Really love the smell of this tea after the first few infusions. It has an outstanding rich roasted aroma along with the smell of dark chocolate, lightly roasted nuts, a touch of floral. I always thought that I enjoy the smell of tea more than the taste, this is one of those teas. I have no complaints about the taste either. It is very smooth, mellow and has a mild sweetness, no bitterness, light minerality.
I’ve had a few samples of this and I’m always pleased as it’s a well-balanced tea, in that the roasted and floral notes complement each other instead of compete against each other. I was surprised when I first sipped it in that it’s not quite full-bodied as I thought.. Because the liquor is an intense dark color and although flavorful, I’d still call it more a medium-bodied tea. Less astringent as well compared to many of the other Da Hong Pao that I’ve tried, it’s very pleasant for an after dinner tea. I can see why some prefer this as their daily tea and is very popular on TeaVivre’s site. The first few times I tried this was at about 195-200℉. It’s much better (to me) at 212℉, hence the rating change.
Yixing, 212℉, 110 ml, 8g, 6 steeps: rinse, 15s, 25s, 35s, 60s, 100s, 160s
Flavors: Caramel, Dark Chocolate, Floral, Roasted, Roasted Nuts
