Golden Yunnan

Steep Information:
Amount: 7g / 2-3 tsp, one entire sample bag
Water: 22 ounces filtered boiling water
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, honey, melon
Steeped Tea Smell: honey and black tea
Flavor: honey, black tea, astringent, bake-y (like eating toast or a cracker), smooth
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent, honey, black tea
Liquor: Translucent dark brown

This tea was one of 5 samples I received from thepuriTea. It arrived well packaged in pretty pillow boxes (see pictures for a side angle of the pillow box if you are unsure what I mean) with packing peanuts and business cards.

This is a smooth mellow black tea that tastes as though you already added honey. Very unique. It is not a strong cup, so I do not recommend as your wake up tea. However this would be a great during the day or while relaxing tea.

MilitiaJim is finding the peppery note when he looks for it at the end of the swallow. I just find astringency at the end of my swallow. Hmm if I chug instead of sip I am getting it as well, nice.

Resteep: 7 minutes, same taste and strength as first steep.

Iced: A strong iced tea, needed some sweetener or perhaps more water to be a sipping with meals iced tea.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/thepuritea-loose-leaf-black-tea-golden.html

I thought I’d give this one a go when I ordered my sampler set from thepuriTea. I’ll say this I can certainly smell the honey as this steeps. It also has a hint of that malty smell I love. The taste is interesting as I am noting a peppery kick on the end that others have mentioned. It is very different, but I like it! I love the deep russet color of the liquid too. Very pretty and fall/winterish. :) Perfect afternoon pick me up.

I’m a HUGE fan of Yunnan Golds as a rule. This one suffered from being too light compared to its other gold-tipped kin. That said, it still held quite a bit of what I loved about the type – honey-like, peppery, woody, and slightly creamy. I just wished it was a little burlier. However, to say it’s a slight disappointment compared to other Yunnan Golds is like saying, “You’re the less pretty High Elf in the court.” (I.e. It’s still excellent in its own right.)

Full Review: Pending on www.teaviews.com

Yet again another tasty tea from ThePuriTea it is as promised. It has a peppery kick on the finish that lasts well after the sip which to me is AWESOME! It is rich and has a honey feel. I am starting to understand why they call themselves… The Puri Tea (Pure)

Tea of the morning…..

I should know not to mess with the sample packaging from thepuriTea early on Monday morning. The package is too short and near impossible to measure out of because of its stiffness and the way it is gusseted, and too small to be folded over for later use. It is really annoying. I am sure I did not measure out enough tea for fear it would go all over my counter top, so my tea is weak. I hope they come up with a sample packaging solution that is easier to use, because frankly, it does not reflect well on the tea experience and how I as a customer feel about it overall. I really think they are trying to make the samples to fit in their little cardboard sleeves which do kind of make a good first impression, and it just is not working once you get to the tea. My advice: skip the cardboard. I just have to recycle it anyway.

So, I have weak tea this time around. I should just make another mug, right? Unfortunately, although they claim there is enough tea in this sample for at least 10 cups of tea, I have enough for maybe 3 total…really, probaby 3 weak cups as this is a fluffy tea. Maybe they include the resteeps in that number? I did get more like 7 cups from the flavored black tea sample I had and it was the only one that was close. I really don’t have enough of this one to make in my 15 oz mug set a second time….so, not even 4 cups worth….. Disappointing. The packaging certainly does not accommodate fluffier teas well, even though it sort of worked for the flavored black.

The tea is long fingered, fuzzy, and a beautiful golden color with only hints of brown. Beautiful. Too bad I will not get to really taste it. The moment for this tea to shine is ruined by the sample packaging and the amount in that package. I think it has potential, too.

On my resteep, I decided to add a little more tea. I am really thinking there was only enough tea in this sample pouch for just over two cups. Much better in taste. Notes of malt and honey. Roasty. I did just double check the website, and they suggest I can get 10-12 cups of tea out of this sample. Maybe if I resteep it 5 or 6 times?

tl;dr Yeah. It is Monday and I am a little cranky this morning.

Wow! Another winner from Nav at thepuriTea.com. My humans have this on their list of faves now. This little teapot does, too! http://lyt-tea-reviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-thepuriteacoms-golden-yunnan.html

This was one of my free samples from the company thank you. I had a cup of this yesterday. This is a really good medium strength black tea.

I have never had Golden Yunnan prior to drinking this tea. I can taste the honey and the pepper kick as other tasters have mentioned. The smell was very musky and this tasted almost brothy. It was an interesting flavor. I have enough left in my sample from thepuriTea and will drink this again to see what flavors I can find.

I was surprised by this tea. Lately my Yunnan experiences have been flat and boring. But this tea reminded me of what Yunnans could taste like. I guess it reminds me that Yunnan is not my favorite, but it sure ain’t bad either. So I am rambling at this point, it must be my mood today. Anyhow, I did enjoy it.

I really enjoy this tea! It’s the first Golden Yuunan I’ve ever had, which just makes me want to look for more kinds to try. It’s very smooth. I have yet to decide exactly what it smells like, but I like the slight sweetness in the taste. I quite like it for a late afternoon tea.