Gong Fu Black

Thanks for a little of this one a while back, MzPriss! I’ve tried this one before but didn’t write a tasting note… the flavor was a little elusive last time. It still is this time around. It’s interesting as this one cools, it seems to get more flavor (but I don’t mean the bitter kind.) It’s starts a little watery flavored piping hot. Then there is a sweet spot at the right temperature. The colder it gets, the tastier it gets, even what’s left in the mug the next day. The flavor is something like vintage chocolate, if that was a thing… and I’m not even sure what that means. I just realized I haven’t been comparing tea to chocolate lately, maybe because I haven’t been consuming as much chocolate… but a certain holiday lately remedied that. :D This is comparable to Teavivre’s Bailin Gongfu. I wish I had more to say on this one, and since it’s tough to pick out flavors, it’s probably not a tea I would need to stock up on. One serving left anyway!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 tsps. // few min after boiling // 4 min
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min

Got a sample from my darling MzPriss, which I am drinking in the nook for Saturday AM tea time!!!

This is good stuff. Pleasant and sweet. This is a great nook tea for a cold day. 9 degrees and I am not going anywhere today!!!!

This was another in Veronica’s Christmas card! The scent of this was completely misleading to me. There wasn’t much of one and then a nice, moderately malty taste hits. There were some sour notes as well but not in a bad way. This can take a long steep. I forgot about it and it sat for quite awhile. :) It was tasty and I’m glad I have enough for a few more cups!

For the past few days I’ve taken a break from tea because nothing was tasting right. I even drank several cups of coffee, and I haven’t touched my coffee maker in months and months! Today I was missing my morning tea ritual, so I thought I’d give this tea a chance. (From reading this you’d think I’d stopped drinking tea for months instead of less than a week. I may be addicted, but I’m ok with that.)

This was exactly what I was hoping it would be. It was lovely and full bodied with baked bread and chocolate noted. Absolutely delicious! I’ve already resteeped it once, and I’ll probably get one more steep out of it before the morning is over.

Happy sigh…

I don’t really see anything special about this tea. I’ve tried it several different ways, using water from 200F to boiling, steeping anywhere from 1-5 minutes without getting a cup I thought was really spectacular. It’s a straightforward breakfast-y tea. A little astringent, some fruitiness, some really light cocoa notes and a winey quality about it. There’s a sweetness to the aftertaste that builds slowly. I can tell that these hints of flavor are there, but it always falls flat to me. I know there are plenty of people who like it more than I do…Maybe someone else will be willing to swap or just take it off my hands?

I received this in a wonderful swap package from MzPriss! Thank you!

This has been on my wish list for a bit. I have seen it being traded in the swap thread a few times and this really peaked my curiosity. This is amazing tonight. Sweet malty, cocoa. There is none of the “meaty” taste I sometimes get. It is smooth with absolutely no astringency. The perfect dessert to end a stressful day! This tea hit me so that I went and immediately looked at shipping and the cost to get an endless supply, but for now I will just have to keep it on the wish list. Thanks again MzPriss!

Generous sample came from CharlotteZero – thank you
It is nice cup of tea filled with chocolate notes. Perfect for breakfast. There is some slight sour bread notes I pick up. Like at the end of the sip. I still prefer Teavivre Bailin and Joseph Wesley

I would have to agree with SimlyJen, this is definately a breakfast tea in whihc any breakfast tea enthusiast would simply adore. “My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody.” – Darrin Peppers Wong

Delicious black tea! I like to sweeten it and add milk, which helps the chocolate notes come out.

I thought I had already done a note on this tea. This is my morning tea today and I’m oh so glad. This tea is scrumptious!!! It is dark and slightly cocoa-y and keemun-y tasting. Very rich and I would imagine if you put a little honey in it – it would taste like dessert. I usually have a couple of drops of cream in my breakfast tea. Am not sure this needs it and will try the next cup nekkid. There is no bitterness here – just smooth rich goodness. This tea is earthy and grounding. I can see why this is Zhi’s best selling tea. There will always be some of this in my tea cabinet. If my beloved Special Dark is like a big deep double bass – this is the low notes on a cello. Full of win. This tea is like Lou Rawls singing “Youll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCW1i5HQ0o0