985 Tasting Notes
Tea of the morning with an early afternoon resteep……
My order came from Joseph Wesley. It got here in about 3 days as I ordered over the weekend. Pretty sweet. I love the aesthetic of the packaging, even though it has taken me a bit to decide how I want to handle it. The can is a paper wax lined can with a sturdy metal bottom, and the top fits very snugly, but you can pry it off with a little work of the hands. The tea inside is heat sealed in a heavy foil pouch. The cards enclosed in the can do state the harvest date! A win! The awkward part is that once you pull the pouch out and break the vacuum seal, it really doesn’t fit back in very well, even after I made a pot of tea. Then, I was trying to decide whether or not to just dump the pouch in the can. The weight is only 50 grams, and I don’t expect it will take long to drink all of it, so I dumped away. Now, I am kind of thinking I should have just left it in the pouch and rolled up the end. Oh well, I will just have to drink it fast and order more. I do have other pouches I can use, too if it bothers me too much later.
Yum. Both steeps were excellent. Not sorry at all that I splurged. Resteeping does get it into a more reasonable price range, but I may switch to ‘by the mug’ instead of the indulgent ‘by the pot’ I did today.
Usual teapot method….second steep for 6 minutes.
Preparation
Tea of the morning…….
I was curious about this one, even though I feel like I have all the Dian Hong I will ever need from Teavivre. I do love a good Dian Hong, though, so it was kind of a no brainer to give it a try.
Leaves are thick, twisted and have some golden tips. It is not as golden tipped as Teavivre’s golden tip dian hong, but more in line with their full leaf version. I would say it follows the profile of a good dian hong as far as taste…..malt, cocoa. Heartiness without astringency or briskness. What I do find remarkable about all the teas I have tried from Joseph Wesley is the heavy mouthfeel. They all make such a heavy brew which is very satisfying….like you are drinking something substantial. It makes me want to go back to my other dian hongs to see how they stack up.
For me, I do see this one as the one I may not need to buy soon of the 4 I was initially interested in. The outstanding winner for me is the Keemun. Then the Bai Lin. However, I can tell he really does pay attention to the quality of the teas he sells. Plus, for a black tea drinker like me, his product line is perfect. We shall see once I get my tins!
Usual mug method.
Flavors: Cocoa, Malt
Preparation
Tea of the morning…..
Yes, this is pretty hefty. I am not normally a straight Assam drinker. I do drink it in blends, but usually find them a little too hearty for me on their own. I am sure you are wondering, why did she order a sample of Assam?…..well, because there were 4 teas from Joseph Wesley that I wanted to try and they were offered at 3, 5, or all 7. You will get another jumbled review of the Darjeeling that was my free sample…..another tea that I don’t drink much, if at all.
Thoughts: I am getting some malt, there is definitely a briskness, and really, it kind of takes over. There are chocolate notes, but they are kind of dark chocolate/malt blended together with the kick of brisk. As far as Assams go, it is good. Likely, the best one I have had (but remember, I don’t seek them out and I have only had a few.) Not sorry I took the time to try it, and, frankly, it is a perfect Monday morning tea.
Usual mug method.
Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Malt
Preparation
Second tea of the day…….
I am trying to do some figuring. I really want to see if the Bai Lin Confu from Joseph Wesley is different enough from this to justify getting some. I was probably a little lazy in that the first tea I drank today was a second steep of my Joseph Wesley tea leaves from yesterday.
They are pretty similar in flavor profile, notes of cocoa/chocolate and caramel. I do feel that the Joseph Wesley version has a much heavier mouthfeel, even comparing my resteep from earlier today to this. I could never give this one up, though, as I love it. I think I have pretty much decided to try a tin of the Joseph Wesley when I get together an order as it will not be difficult to drink 50 grams. However, the value of this one will always keep me coming back.
Usual teapot method.
Preparation
Second tea of the morning……
Well, that went fast. Just as I was thinking I needed to pay attention to what I was drinking, I realized it is gone! This is a Bai Lin with golden tips. I love Bai Lin. I do remember notes of chocolate and caramel, but it was over much too soon. Will have to collect more data! ;) Starting the rating at 90, but I expect it to go up with more sampling.
Usual mug method.
Edit to add: The resteep was pretty fantistic, too! Also, I placed an order and it looks like free shipping kicks in at $40?
Flavors: Caramel, Chocolate
Preparation
Thank you for the nice review and for noting the free shipping for all orders over $40. Admittedly, I’m probably a little too stubborn in my sensibilities to be selling these teas on-line, hating to pollute our message with the apparently requisite yet tacky reminders of “deals,” “special offers” etc. Cest la vie.
Simplicity is a good thing.
I was not expecting the shipping break, but it was great when I figured it out!
Tea of the morning……
Wow. I was honestly not expecting much from this one. It looks pretty much like any other Keemun I have tasted. (There are little windows to see inside the sample tins.) I was pretty sure it was going to be the one tea out of four that I was seriously interested in trying from Joseph Wesley, that I could easily eliminate from my list. Well, I was completely wrong. Reading the description, it comes from the region of my favorite Tanyangs. So the opinion that this tea falls somewhere in taste between my beloved Tan Yang Te Ji from TeaSpring, and a high quality Keemun makes sense.
Ever so slight hint of floral, but this totally works. The sip is smooth, with a classic Keemun flavor (super light on the smoke, but it is there, more of a chocolate note than cocoa, and an earthiness). The mouthfeel is heavy. I have tried other Keemuns that leaned more floral in the past, and for some reason, they did not appeal at all. This one definitely makes it work, and work well. Yeah, I need some of this.
(Darn you, Joseph Wesley! As an avid Chinese black tea drinker I was almost sure you could not surprise me, but really, you are 2 for 2!)
Usual mug method.
PS Be sure to read the comments where Joseph Wesley explains the origin of this tea a little more.
Preparation
ooh, I want some samples too. he hee!
How can it be a Keemun if it’s really a Tanyang??? I’m confused! Keemuns come from Anhui. Is it some sort of cultivar sort of thing like that Taiwanese Assam, maybe?
Yes, confusing. Keemun cultivars in Tanyang sounds plausible. I just know it is good, and might inquire at a later date!
(Hmmmm. Could also be a loosely named Tanyang…….)
If ever you decide to seek additional information, do let me know. :)
First, I’m happy to read that you enjoyed our Keemun Congfu and am especially tickled that you noted the distinct characteristics of this tea. Second, it is true that the name “Keemun” would normally be associated with teas coming from Keemun or Qimen County, Anhui. But, we chose to retain the name Keemun not only because this producer sells the tea domestically under the name Keemun Congfu but because the cultivar used is the same traditionally used for Keemuns. We cannot label the tea “Tangyang Congfu” because it is not made from the cultivars traditionally used for the famed Tangyang Congfu. I went to Tangyang last year, hoping to include a Tangyang Congfu in our collection. What I found, however, was either that the price was too high for me to take the gamble and introduce the tea into the US market (as a nonestablished brand) or the tea was more a showcase tea that might have looked interesting but really didn’t taste very good. What I didn’t expect to find in Tangyang, however, was our #5. As stated in the review it has a delicious savory uniqueness not often found in Chinese black teas. Because of this uniqueness I decided to include it in the lineup even though it is grown in Fujian (not to mention these producers are one of my favorites, and I’m a sucker for kind and passionate growers!) Finally, I originally intended to introduce a Keemun Mao Feng from Qimen County but ran into problem and was not able to get the logistics sorted before I launched last July. I’m headed back to China in April with mission No. 1 being to secure a lot of the Keemun Mao Feng from the producers I met last year to bring back a more traditional Qimen tea in the collection. Thanks again for your support!
Thank you so much for the explanation. Of course, I ordered a tin before knowing because it was just so good!
Cultivars! I guessed it! \o/
Thanks for the explanation, Joseph. Keemun is one of my favourite types (Tanyang being the most favouristest favourite, where I am not above drawing hearts one the label), and Fujian is my favourite tea producing area, so I’m very intrigued by this. Do you by any chance ship to Europe, and if you do, what would it cost for, say 100g + some samples in a rough estimate? (If you don’t ship to Europe, I may have to ally myself with a friend who can shop for me and forward it… Very very intrigued indeed.)
Angrboda – we don’t generally ship to Europe but can work out a way to get you tea offline. We’ve the done this in the past with customers in South America. You can go to our website www.josephwesleytea.com and send a message. I receive directly all of these emails and will be able to work something out with you. cheers, Joe
Thank you very much! I have done so. (Don’t tell Husband!)
Tea of the morning……
More snow. Why? I am just so done with winter. Also, feeling kind of sluggish and ranty today. Have you noticed? Anyway, I chose this one because it is a good hearty breakfast tea to get me going. It is a super busy week with seven days in a row of performances for my kids. Today is day #2- the Jazz Band concert. DS who is 14 plays electric guitar, and DD who is 16 plays electric bass. It will be fun!
Completely reliable. Keemun with a kick of Assam.
Usual teapot method. I am going with Joseph Wesley’s recommendation to steep blacks at just under boiling; He recommended 190, and I am as close as I can get to that with my current kettle.
Flavors: Cocoa, Malt
Preparation
Tea of the morning……
I got my package of samples from Joseph Wesley. You can tell that much thought has been put into the presentation of the samples and the enclosed materials. Also, he included a hand written note and an extra sample. I ordered the Assam, the Classic Chinese, the Dian Hong, the Keemun and the Bai Lin. He included the Darjeeling for me. I can’t wait to try them all.
This is good. I am getting a little roastier flavor than I would expect from a tea like this. Notes of cocoa, maybe a hint of smoke if I really look for it, maltiness, and a good heartiness that is quite nice. A very complex cup for a classic black tea. I did resteep for a little longer the second time around, and it was also very good. I am not sure if this will be on my list to buy from him, as I have a few others to taste, but it is exactly what I like in a classic black tea.
Usual mug method with just a little cooler on the water for the first steep at 4 minutes, and boiling for the second at six minutes.
Flavors: Cocoa, Malt
Preparation
Tea of the morning……
There is some new Golden Monkey in town….. Well, at least this one is new to me. It is a new harvest. All of the tasting notes prior to this one are for the 2012 harvest. Now we are onto the 2013 harvest. I have to say, I like this one even better.
I don’t think it is quite as fuzzy. Leaves are long, curly and have golden orange tips. The volume on my 100g pack did not fit into the tin I had been using, so I have about a pot and a half still in the bag. Very fluffy! I do find this one slightly less earthy, and more sweet than the 2012. During my last cup of the 2012, I was almost thinking that I could skip reordering the Golden Monkey, but now I am not so sure. (I know my tea notes seem to focus quite a bit on paring down the number of teas in my possession, but it is hard to imagine that I need 50 versions of straight black tea until I go tasting them!) Yummy good. I will leave you with that!
Usual teapot method, slightly heaping spoons for measure. One if these days I might get out my scale……
Flavors: Cocoa, Honey
Preparation
I love me some Golden Monkey! Don’t worry about not using a scale. The Chinese tea masters did without them for thousands of years! :)
I completely hear you on the “how do I need 50 versions of straight black tea” conundrum. :)
2013 is better than 2012? Yeah, I mean Noooo! I am trying to not open it until I finish off a few dozen others. Now, how am I going to stay out of the only tea I ever rated 100 knowing it might be a 100+?
Tea of the morning…..
Do you ever have that moment sipping your tea where you just have to stop what you are doing and savor the moment? Well, that is happening this morning. It is like I chose the perfect tea for the moment and it is perfection. I will admit to having too many choices for great black tea in my cupboard, and it is only occasionally that I have a moment like that.
The tea is wonderful. Notes of honey, maybe raisin, light on the cocoa. Mouthfeel is thick. The leaves are curly brown and golden orange with a fuzz. So glad I have some of this in my stash.
Usual teapot method with the spoons slightly heaping as this is a fluffy tea.
Edit to add: the resteep for 6 minutes was also very good! Bonus!
Flavors: Cocoa, Honey, Raisins
