One of my all time favorites. Very easy to drink and sure to appeal to almost any palate. Very high quality compared to other teas in its price range and above. Reminiscent of the taiwanese’dark pearl’ tea that I sampled about 6 months ago. http://www.palaisdesthes.com/en/taiwan-dark-pearl-2146.html
brewing parameters:
Grams: 5
Temp: 100 celcius.
Water: 100ml (approx) filtered.
Steep time: 2-15 seconds for first 6 infusions. 40secs-2min after 6th
infusion.
Vessel: standard competition tasting set.
Number of infusions: 10. First 7 had strong flavor.
Notes:
Dry leaf aroma: strong, deep, complex, rich honey floral.
Wet leaf and infusion aroma: same as dry leaf, with more sweetness, and
fruity-plum notes.
Texture: Sufficiently thick. Smooth. Silky around the 4th infusion.
Flavor: Same as aroma. Sweet, well rounded with seamless integration of
flavors. No astringency – easy to drink unsweetened even for non-tea
lovers.
Aftertaste: lingering floral aroma.
Body sensations: Seems gentle and soothing to the stomach.
By the 5th infusion, the flavor is plummy. subtle, yet distinct orchid
aroma rises to the nose seconds after each sip, much like the imperial
grade monkey king black.
Its no wonder that this black dancong is near the top of jkteashop’s hot sellers list. I quickly ordered another 50 grams to add to my premium stockpile, along with a few samples of other hot sellers. One thing I am learning about online tea shops is that it pays off to go for the most popular/highly rated. These are a safe bet and a great way to discover new gems.
