Premium Qimen Black Tea of Huangshan * Spring 2017

This tea has strong chocolate notes in the smell, supplemented by malt and pumpkin spice. As for the taste, there I notice more of a cocoa bean flavour than chocolate. It is also quite floral for a black tea and somehow evokes the feeling of cold and dry winter days. Overall, it is a sweet affair with very little bitterness or astringency, I think this is a pretty inoffensive tea. All things considered, the closest comparison I could make with regards to taste would be lychee I think. Finally, another strong point of the tea is its full body and silky mouthfeel.

After sipping a Hao-Ya yesterday, I’m moving on to a Mao Feng this morning. Of course, you immediately notice the leaf shape is different, the Mao Feng being notably thicker as each is full and unbroken, tightly twisted into a shape resembling a gnarled and tarred tree branch.

Prepared in my Jian Shui gaiwan, and served in my porcelain tea cup via my glass cha hai. Filtered Santa Monica municipal water just off the boil throughout.

Using a little less tea and a little more time today (infusions starting at 1 minute and slowly increasing from there): safety orange liquor; gentle, faintly malty aroma; wheat and cocoa on the palate with hints of chestnut or pecan in the finish; very clean and energizing without briskness or acidity. Some additional complexity can be coaxed out with longer infusions, with very subtle notes of chewing tobacco, carob, and potting soil emerging in the finish – but this tea has a wonderful clarity if you don’t over-steep.