Organic Jinhao Golden Tip Black Tea

Thank you for the samples, Teavivre! Another solid black tea from Teavivre. The dry leaves are very unique — they look like wild tea with HUGE, wiry leaves, tangled together in shades of black and gold. The scent of the dry leaves have a hay-in-the-field quality. The flavor is a little like that as well, with a medium flavor strength and starchiness (like sweet potatoes!) I’ve been really enjoying the sweet starchy aftertaste of black teas lately! The first time I had this tea, I didn’t think I used enough leaves. But I think because the leaves are so huge (the biggest leaves I’ve ever seen in a tea) the tea has a lighter flavor from the big leaves, just like a CTC tea has a stronger flavor because of the tiny leaves. But stronger does not mean better. Since I probably used a teaspoon more on the second steep session, the steeps were richer in flavor, though still tough to pick out individual flavor notes each time. Simply a satisfying black tea. I think I used close to Teavivre’s parameters minus a teaspoon. I wouldn’t say this is the best black tea from Teavivre, but it is VERY hard to decide which is the worst.
Steep #1 // half of a sample for a full mug// 12 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep

Got this as a sample from Angel at Teavivre. :) I was really excited to try all of the teas I was sent, but I went with this one first, because I was looking for a black tea at the time. Anyway, the dry lead smells lightly… fruity? I can’t quite put my finger on it.

The flavor is… all right. I tried this tea on two separate occasions, thinking the first time was just a fluke. Maybe I didn’t use enough leaf? The second time I know I used more than the first… but I just can’t coax much flavor out of this tea. I steeped it according to the directions, which is even longer than I normally do with blacks. For some reason, it just tastes like hot tap water to me. :/ I want to like it, so perhaps I’ll try it again, with different parameters. Stay tuned.

Organic Jinhao golden tip black tea by Teavivre.

Review:

Ru Yao dragon teapot, gongfucha.

Dry leaf: toasty, spices, pepper.
(Forgot to take picture)

Wet leaf: spices, pepper, earth, toasty.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOIUyiBgyjg/

Light steep; I taste/smell: (smell) slight —> pepper, spices. (Taste) light -→ earth, pepper, spices, toasty.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOIS4pMAebZ/

Medium steep; I taste/smell: (smell) light —> pepper, spices, earth, roses. (Taste) medium -→ earth, clay (?), roses, pepper, toasty.

Heavy steep: same as medium, except for the addition of medium raisins to the taste.

All in all a decent tea despite black teas not being my favorite. Decent tastes/aromas, decent chaqi. I rate a 75.

Where to buy: http://www.teavivre.com/organic-jinhao-golden-tip-black-tea/