Old Fir Da Hong Pao

Last night I was grumpy after getting a notice from my Landlord that the rent is going up. I can’t lie, I’m glad I am all stocked up on tea for a while, because my tea budget is about to go down. Having a bit of disposable income was fun, but living in San Francisco is challenging me at the moment.

Anyway, wuyi oolongs are some of my favorite, so i thought I would have this today. Da Hong Pao means “Big Red Robe” in Chinese

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Hong_Pao

I have a few wu yi teas but the description of this just intrigued me. Right after steeping, the dark thick leaves have a roasted coffee like aroma, due to the fact that the leaves are roasted over charcoal.

The tea liquor is a very light reddish brown. At first sip it seems almost unassuming, but as the tea settles onto your palette, amazing flavors of charcoal and plums appear, with a sweet, lingering finish like that of brown sugar or caramel. This tea is memorable, it really stays with you for a while. I had two steeps of it at work the other day and was very impressed with it.

I had a second steep with slightly less hot water. An aroma of molasses and caramel wafted up into the air. This cup has a bit more mineral flavor but still has the essence of plum and a slight burnt sugar sweetness. Utterly charming.

Me and the BF both really like Dong Ha Pao, and I believe it will keep well so I’m not regretting this one at all, just savoring it happily…

This tea is a rarer version of da hong pao, and the price reflects both this fact and the exquisite quality of the tea.

The scent of the dry leaves differs subtly from Harney’s less expensive option, foretelling of a sweeter flavor when brewed. The scent itself is anything but subtle, so one should inhale the dry leaves before making a decision to purchase this tea. The olfactory characteristics are reminiscent of what a combination of a Fenghuang Shuixian oolong and da hong pao may taste like (I may try this and compare and revert).

I tend to steep my oolongs longer than what is typically suggested but for this review I went with 175 degrees for 2 minutes, which was plenty sufficient to generate a robust light rust colored brew, again with an unmistakable aroma that suggests a hint of sweetness. The taste delivers – it is more complex and refined than the less expensive version, and somewhat sweeter, and it is this ‘dark fruit’ sweetness that I believes rounds out the cup rather elegantly. Downright sophisticated and close to parfait.