Tasting note #700! Wow, already? I think they will start slowing down though… not as many new-to-me teas lately!
Another sample I just know will be good from Teavivre – thank you so much! I was in the mood for a Yunnan “golden leaved” black tea. This was it! (Then again, I’m usually in the mood for Yunnan.) The dry leaves had the aroma of that sweet potato with marshmallows concoction that I know some people like to make, but sadly, I’ve never tried. Teavivre’s steeping instructions are 185 degrees with two teaspoons for 8 ounces of water with a rinse and 1,2,3,4 minute steeping times. So I used two teaspoons — it looks like each sample pouch has four teaspoons. Perfect!
Steep #1
I waited for the water to cool about 35 minutes before pouring. After a rinse, I steeped for one minute. This one definitely doesn’t have a strong black tea flavor. It is not like the burnt dark chocolate at all like the Bailin Gongfu I had from Teavivre the other day. It’s a flavor all its own, probably because of the golden buds. The flavor certainly does taste like extra sweet sweet potatoes. And the color of the cup was even the closest color to sweet potatoes that I’ve seen.
Steep #2
Waited another while for the water to cool and steeped for three minutes. This cup had more of a traditional black tea flavor. But still a lot of sweet potato. I don’t love these leaves as much as I love the bailin gongfu, since I am partial to dark chocolate. (And I might be unfairly comparing the two since I just recently had the perfect cup.) But it is a nice change from chocolatey black tea leaves.
People who liked this
Comments
Congrats on 700!!! I have the full leaf version of this and the Bailin Gongfu. I think I’m going to like both of them. I’m questing for the perfect black tea, and this gives me hope that I’m on the right track. Thank you.
Thanks! And you can’t really go wrong with Teavivre’s black teas. They are some of the best!
Congrats on 700!!! I have the full leaf version of this and the Bailin Gongfu. I think I’m going to like both of them. I’m questing for the perfect black tea, and this gives me hope that I’m on the right track. Thank you.
Thanks! And you can’t really go wrong with Teavivre’s black teas. They are some of the best!