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Fujian Congou Black Tea from Nature's Tea Leaf

Steepster Score 4 Ratings Rate This Tea

78/100

Fujian Congou Black Tea

Black Tea by Nature's Tea Leaf

Fujian Congou Black Tea is a quintessential black tea that consists of long leaves rolled into slender, striped tea leaves from the Fujian province in southern China. Congou tea is made from large mature leaves and specifically does not include the bud. With its celebrated history Fujian Congou black tea has a rich and uplifting aroma and when infused has a pleasant, smooth, and rich flavor that promotes balance and harmony.

21 Tasting Notes

ashmanra

ashmanra 4 tasting notes

This is a free sample provided for review by Nature’s Tea Leaf.

My daughter and her fiancé stopped by tonight and since I had not had lunch the past two days working at early voting, I was ready for something for my tummy! My middle and youngest daughters had made fresh home made bread, so we cut the loaf, got out some plain butter and Kerrygold Garlic and Herb Butter and made a pot of black tea.

The leaf is somewhat fine and wiry. I used below boiling water for just over two minutes. The result is a cup of black tea with strong cocoa notes, maltiness, and heft. I told the others it was toothsome! I drank this plain and it was smooth enough and hearty enough for me. Because this is a really characteristic Fujian black that I associate with breakfast I tried it almost with milk and sugar. I think I may like it best this way!

This is a good example of Fujian black tea, strong enough for breakfast, smooth enough for any time! Thank you for the opportunity to try it, NTL!

2012-10-23 19:43:53 -0400

Grrrrrr! That was the sound that escaped me, and that was when I smelled the leaves. Same sound, a little louder, escaped when I sipped the first sips.

This is a delicious black tea. Often, black tea from China will use Asian parameters for steeping the tea and I find it too weak that way and change to Western brewing. This one is super just as they say to make it. It is smooth yet bracing, lightly cocoa flavored, and there is something arresting about the flavor that grabs your attention, but isn’t rough.

This and their Dragon Pearl Green Tea are so good they could be the base for a very nice small cupboard.

2012-11-23 13:14:28 -0500

This was so good yesterday that I just had to have it again today. This was the first tea of tea party, as I wanted a great unflavored black tea to pair with our food. Today we had slices of homemade buttermilk bread, buttered and toasted, then spread with black currant jam, lingonberry jam, and/or Double Devon Cream.

How good was it? It was the only one of today’s teas that my guest requested a second cup and though she liked the other teas, said that this one was her favorite of the day.

Smooth, cocoa-y, hearty without biting, this is indeed a great black tea.

2012-12-05 18:15:14 -0500

I was hungry but I have had a moderately angry tummy since yesterday. I wanted black tea with a snack, but I knew I couldn’t drink just any black tea or I risked making things worse. I thought this one from Nature’s Tea Leaf that was sent as a very generous sample (I STILL have some left, thank goodness!) would be just the thing. It is delicious and would satisfy the black tea craving, but it is smooth enough not to upset things further. At times like this, Assams are out of the question for me.

This is an excellent Chinese black tea. I steeped one teaspoon of leaf in 8 ounces water, resteeped, and poured it all in my big Christmas mug. This accompanied second breakfast which was cinnamon toast, heavy on the brown sugar and cinnamon. So yummy! I have really got to reduce my cupboard enough to order several teas from this company. This one and their Dragon Pearl Green are definitely on the list.

2012-12-04 11:44:42 -0500

gmathis

gmathis 7 tasting notes

It’s been a good long while since I had a tea that (with apologies to GeoffreyNorman) made elephants dance and planets align. But I do believe I saw a morning star scootch a little to the left when I had my first sip of this one ;)

As usual, I went a little past the recommended steeping time; likely closer to five minutes than four. In doing so, we coaxed out a lovely, rich, thick dark cocoa-powder flavor with rich autumn fruit in the background. This is what burgundy should taste like (the color, not the wine).

My only regret is that I’m headed to work and can’t make a whole pot. Nature’s Tea Leaf, you made my morning!

2012-10-24 08:21:06 -0400

Back under my own roof enjoying a real cuppa in my own mug with my own water. Love, love, love this cocoa-y, bittersweet brew. Too good to mess up with milk or sugar.

Thanks for the prayers. The good news is that tests went fine, Mom is home, and nothing requiring immediate action. 80-something bodies just begin to wear out. (Actually 40-something bodies do too, but let’s not go there.)

2012-12-05 10:33:07 -0500

Just a note of further confirmation that this one just works. This time, I was short on both water for a full pot and on time, and it still steeped richly enough for a lovely wake-up, since the woodpecker in my golden maple tree is too timid to do it: tip….tip….tiptip…uh, sorry to bother you, tip…

2012-11-03 11:06:09 -0400

Been looking forward to Saturday simply because I can enjoy this slowly, not on the morning run. Didn’t much watch steep time; just plopped in a generous amount of leaf and let it go. Just as deep-cocoa and dark-fruity as before.

Yay! Another tea I get to label “forgiving.” Put it in … whatever … it’s going to be great. Breakfast tea friends, this is a gotta-try.

2012-10-27 08:25:27 -0400

Uh-oh. We’re down to skimpy-ration level. This is definitely going on the wish list, underscored in red.

The package recommends a 2-3 minute steep. Followed that recommendation this morning, and while it’s still lovely good, I believe I prefer it my way: dark and rich, more toward the 4-5 minute mark.

2013-01-30 08:31:29 -0500

I haven’t sampled that many, but so far I haven’t met a Fujian tea I didn’t love (Adagio’s Fujian Baroque is tasty, too). Pleasant fruit and cocoa notes; isn’t picky on the steep time; just plain good no matter how you make it.

2013-03-22 09:10:25 -0400

Last of my packet. Sad to see it go. For Steepies who need a boot-in-the-backside morning tea, this one should go in your permanent library. Cocoa-y, stout, can’t ruin it, even when you’re down to the last of the sample and don’t have quite a whole teaspoon to make a full cup and you close your eyes and grab the first unflavored black tea you can find to round it out (Ahmad Hampton Breakfast) and it’s still wonderful…yeah, I’m awake. Maybe.

2013-04-13 08:42:33 -0400

K S

93

K S 4 tasting notes

The dry leaf is dark, small, sharp, and wiry. It smells a bit of grain. I used 1 1/2tsp for 12oz of water heated to approx 195F. I steeped for 2 1/2 minutes in my press. The brew is dark caramel and still has the grain scent as does the wet leaf. The leaf is small fairly evenly cut pieces and chocolate in appearance.

There is no question this is a Fujian tea from the very first sip. It has that honey sweet, grainy goodness with more than a hint of malt. It has the yam notes. Yet there is something unique about it as well. It has what I can only describe as a darker edge way low underneath that comes out more in the sweet lingering aftertaste. The cooler the cup becomes the more I am detecting this as a roasted note or light smoke.

As the cup emptied I noticed the scent of the leaf still in the press. It was fruity with hints of chocolate. I needed a refill. Cup two is similar to cup one, sweeter with less of the darker notes.

Cup three is lighter. Still very flavorful. I read a description somewhere on the net that compared Fujian Congou to a cross between Yunnan and Keemun. Yes, I agree.

2012-10-23 17:18:17 -0400

195 °F / 90 °C

3 min 0 sec

A front passed through over night. By the looks of it on radar it probably hit most of you in the US from the plains to the east coast. The temperatures dropped back to early March levels along with a lot of rain. My head is about to explode today. Aaaack!

I needed something comforting with enough heft behind it to overcome the pounding. Excellent choice. Grain and malt, honey and cocoa, throw in some molasses for good measure, and you have this tea. This is an amazing black tea that is staple worthy.

2013-04-19 12:42:52 -0400

Gmathis and Ashmanra’s comments the last few days have me craving this one. It’s a dreary gray rain-soaked December morning – the perfect time for a great hearty tea. Malt, grain, and cocoa, and that is before it ever hits the water. If you don’t have a clear steeping vessel, you really owe it to yourself to get one. I use a so-called 4-cup Bodum French Press. It is really a two-mug press but what do I know. Anyway, the leaf danced the entire time this was steeping. I am sure it was a ‘happy, happy, joy, joy’ dance. This is a very dark, rich, luxurious cup of tea. It’s even better than I remembered. AND when it gets cold it is super delicious. Staying with this one the rest of the day. Upping the rating. Highly recommend!

Someone who is well gifted with words and the craft of separating flavor notes should do a side by side of this, Bailin Gongfu, and Golden Monkey – my three favorite black teas. They are similar but very different at the same time, though I can’t describe how they are different.

2012-12-07 17:21:48 -0500

I have been avoiding my premium stuff for several days. My taster is probably still on the fritz but I don’t care. I need good tea! I have a couple from The Persimmon Tree I really need to get reviewed but lets see how this goes first… I don’t think I have my full range back. I think I still taste orange from my morning tea and I brushed my teeth in between. Boogers! What I AM tasting of this cup is dark rich burnt cocoa. As first, really concentrating, I can picked out a woodsy taste. After catching it I don’t have to think so hard to taste it. From memory I know how wonderful this is but today it is a bit muted. Stupid allergies. I am really missing the subtle notes. Maybe I need to switch to Silver Needle until I can catch some cucumber and melon notes in it or just pick up a box of cheap orange bagged tea and ride it out. sigh.

2013-03-11 13:28:48 -0400

Babble

Thanks to Nature’s Tea Leaf for a generous sample.

I’m not that experienced with black teas beyond the basic Assam and Darjeeling, but I was excited to try this and expand my horizons. I didn’t steep this for too long for fear the bitterness would ruin my enjoyment. There is also a smokey undertone, but it’s definitely different than a Lapsang, where it’s not overwhelming.

This tea has some complexity to it. As others have mentioned, I am getting the cocoa and malty notes. It’s definitely a hearty and enjoyable tea on it’s ownn

Because it’s so strong and hearty, I decided to throw some soy milk in there to see how the taste changes. The milk definitely smooths out the harsher tones and it becomes more of a silky treat. It almost now tastes like a mild coffee to me.

Both ways are enjoyable in their own way. I look forward to exploring teas like this more.

2012-10-25 17:20:54 -0400

Dinosara

75

First of all I have to say thanks to Nature’s Leaf Teas for sending me these samples to review. I was also very impressed by the packaging of the samples—resealable, heavy plastic zip-top pouches with the brew instructions printed on them—and also the amount, a generous 1oz. I look forward to trying them all but today I had to jump right in with this one. I have a relatively newly-discovered love of fujian black teas, so I am excited to try this one.

The dry leaf has a nice look, pretty long with a few lighter colored leaves throughout, though not as long and spindly as some that I’ve seen. It smells grainy and alfalfa-y, which is what I would pretty much expect. Steeped, more chocolatey, molassesy aromas start coming out. The flavor is pleasant, a bit of cocoa powder, a bit of grain. When it was still a bit too hot for me to drink there was a hint of sweetness that made me think that the honey notes would grow, but alas, it seems to have faded as it cooled. I am thinking next time I will monkey with the steep parameters, but even so this is a tasty fujian and I’m glad I got the chance to try it. Thanks again!

2012-10-25 10:08:46 -0400

195 °F / 90 °C

3 min 0 sec

Awkward Soul

75

Awkward Soul 2 tasting notes

TY Nature’s Tea Leaf for a sample of this!

DRY: Black tea – almost rosy floral smell with light raisin. (me and smelling raisins in black tea).

STEEPED: Woodsy brown tea, smells slightly raisiny again. I forgot to set my timer, so I think I steeped this for 2.5 minutes to 3.5 minutes.

TASTE: Earthy black tea, with smokey taste up front. Little bit of cocoa malt taste. Small hit of raisiny taste. No bitterness or astringency.

COMMENTS: The smokey malt flavor is interesting, however I think I prefer a sweeter more floral black tea. Still a good cup!

2012-10-25 11:51:17 -0400

200 °F / 93 °C

3 min 30 sec

tperez

80

Thanks Nature’s Tea Leaf!
The samples came today in a nicely packed box. They look and smell wonderful, and there’s a whole ounce of each! This is my first Fuijan black, so take my review with a pinch of salt. :)

Dry leaves: Opening the pouch, there is a bold aroma of pepper and clove with a melon coolness. The leaves are longer than those of most blacks, and are jet black in color with a few golden tips.

Steeping: This tea brews up to a nice warm brown color. The leaves expand and unfurl to a smooth muddy, melted chocolate brown.

Tasting: This is a nice, bold black tea. It’s pleasantly bitter with a woody, peppery body and notes of cocoa, clove, and citrus.

2012-10-23 13:38:57 -0400

195 °F / 90 °C

3 min 0 sec

Starfevre

I’m almost wondering if I got the wrong tea packaged up here. Reading the reviews, this sounds like a tea I would really like and instead I’ve gotten one rather like a lapsang souchong with a great deal of smokiness. Still waiting for it to cool down for a taste.

and it really does taste like a smoky lapsang souchong which I don’t like. I’ll refrain from rating because I kind of suspect that this has been mislabeled and the next person who wants to trade out a less smokey black with me for this can have it.

2013-01-18 21:26:55 -0500

Boiling

2 min 0 sec