compare the 2012 and 2013 summer crops of this directly. It was a fascinating tasting. The two teas are clearly the same tea, and yet distinctly different – like me dressed for a dinner date vs me dressed for backpacking. Okay… so I’d probably have the boots on either way… but still, different.

The standard – 3g/100 ml gaiwan/200F — starting at 10 seconds, adding 10 seconds each steep. This tea easily supported 4 steeps. It also showed brilliantly brewed western style, with 3g/12oz/200F/1min and a second steep of 3 min.

Overall – Red Jade #18 is an interesting tea. It has a rich savory vegetal umami to it unlike any other black tea I’ve had. It reminds me of sun dried tomato paste. The aroma carries cinnamon and mint.

2012 — A very twisty matte dry leaf. Deep intricate aromas and tastes. This year was Red Jade in the spice market; lots of cinnamon, clove, cardamon, and such a rich umami that my husband said it reminded him of steak.

2013 – Straight dry leaf, darker then 2012. This tea was lighter bodied and less intricate, but the flavors and aromas were darker and more earthy. The savory umami was more direct, almost smoky. A clear light toasted cinnamon note.

My husband loves this tea deeply, and wants to drink it every day. I enjoy it, but it wouldn’t be the tea I picked off a menu to drink.

Strangely, my second envelope of Eco-Cha Red Jade contains about twice as much tea as the first one did. So there must be some quality control issues in the preparation of the Steepster Select envelopes. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that this tea is much better today, in all likelihood because of the greater leafage. I also reduced the volume of water, so together these measures definitely improved the brew.

The liquor is coppery amber, and the smell of the dried leaves is, oddly enough, somewhat barbeque-esque. I decided to drink this glass without cream (I never add sugar or honey to tea—except chai) because I wanted to give Red Jade a fair chance to reveal its complex flavors. What did I find?

Red Jade has a decidedly Assam demeanor, but it is not at all malty. I suppose that this could be compared to an Assam-Darjeeling blend, but there is no denying the Assam-like density of the brew. While enjoyable to drink, I have to say that I do not detect any of the acclaimed tasting notes: cinnamon, clove, or mint.

I brewed according to the prescribed parameters, so I do believe that I’ve given this tea fair trial. I’ll prepare a second infusion later today, though I am skeptical, as I never, ever reinfuse black teas…

second infusion: so it’s true! This tea is better in the second infusion. Perhaps this is a case where an initial quick hot rinsing would help? I suggest this because by the end of the second infusion the leaves had only just completely unfurled. They are huge! The brew is much better now.

third infusion: all good things must come to an end. I tossed this round. Red Jade definitely peaked for me in the second infusion.

Conclusion: I am very glad that I tried these follow-ups because from my first pot and the first infusion of the second pot, I would have thought that this was just another Assam-esque tea, when it’s really not. The full leaf size is quite impressive. They must have been very tightly wrapped!

This tea tastes very much like warm black olive brine minus the vinegar or astringent qualities the brine normally has. It’s very earthy, dark, savory/salty and just so much like olives that I can’t enjoy it.