140 Tasting Notes
Sweet malt, sweet potato, a tinge of sweet chocolate and a noticeable sharp astringency that is mildly drying for the mouth and throat.
I thought maybe the astringency was in my head or something, so I took a brewed leaf out from the pot, gave it a little bite and dang, there’s that sharp astringency.
Searched up whether aging a black tea would reduce the astringency and apparently, it does. Perhaps it being a 2025 Spring harvest has something to do with it. The smallest size of this to purchase was 50g, so I’ll be storing this away and it shall be a while before I reach for it again.
Mineral, roasty, stonefruit, oak, rock sugar, a faint hint of charcoal and a fainter hint of vanilla.
Also made me hungry somehow, even though I had just ate my apple-ginger-coconut red lentil dal for breakfast. I enjoyed the tea for three steeps, Western style.
It’s decent for the price point, but lacks the juiciness, body and warming qi that I’ve been pining for ever since Whispering Pines Tea Company’s Wildcrafted Da Hong Pao like 9 years ago. I think all my Da Hong Pao purchases have been an attempt to experience that specific tea again. I’m nostalgic and sentimental like that.
I was given a real show-stopper of a Da Hong Pao by the owner of a local Asian buffet restaurant. Unfortunately, it was sent to him by his family in China and he doesn’t read Chinese so I was unable to find out the source. I would order it in a heartbeat if I knew the company. I understand your nostalgia.
Certain teas really stay with us.
Honestly, Prana Chai does the best sticky chai. They roast the spices , use premium black tea and cover it all with some lovely quality honey.
Stovetop makes all the difference to truly extract the most from the ingredients. I use Lactose-Free milk (naturally sweeter than regular milk), or Bonsoy. Any milk would be wonderful in this, really.
The decaf option is heaven-sent for cold evenings and I’m so, so happy this product exists.
For a moment when I was mildly stressed about having to interact with too many people this week (I’m an AuDHD clinical psychotherapist also studying hypnotherapy), the jasmine seemed to lift some tension out of my head and bring a bit more lightness to my energy field.
Nice to enjoy jasmine with a black tea base, as green tea can make me feel dizzy. Thought that golden buds would be an odd pairing with jasmine, but the cocoa note is very subtle and doesn’t clash.
1st steep: 90C, 1 heaped teaspoon, 4 minutes
2nd steep: 95C, 5-7 minutes. Stronger this steep, reminded me of floral-y Peruvian chocolate.
After easing back into brewing tea with a few basic mistakes like over-leafing and under-steeping, I’m intuitively making things work again with more presence
1st steep: 85C, one heaped teaspoon, 3 minutes. Cocoa-y warming comfort
2nd steep: 90C, 5 minutes. Slightly stronger cocoa-y warming comfort.
Had it with crappy microwave rice in a plastic cup as I was time poor this morning before an online workshop. Elevated the experience of eating instant rice. Made everything a bit better.
10 years later, I’m reviewing this tea again.
A new batch, of course. (Though I’ve been known to still enjoy tea several years past the best before hah.)
Sweet potato with floral and citrus notes. The mildest bit of astringency at the back of the tongue, not unpleasant at all.
The citrus note is providing some focused energy, which is nice and quite helpful while recovering from flu/grief symptoms.
But I find myself wanting the comforting cocao notes of the Teavivre Golden Monkey. I know what tea I’m having tomorrow.
2nd day in a row of this.
I find that the main benefit of logging these tea notes is that it’s a reflection of a choice I’ve made to live slower.
2 teaspoons of this in a 225ml pot. 1st and 2nd steeps were quite tasty at 85C. I haven’t been timing them, just intuition. 3rd steep at 90C and it starts to lose flavour. I’ll do a 4th at 95C for longer.
I prefer the Premium Golden Monkey Black tea from Teavivre. That one, I steeped maybe 5 or 6 times into the night and it was still so lovely even when lighter.
