110 Tasting Notes
1 tsp even for 5 oz
OK, trying this side by side with Adagio Yunnan Gold.
It’s obvious which is the better quality. The dry leaves have the same colors, but the Teavivre is slightly more neatly rolled. The Teavivre has more aroma, and the Teavivre liquor is clear and coppery red while the Adagio liquor is cloudy and orange.
Teavivre is more flavorful and smoother. Enough said.
Preparation
1 even tsp for 5 oz
OK, trying this side by side with Teavivre Yunnan Dian Hong Golden Tips.
It’s obvious which is the better quality. The dry leaves have the same colors, but the Teavivre is slightly more neatly rolled. The Teavivre has more aroma, and the Teavivre liquor is clear and coppery red while the Adagio liquor is cloudy and orange.
Teavivre is more flavorful and smoother. Enough said.
Preparation
1 heaping tsp in 8 oz
OK, this is not nearly as good as I remember! Probably because I’ve had much better teas in the meantime. Thanks for spoiling me, Steepster!!!
The aroma is what I remember, and I really like that Yunnan aroma, but the flavor is practically non-existent, and it’s a little astringent, even a bit bitter. Will try 190 for 3 minutes next time, but I have a feeling this tea (which used to be a fave) will be a no-go for me.
Obviously I liked the Teavivre better, but I see I brewed them very differently. Thank goodness for tasting notes. Will have to try these side by side brewed the same way!
Preparation
1 heaping tbsp for 16 oz.
Oh, Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black, why are you so tasty??? I would drink this tea every day. Even if it didn’t taste good, I would still brew it up, because the first whiff of the aroma is really intoxicating.
I keep thinking I can find some cheap tea that I will be happy to drink every day, saving special ones like this for an occasional treat, but once you’ve had this, it’s really hard to drink “normal” tea.
Preparation
1 1/2 tsp 8 oz.
This is the type of oolong I always loved to drink. To me, this style strikes the right balance between green and black for me to enjoy it in the late afternoon.
It has an earthy quality with only a hint of roasted flavor in the aftertaste.
The cup started out relatively smooth and sweet, though it developed a pretty strong astringency the more of it I drank. Definitely not bitter, though.
Should be noted that the leaves are really broken up in this tea. It is pretty sloppy looking.
I’ll be comparing this with the Harney and Sons in a few days.
Preparation
1 heaping tsp for 8 oz
Very decent black tea. A little more astringent than the Teavivre organic superfine but also has more of that Keemun flavor and character in my opinion. Maybe the Keemun character I am thinking of is particular to less expensive varieties since that’s all I used to drink.
We shall see where my opinion winds up when I’m done with my current Keemun comparisons.
Preparation
1 heaping tsp for 8 oz
I am going to be sampling a few different Keemuns over the next few days. In my last tea phase, I drank Keemun almost daily. It was my favorite breakfast tea.
This Keemun is much smoother and lighter than the Keemuns I remember. It will be interesting to try others I have from Adagio, Harney, etc. This one doesn’t really scream Keemun to me. It is a very pleasant, smooth black tea but doesn’t have too much personality as far as I’m concerned. The Bailin Gongfu had a thick maltiness going for it, and this is just lighter all around. I’ll try a longer steep maybe next time though I do want to avoid any bitterness or astringency.
Preparation
Have you seen this reply?
http://www.teavivre.com/keemun-fragrant-black-tea/
“Organic Superfine Fragrant is the highest grade Keemun on our site. Premiun Hao Ya is also high quality tea. The tea leaves of Organic Superfine Keemun Fragrant is more complete than Hao Ya. Both of our Keemun teas taste smooth, fruity and floral flavor. And our Organic Superfine Keemun Fragrant has a special roasted sweet potatoes taste.”
Did you taste the roasted sweet potato flavor?
Of the organic teas you’ve tasted, which one did you enjoy the most?
Can’t say I tasted sweet potato, but I really think my palate is very unsophisticated! Also, I think is the only organic I’ve tried so far!
Thanks for that quote from the site, BTW!
Have you tried http://steepster.com/teas/teavivre/21803-premium-keemun-hao-ya-black-tea?
– See especially the tasting notes from SimplyJenW (3 tasting notes – compares all Teavivre Keemuns)
See also:
– http://steepster.com/ashmanra/posts/99752#
– http://steepster.com/LiberTEAS/posts/91140#
Thanks! Haven’t tried any others yet!
1 rounded tsp for 8 oz
This is a full-bodied, malty black that is smooth as silk with no astringency or bitterness. It’s doesn’t have a particular flavor that jumps out at me, but it is just a really good strong tea that I could actually drink first thing in the morning without milk and sugar.
Preparation
Mmmmm…that description just set my crave in motion :)
:) Yep, it’s a good one!
I see you’ve rated both TeaVivre’s Bailin Gongfu (85) & Yun Nan Dian Hong – Golden Tip (85). Which of these two is your favorite? Thanks!
I really do like them equally. They are very different in flavor so it’s not a situation where I’d purchase one over the other. I like having both!
Thanks, that’s good to know.
Experimented with this today. Was wondering if I combined this with almond syrup, if I could replicate the old Celestial Seasonings Almond Sunset with milk and sugar that I used to drink as a kid with my mom in the afternoons. The answer is YES! Tastes just like it. I used Fabbri brand syrup.
Now that I’m into real tea, I don’t think I’ll crave this too often, but it’s a nice non-caffeinated dessert drink. The Roastaroma on its own is an interesting, malty beverage with lots of body and no astringency or bitterness.
