Yunnan Golden Tips

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Maple Syrup, Chocolate, Earth, Malt, Bread, Honey, Stonefruit, Wood
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Ryan Burress
Average preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 oz / 355 ml

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11 Tasting Notes View all

  • “I was really lookiing forward to tasting this tea. Upon opening this sample, I see multi- hued, tippy leaves that smelled oh so naturally sweet, with a chocolatey, maltiness. Steeped using info...” Read full tasting note
    91
  • “2 heaping tsp for 16 oz A very smooth tea, but doesn’t have the characteristic Yunnan flavor I’ve come to expect from a tippy Yunnan black. The Teavivre I have is a much better example.” Read full tasting note
    65
  • “Hard to describe this one. First steeped it had a more mild flavor, though one I can’t quite described. In some ways it just reminded me of a kind of generic tea flavor with a little something...” Read full tasting note
    40
  • “Very nice tea. Some chocolate in the aroma, but translates more to a maple syrup-like flavor and sweetness, which is better in my opinion. Comes through nice and strong with a full black tea flavor...” Read full tasting note
    95

From Harney & Sons

This is a tea that is a mixture of the dull gold buds and black leaves from Yunnan Province. The aroma is a sweet earthy combination typical of many Yunnans.

About Harney & Sons View company

Since 1983 Harney & Sons has been the source for fine teas. We travel the globe to find the best teas and accept only the exceptional. We put our years of experience to work to bring you the best Single-Estate teas, and blends beyond compare.

11 Tasting Notes

91
111 tasting notes

I was really lookiing forward to tasting this tea. Upon opening this sample, I see multi- hued, tippy leaves that smelled oh so naturally sweet, with a chocolatey, maltiness. Steeped using info below the wet leaves smelled of woods— like acorns & fresh autumn leaves, with a light earthiness….just amazing! Even wet, I could see different brown hues in the leaves.The cup color was a lighter honey brown, and the aroma was honey sweet, with a mild earthiness in the background. I let the cup cool before tasting, and was rewarded with amazing honey sweetness on the tongue. After swirling the tea in my mouth, I tasted mild earth notes with oak like woods on the back of the tongue and aftertaste. Such a delicious and tasteful cup!

Steeping a second cup for 5 minutes resulted in a slightly darker cup, with more earthy aromatics in the leaves and cup, while still smelling honey sweet to lesser degree. The taste was more earthy, with the honeyed sweetness more in the background. The wood notes noted in the first cup were now slightly noticeable (if at all).

As you can see, this is a visually stunning tea consisting of the full leaf and buds. Aromatics and flavors are great…changing with different steep times! A fantastic tea all around!! With one more cup in my sample, I’ll enjoy it later today, with plans of a bigger purchase in the near future. :))

Cupped & Reviewed: Friday, December 16, 2011.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec
TeaBrat

It sounds delicious!

ScottTeaMan

It really is….It is sorta malty and sweet like The Nahorhabi Assam, but with an earthiness typical of many Yunnans. I may up the rating today.

teaNsympathy

Wow you were right, this sounds absolutely amazing!! My mouth is watering; I’ll be trying and most likely buying this on Saturday!!! Thanks for the tip, I’m excited!!

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65
110 tasting notes

2 heaping tsp for 16 oz

A very smooth tea, but doesn’t have the characteristic Yunnan flavor I’ve come to expect from a tippy Yunnan black. The Teavivre I have is a much better example.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Kashyap

I agree…I also think that Yunnan ‘golden’ blacks have been lacking in much of the signature dynamic flavors they have been known for, for a couple years…the best of which I have gotten direct from Yunnan Tea Sourcing and oddly enough…from Republic of Tea

Rachel J

Kashyap, I am about to place an order at Yunnan for 2 dian hongs recommended by user Doug. Care to give me your recommendation for a favorite so I can add it?

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40
216 tasting notes

Hard to describe this one. First steeped it had a more mild flavor, though one I can’t quite described. In some ways it just reminded me of a kind of generic tea flavor with a little something extra. As it cooled down however, it just got really astringent.

Second steep seemed to skip the generic tea realm and just went for astringent.

ashmanra

That is sad. If I buy a tippy golden tea, I expect it to wow me.

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95
112 tasting notes

Very nice tea. Some chocolate in the aroma, but translates more to a maple syrup-like flavor and sweetness, which is better in my opinion. Comes through nice and strong with a full black tea flavor but no bitterness. This would be a excellent choice for a breakfast tea for those who don’t add milk or sugar. Impressive quality in the tea leaves, but maybe lacking a bit in complexity. Also, the fine little “hairs” from the leaves are abundant and even make their way through my t-sac paper filters. If you leave a pot of this tea sitting, it will rapidly grow darker likely due to these fine particles. Luckily this darker brew is still sweet, pleasant, and drinkable but the flavor noticeably alters. Maybe it is best to brew this by the cup. In either scenario, the fine particles are not noticeable when drinking. No mouthful of leaves or anything like that.

Flavors: Maple Syrup

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 5 g 16 OZ / 473 ML

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70
59 tasting notes

Pretty standard Yunnan Black. Nothing too interesting, nor offensive. Quite round, with a lot of Chocolate notes. Bit of an earthy finish.

Flavors: Chocolate, Earth, Malt

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Andrew Jesaitis

Whoa! Can’t believe it’s been 2 years since my last review! I’ve been drinking the same 4 or 5 teas thinking, yeah I’ll write a review for this the next time I steep a cup… Time flies!

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2291 tasting notes

Made up a cup of this after digging through my cupboard for inspiration. :) It had to be a hot-steeping tea due to me automatically setting the kettle for 95C. This one caught my eye, as I’ve had it for coughcough and it was sitting there unopened.

It’s pretty good. It’s better (more flavourful) than the Yunnans I’ve picked up locally, although it definitely leans towards astringency. I do like it, with the honey baked sweet malty flavours, but I’m unsure I’d pick up more of this one. I think I prefer the Taiwan Assams, because they mix my favourite (Assams!) with the honey baked sweet flavours.

Still, I am enjoying this mug and I’ll happily resteep it and finish up the sample.

(~2.5 tsp in 16 oz)

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Sil

mmm…sounds tasty. I really want to get to NY for a Harney splurge :( miss you guys a ton

OMGsrsly

Hi Sil, hiiii! :) We miss you too.

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78
3986 tasting notes

SIPDOWN! (103)

Meh, returning to this tea after trying many Yunnans over the past couple (few?) weeks and finding it sub-par. I have clearly been ruined by all of those lovely tippy, golden Yunnan teas I’ve ordered and received (all Nicole’s fault). This just can’t compare. It’s very harsh and somewhat bitter compared to what I’m now used to. I’m not really getting honey, just strong malt and “tea” taste. I tried this one yesterday with the 1/2/4 steep method and while it was improved, it was nowhere near my new favorites…

Oh no… I’m a snob!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
mj

LOL sneaky snobbery

TheTeaFairy

Haha! Tea snobbery is a sneaky little thing, isn’t it?

TheTeaFairy

(Haha! Had not seen your comment mj, we said almost the same thing!!!)

mj

Well, you know what they say, great minds think alike. This proves it :)

Cameron B.

I’m just an incognito tea snob… Like a ninja. ;)

TheTeaFairy

Haha! NinjaCam, sounds great!!

ohfancythat

Oh no! ;)

(The way I look at it is my money can go towards teas I love instead of “meh” teas)

Cameron B.

I jump from roof to roof! …and get my friends free cable. Badass.

mj

Can you please come jump to my roof then because I pay way too much for internet!

boychik

What does it make me? This tea is GROSS. Period. Enough said.

Cameron B.

boychik I thought it was the Tippy Yunnan that you despised. :P And I totally got a little fuzzy aftertaste from this one this time.

boychik

Oh my bad. You are absolutely right. Not enough caffeine, should drink something ASAP.

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34
54 tasting notes

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55
41 tasting notes

This tea has a nice, soft and sweet aroma. The taste is a little toasty with a sweet finish and brisk aftertaste. I doubt you would need any milk or sugar to appreciate this tea. It is not as bold in body as I usually like but it does have a complex enough character to occupy your taste buds for awhile with each sip. This is not a tea for the budget-conscious, but it is worth a taste.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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