This tea deserves a better rating, IMO. The flavor just explodes: honey, date, chocolate.They call for a tsb instead tsp, but with that I got three full-bodied brews, the second being my favorite. More patient people could probably get several more. I use natural sugar crystals, it is improved by it and I just prefer it. This is a fantastic value and a great early morning kick start. I prefer a dark, full flavor in the a.m. – but smooth. This one has a touch of astringent edge on the first brew, but just a touch. I might try 3 minutes for the first brew instead of 4. I plan on getting a much larger bag and making this a regular.
5 Tasting Notes
The folks at Rishi teas have done a great job of making affordable vareitals availible – in this case their “china breakfast” whole leaf. this is a Yunnan red – a style that gained huge popularity in the west in the early 1900’s and for a long time was the basis for English “brekkie” blends until cost/politics drove them to more heavy assam/ceylon blends with less “Red” & Keenum.
Red Yunnan is more fermented than golden yunnans, both from the same base trees that also make Pur-eh’s I think goldens are fired less and rless as well.
Brewed 4 min with boiling water in my Miracle – This is red copper in the the cup, the big malty nose of yunnan, and I associate with “brekkie”. Malt and dark chocolate taste, with a little sour after prevelent of most Yunnans. Full body mouth feel, very little astringency. I like it with a touch of milk in the morning. This is a good brekkie.
I am playing with blending a little of this with some keenum and some assam and ceylon to get a full leaf “North side” brekkie.
Great morning tea, nice robust flavor, malty. Low tannins.
