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“First gongfu session of the day, this savory Jin Jun Mei the Charlotte Zero sent to me awhile back is doing the trick. It starts out like whole wheat honey toast, later taking on a peppery quality...” Read full tasting note
“Another day of intense study, another black tea, and another delightful piece of music. It’s really crunch time for me, so I’ll keep this brief. Today, I’m pairing this malty black tea with more...” Read full tasting note
“It’s been four months since I reviewed this tea. I was wondering what I would think after going so long without even tasting it at all. I’ll admit that I was hoarding the half ounce portion in my...” Read full tasting note
“mmmm sipdown on another tea that the lovely terri sent my way. It was really nice to have this back in my cupboard again for a brief moment :) I really like the steeps and resteeps of this one,...” Read full tasting note
A malty, savory black tea with the crisp sweetness of Jin Jun Mei and the buttery thickness of Dian Hong…
This wild-picked budset tea provides a uniquely rich and savory cup. In early steepings, the malty profiles of barley and wheat are in the foreground, with the sweet creaminess of butter. These savory flavors feel somewhat like fresh-baked whole-grain toast with a touch of sweet cream butter melted on top. Yet the aftertaste betrays the fine budset quality of the tea through a smooth sweetness, as though a touch of honey was spread on the buttered toast.
In later steepings, the savory grain flavors are more subdued, replaced by an unexpected crisp flavor, and slight sparkling peppery texture. It may be a bit too metaphorical, but this tea almost tastes sunny in later steepings. There is a bright warmth, coupled with the brilliant red-orange of the tea in the cup that suggests morning sunlight.
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This was a sample from David at Verdant Tea, tucked in with my last order. I brewed it at 4g/4oz water. Rinsed once with 212F water, then steeped at the same for 2 seconds. The liquor is a nice shade of brown with red hints. Semi-hazy. The aroma is all about the malt. Mainly wheat. It’s a very inviting aroma. The flavor is a bit more complex. Again, lots of malt. Hints of the maliard reaction coming across as caramel malt. Some brown sugar. The mouthfeel is full and silky smooth. No astringency. Some diacytel-like butter character throughout. With all this wonderful malt it reminds me of evaluating malted barley at work. I’ll have to order this!
A very nice Yunnan tea with a thick grainy profile like David says. It tastes a little like buckwheat pancakes without the syrup. I love this tea in the morning, it’s like liquid brunch. I just had golden fleece the other day which has many similar characteristics but is perhaps a little more nuanced in its flavors. Not to say that this tea is lacking in any respect, it’s very dependable. A great way to start my morning.
I steeped 3 oz. of this in a medium gaiwan (4 oz.) with boiling water for 3 seconds per infusion.
The initial taste definitely has a buttery or creamy mouth feel. The first sips of each cup taste light and feel smooth. Towards the end of each cup I notice a slightly bitterness that lingers after each sip. This aftertaste is not a smokey bitterness so much as an over-steeped bitterness.
I may have over-steeped this tea or maybe I should have used cooler water. This may be the first black tea that I have over-steeped gongfu style.
I do enjoy the initial taste of each cup. I will try steeping in cooler water next time.
I’ve had this tea for a while and decided it was an appropriate time to give it my full attention. The leaves are so soft, a little bit fuzzy and overall very pretty. The scent reminds me a little bit of sweet bread and beer.
Sipping… I taste dark chocolate, sourdough bread and maybe some lemon? I think I may have overleafed this cup, unfortunately. It definitely makes a bold cup, but I think I’m missing out on the softer flavors as a result of too much leaf. Silly me! This is certainly a tasty tea, although it’s not my favorite from Verdant.
