Yunnan Golden Needle

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
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Sold in
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Caffeine
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Certification
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Edit tea info Last updated by Daniil
Average preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 30 sec

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7 Tasting Notes View all

  • “dear tao tea leaf, i know that i reviewed this tea just last week but felt i should review it again as i am sipping my last cup. the sample (which now sits damp and wilted in my tea basket) was...” Read full tasting note
    83
  • “sipdown! sooo that makes 2 today? so i caught up from yesterday but have made no progress to getting my cupboard back to where it was before my samples came in…and then my swap from dexter…not to...” Read full tasting note
    77
  • “Thank you scribbles for sending me a sample of this tea. I’ve decided that I really like Tao Tea Leaf teas. This just isn’t my favorite. This is a nice, smooth, black tea, but it’s lacking...” Read full tasting note
    78
  • “My relationship with Chinese blacks is a rather strange one. First time I tried it (Yunnan I believe) I was more surprised than anything. They are not like your typical black tea (or tea that comes...” Read full tasting note
    90

From Tao Tea Leaf

USDA Certified Organic Yunan Golden Needle is a high quality black tea only use high-grade buds from the ancient Yunnan Da Ye (Large Leaf) Pu-Er tea trees. One of the Emperor’s choice teas. This tea has a beautiful rich creamy texture and notes of honey.

About Tao Tea Leaf View company

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7 Tasting Notes

83
390 tasting notes

dear tao tea leaf,

i know that i reviewed this tea just last week but felt i should review it again as i am sipping my last cup.

the sample (which now sits damp and wilted in my tea basket) was kindly shipped to me by my friend scribbles. i do love this blend of yours. i love it so much that i actually dislike the name because it’s so banal!

i have no idea if scribbles is in your employ, but if she isn’t i really think you should consider it because i placed my first order with you last night as a direct result of her actions. at the very least she should get a kickback… or a friends and family discount…. maybe you could hire her as a blend sampler!

all because she sent me a sample of this tea. it wasn’t even from a swap…. it was just because she’s awesome… and while ordering more of this tea i stumbled over a bunch of other stuff i wanted to try and noticed that shipping was free in canada if i bought 35$ worth (which i did…. because it seemed sensible).

…… so yeah, scribbles really should get a discount. in my opinion. btw, has my order shipped yet?

sincerely,
JustJames

Dexter

LOL Great letter James. I’m seriously thinking about another Tao order, but waiting until they get their new website up and running. I think they have more teas than what is currently on their site. Can’t wait to see what else they have. (My order shipped the day after being placed, I got an email from Tao with a tracking number – am sure yours will ship soon).

scribbles

So sorry haven’t been around. I wish I was in Tao’s employ…free tea?! Alas, I am in same position as you JustJames and Dexter3657…I pay for my tea purchases from them.

scribbles

Perhaps I should show Tao this note…discount?? Heh, heh. Seriously, am glad you enjoy their teas. I have yet to review this one, but have been drinking and very much enjoying it. Hoping for speedy delivery for your order! :)

Indigobloom

Hmmm I know Tao, he is an awesome person. And I’m friends with a girl who works there.
You two should join the Tea Guild of Canada. Our next meeting is in Sept.
You also get a discount at a bunch of Toronto based tea retailers in the area, asides from the seminars :)

Dexter

Scribbles – I know you have to pay like the rest of us :)) but you get to GO to the store, the whole experience. I would love to be able to visit the store. We don’t have anything near as fun as that here.
Indigobloom If I lived near there I would be there, unless there is a Tea Guild of Canada chapter near here – I don’t think so but will have to look.

scribbles

Tea Guild of Canada?? Thanks for notice Indigobloom…I’ll look into that.

Indigobloom

Oh eeps sorry I didn’t realizeyou were in Manitoba!
Scribbles, I hope to see you there! would be awesome to have another Toronto tea fan to chat with :D

JustJames

SO UNFAIR!!!! i’m in bc! even further than manitoba.

Dexter

James can I ask what you ordered?

JustJames

i got these: Imperial Pu-er Classic(Shou)
Rose Congou
Golden Needle
Lapsang Souchong-New Style
Gunpowder Green Tea

i really wanted to try the 55$ puerh that samples at 11$ per 5 grams, and i almost grabbed the purple puerh sample(again a tad expensive), but i’m happy with these. 3 new ones and 2 i know and love. =0)

Dexter

Thank you. Looks like a great order. I did get the purple pu’erh but haven’t tried it yet. They have so many interesting teas.

JustJames

i haven’t gotten an email notice of shipping…. are we there yet? lol.

Indigobloom

Hmmm you know what, the way it started out in Toronto was just as a way for the Tea Sommelier certificate graduates (from George Brown) to have a way that they can keep in touch and continue learning etc.
I don’t see why someone wouldn’t be allowed to start up their own in your area. I mean, ours is super casual. Not fancy at all.

Dexter

I don’t understand why it’s called Tea Guild of CANADA if it’s only in Toronto. It should be called Tea Guild of GTA.

JustJames

dexter makes a good point… at least if it’s going to be the tea guild of canada everyone should be in black tie, lol.

Indigobloom

haha I’ll have to ask them about that one day.

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77
14991 tasting notes

sipdown! sooo that makes 2 today? so i caught up from yesterday but have made no progress to getting my cupboard back to where it was before my samples came in…and then my swap from dexter…not to mention that i have 4 other packages yet to come in the mail (no terri…today i didn’t get my TTC order..i’m jealous of yours…but you should be jealous of my tea from dexter. so there. neeener neener boo boo).

this tea? uneventful. I think i’m not a huge fan of golden needle, rather than it being this tea if that makes sense? It’s a decent enough tea but there was no pizzazz…no fire! no deep radiating buurning deliciousness to wake me up, knock me over and steal the keys to my car…if i had one.

so yeah…decent, but not my favourite sort of tea. :)

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78
1040 tasting notes

Thank you scribbles for sending me a sample of this tea.

I’ve decided that I really like Tao Tea Leaf teas. This just isn’t my favorite. This is a nice, smooth, black tea, but it’s lacking something…. It’s not deep enough, dark enough, rich enough….something. It’s too mild. I’m not very experienced with black teas, and I think the moral of this story is that, golden needle isn’t my favorite black.
Thank you so much scribbles for helping me explore the world of black teas.

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90
68 tasting notes

My relationship with Chinese blacks is a rather strange one. First time I tried it (Yunnan I believe) I was more surprised than anything. They are not like your typical black tea (or tea that comes to mind when one hears black tea, like assam or darjeeling). Aside from that, now that I appreciate the flavor more I like this one. It’s clean tasting, that’s what comes to my mind. I don’t find it very complex and there isn’t much of a lingering taste after the sip. It has loads of honey wax notes, very mellow and easy drinking. I can’t in a right mind think of putting milk or sugar in it (not that I ever do) which I guess says how really balanced this tea is. It’s a good one. But perhaps I prefer something little more complex :)

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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86
4164 tasting notes

Thank you Momo for the sale! I thought this was a one serving sample but it looks like it had 2 1/2 or 3 tsps. Into the infuser they all go anyway. I’m not sure why this even has ‘golden’ in the name – the leaves are equal parts gold and black. The mug was surprisingly dark very shortly after the infuser went in.. a deep red cup in the end. Fitting, as there is a wine like quality to the flavor. Hints of honey and malt. Definitely not one of those super honey golden yunnans. This one is dark. A little like molasses too. Very different from other Yunnans I’ve tried, unless it’s just the amount of leaves I used. The second steep tasted exactly the same.
Steep #1 // few min after boiling // 3 min
Steep #2 // few min after boiling // 3 min

Indigobloom

So sad they are closing down :(

tea-sipper

Didn’t know that! Too bad.

cookies

No! Tao Tea Leaf is closing?

Indigobloom

Oh wow sorry about that! I was commenting on one from Butiki teas, not Tao Tea Leaf!! My browser must have backtracked. Eeeps!!!

tea-sipper

I kind of thought you meant Butiki, as that was my previous tasting note. Losing Butiki is even worse. :/

Indigobloom

Yeah it IS worse. Well kindof, I live in Toronto and am friends with Tao as well heh

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