Joseph Wesley Black Tea

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Recent Tasting Notes

88

This is a tasting note of a new #3.
i got a free sample of it along with the tin of original Classic Chinese. thank you so much for letting me try. Since i didnt have parameters, i think my way doesnt do a justice to this tea.
1/2 TBSP 185F 6 oz 3min
Dry leaves are long, thin and twisted. I love the smell of dry leaves. The brew is golden brown, its sweet dark chocolate, bread, toffee, nuts. very pleasant and refined.

So, if original Classic Chinese is a bad boy, this version is Park Ave princess.
Now Joe you have to help me with the right parameters;)

Terri HarpLady

The parameters: something I was just thinking about with teas :)
I like to be able to try a tea several different ways

yyz

I tend to do my own thing, unless the tea turns out epically awful the first time, then I either try the parameters or look for other advice.

boychik

i just have a feeling my temp was too low. And its a sample. i can play with it only one more time :(

yyz

Maybe a little:). I had to look it up. I still don’t get fareinheit, you would think it would stick in my head a little bit better the length of time I’ve been on this site!

Angrboda

I use boiling for black tea. Always.
What’s the difference between this and the old one? I have the old one.

boychik

they are absolutely different. i think i like the old one more…

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

boychik, the suits of Park Avenue are just not for you I guess. It’s interesting because the two teas taste very different, however, they’re made from the same leaves. The only difference is that the new #3 is just the bud and two leaves and the leaves are much more intact and not broken. The new one has a much smoother fruiter taste whereas the old #3 (new T1 tea bags) is much spicier and more earthy. I think boychik’s metaphors were spot on.

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88

Last cup before i get a new tin. ordered last night because first, they going to make sachets only for this tea , Secondly, Mr. Wesley gave 25% off on this one( code saynotobags )
Steeped it according to JW parameters 185F 1tsp 8 oz 2.5 min
The brew is dark golden brown. its very bold and smooth, no astringency. Sweet but not overly, some roast but nicely done. its perfectly balanced and excellent to have a cup every morning.
resteep 3.5 min was excellent, sweeter, some nuts, slight pepper at the end of the sip.
i enjoyed it a lot.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
MzPriss

I like this one

TeaTiff

I have a small sample of this one. I need to try this one tomorrow! Why the sachets?

MzPriss

I think he’s going to use the Number 3 for something else. I’m not sure what though

boychik

He said its for restaurants.

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Yes. We put two teas into sacehts to easier accomodate cafes and restaurants who wanted to use our tea. Although #3 is being replaced, it is being replaced by a very similar tea but with much better construction. I was never happy with how broken the leaves were with last year’s #3. The new one is much more beautiful – albeit more subtle and gentle than last year’s #3.

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94

Today is my official 1st day of sampling Lapsang Souchong. i picked it up at 2013 NYC Coffee and Tea Festival. Joseph Wesley stand was my first stop. I did my little homework and was dying to try their teas. I was always afraid to drink LS because people described it as ashy smoky bitter. Whatever.
Steeped according to directions: 1tsp 8oz 195F 2min2 1/2min etc
This tea completely changed my uneducated and inexperienced mind. Its smooth, sweet with touch of smokiness at the end but its well rounded. it has this rye bread taste,sweet and toasty. i got myself a piece of cheddar since its written it pairs well with cheese. it does, but i can drink it without it. I know what would be great : toasted bagel cream cheese. I’m sure some maple syrup would make it complete. I’m going to try it next time.

Flavors: Bread

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
ifjuly

oh, a toasted bagel with cream cheese and a good LS sounds DIVINE. yum. glad your first LS is such a good experience!

boychik

Thank you, ifjuly;)

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72

Bought at the Coffee & Tea Festival here and it is lovely.

I am not usually one for lapsang souchongs as the smokiness is usually too intense.

This one, you can taste a little hint of smoke, but also sweetness… a fruity sort of feel but I can’t place the fruit in mind.

Mid-tongue is a medium to almost black brown color flavor, a harsh orange at the back of the throat, and wrapping around the front sides of the tongue is a light yellow-medium-beige color if that is clear at all… I can see it but can’t quite describe it, hope someone else gets that last color.

Oddly, this is the first thing I’ve ever tasted that actually has a purple taste. It’s around the top of the mouth and top back of throat. It’s a reddish purple, not too dark but dark. A rich color.

I quite like this. It’s a gentle tea. I’m having it as my morning tea today and the flavor is bold enough as a black to hit that need while also not having that overwhelming level of smoke that I mentioned above. Mildly astringent with no bitterness, for me.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 30 sec 11 g 41 OZ / 1200 ML
Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Thanks for visiting us at the Coffee and Tea Festival. I’m happy to read that you enjoyed the tea. Cheers, Joe

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84

I’m skipping the queue with this one, because I need to gush! There will be a queued post later, so that I’m not neglecting those.

I’m having Bad Dog! tea. I hadn’t heard about this company before, until SimplyJenW made a post about their Keemun in which it was mentioned that it had been grown in Fujian. This caught my interest. Keemun and Fujian black. And not just any bit of Fujian. No, it was near the village of Tan Yang! A combination of my two favouritest things in the world of tea? Was it a blend? No, it wasn’t. My guess was that it must be like that Taiwanese Assam that Butiki has, the one which is made from Assam cultivars but grown in Taiwan. This was indeed what was going on.

Steepsterites. I needed this tea in my life. I needed it like air!

I made some inquiries regarding the possibility of shipping to Denmark and what it would cost, and Joseph Wesley is a very kind soul who really went out of his way to help me get an order. Long story short, order was placed through email, and payment sent through paypal. And this is where my jaw dropped and I had to do a little dance of victory. What I had ordered would have made me eligible for free shipping, had I been in the US. Obviously, this was not feasible for him to do when shipping to Denmark, so instead he offered to pay half the shipping cost for me, so that I still got something out of having ordered for that much. So many companies would have simply said ‘sorry, we can’t give you free shipping to Europe, because we don’t normally ship there,’ and I’d have been fine with that. This solution that Joseph Wesley offered me would never even have occurred to me! I thought it was very generous of him to offer it, and if he hadn’t, I’m not sure I would have placed the order at all. It made the difference between what I’m willing to pay for shipping and what I’m not. Clearly this guy had taken pity on me in my Fujian Keemun desperation and decided to move sun and moon to make it happen. I went HOORAY! and forked over the money.

The generosity didn’t stop there, though. Let me tell you, Steepsterites, what happened next.

Joseph Wesley has seven different teas on his website, six of which I was interested in trying. There was the aforementioned gold nugget, this one which I’ll be writing about in a moment, an Assam (I’m becoming interested in Assam lately), three more Chinese blacks and a Darjeeling. Pass on the Darj. I don’t much care for that stuff. But the others! When ordering samples, you can get three samples, five samples or seven samples. Ideally, at this point I would have liked four, but I then realised that I’ll be sending a parcel to Auggy shortly, so why not ask for doubles and share with her? Seeing as how we appreciate the same sort of qualities in our black teas and generally love the same things, I should like to have her opinion as well. And I was already planning on sharing some of the Fujian Keemun with her anyway. So in the end I opted for seven samples, three of which were doubles.

When I then received my parcel, it included a handwritten letter from Joseph Wesley about how my size order fell just exactly in a zone of ‘no practical packaging’ and that he had included an extra free sample! I now have doubles of all the samples to share with Auggy! YAY!

How fabulous is that?

I didn’t start with the coveted Fujian Keemun, though. I haven’t tried it yet. I’m waiting for the Right Moment. Well, actually I just want to go around a look at the tin for a bit and just look forward to it. And pet it now and then. :)

This one I also got a tin of, and it’s from Zheijiang province. I am certain that I’ve had tea from there before, but I’d have to dig deep in my notes to find out which ones it was, so for all intents and purposes, it’s new to me.

I followed the suggestion from Joseph Wesley of using significantly cooler water than I normally would have. He suggests the same temperatures that I would normally have used for a white tea, or perhaps a particularly hardy green. This rather went against everything I’ve learned about my own preferences, but I thought, since I’d seen it I’d give it a go. I don’t normally look for these things at all, you see. I’ve been at this long enough to know what I like and how I like it, and next time I have this, it’ll very likely be the way I would normally brew, so I can see if there is a discernable difference. I expect the cultivar is dictating the temperature somewhat here.

The aroma is very mild and malty. I’m having a hard time really getting it. It does that thing where I can almost imagine that it’s somehow heavier than air, and I can sense it hovering there above the tea, but I can’t draw it into my nose properly. It’s quite strange.

It tastes… You know my very first thought was licorice. Not the anise-y unlicorice that some of you call licorice (Ha! I must laugh! Ha!) and which has nothing to do with proper licorice. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Anise =/= licorice. Anise doesn’t even taste like licorice. It tastes like anise.Not proper, real licorice which is as black as night, it has a chewy texture and preferably salty. Paradoxically, Real Proper Licorice which is chewy and preferably salty, doesn’t actually have too much to do with licorice root either. I’m sure it’s made of the stuff somehow. Some kind of extract probably, but it tastes different from actual dried licorice root. And when I say ‘this reminded me at first of licorice’ I meant Real Proper. Not anise, not licorice root.

Gosh that was long and complicated for something that was just a fleeting thought. I’ve accidentally made this cup a bit strong. I thought I had more water in the kettle when I measured out the leaf, you see, but the tea, although a wee bit astringent, has not been damaged. No bitterness. If I had used boiling water like I normally would I might not have been so lucky with it.

Now, what I’m actually picking up here when the licorice moment has passed is an underlying note of dark chocolate. Very dark chocolate. Well within the range of 70%+ cocoa here, and yet it’s still chocolate rather than cocoa. It’s rather hiding a bit. I just find myself sitting there going hmm, grain, yes, slightly floral, yes, bit Keemun-y, yes, hey, what was that? And there it is, lurking underneath all the rest is the chocolate. I’m also getting a smidge of cherries in it, but not until it’s all cooled down to lukewarm at the bottom of the cup, and even then it’s just a teensy bit, but still. Cherry.

Basically this reminds me of a strong Keemun with some chocolate-y notes in it and a wee bit of cherry. I’m really rather enjoying this, even though I accidentally overleafed it a bit.

K S

I do understand the licorice anise difference thing, though I am one of those who has used the comparison in a review. I had an uncle that kept real licorice candy around to chew on. It is so completely different from the black jelly bean licorice of today.

Ysaurella

you review really makes me want to have a look at this website for the teas and for the client service.

MzPriss

I’ma keemun lover myself and SimplyJenW recommended JW’s keemun – the coupled with this awesome review just led me to order samples from JW.

MzPriss

Clearly I am not awake enough to be typing – excuse my typos. I just ordered samples of this one, the keemun and the bai ling. Can’t wait to get them!

Nicole

As soon as I cave and start buying tea again for myself they are definitely on my list to place an order with.

SimplyJenW

So glad you got a chance to try the tea! Just wait until you try the others! And yes, the service is fantastic.

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

thanks everyone for the kind words. I’m happy that you are enjoying the teas. The makers of this particular tea are wonderful and I’m happy they agreed to use their long jing cultivars to make this tea. As an aside, we’re in the process of taking this tea out of our series of loose leaf tea and putting it into tea bags (sachets) so that we can make room for one or two new black teas. We’re hopeful that the new bags/pyramids/sachets will be available in the next month or two. Thanks again, Joe

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I was super interested to try this after SimplyJenW’s review. I would not really call myself a Chinese tea connoisseur however and keemuns are one I have tended to shy away from in the past.

I know I could have gong fu’d this but I didn’t see any particular instructions on the website so I decided to steep it Western style. The tea liquor brews up to be a clear reddish brown and the aroma is that of roasted chocolate.

As far as flavor is concerned this is a very interesting tea. I’m getting a tiny bit of smoke along with notes of roasted grains. There is a faint bitterness here and something of pipe tobacco with cocoa. hmmm. Don’t know about keemuns, I keep trying to make myself like them but I’ve only had a few that I really love. I liked this better with milk than plain but it still seems a bit “winey” to me. Might need to gong fu the remainder of this sample before making a decision but it’s more something I am forcing myself to drink than it is a pleasant experience. Must be my tastebuds.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
MzPriss

I LOVE Keemun. Haven’t had this one, but I need to put it on the list. I want ALL the Keemuns.

TeaBrat

MP-how do you normally prepare yours?

Sil

keemun + maple syrup = the best.

MzPriss

Just saw this question. I normall do Keemuns Western style. I do about 200-205 for about 3.5-4 minutes. But if I get a new one that I’ve never tried before, I try to follow their suggestions the first time and adjust to my taste in subsequent steeps. I like them plain but I have been known to add a little honey or maple syrup like Sil and the occasional drop or two of milk.

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90

Tea of the morning…….

I was curious about this one, even though I feel like I have all the Dian Hong I will ever need from Teavivre. I do love a good Dian Hong, though, so it was kind of a no brainer to give it a try.

Leaves are thick, twisted and have some golden tips. It is not as golden tipped as Teavivre’s golden tip dian hong, but more in line with their full leaf version. I would say it follows the profile of a good dian hong as far as taste…..malt, cocoa. Heartiness without astringency or briskness. What I do find remarkable about all the teas I have tried from Joseph Wesley is the heavy mouthfeel. They all make such a heavy brew which is very satisfying….like you are drinking something substantial. It makes me want to go back to my other dian hongs to see how they stack up.

For me, I do see this one as the one I may not need to buy soon of the 4 I was initially interested in. The outstanding winner for me is the Keemun. Then the Bai Lin. However, I can tell he really does pay attention to the quality of the teas he sells. Plus, for a black tea drinker like me, his product line is perfect. We shall see once I get my tins!

Usual mug method.

Flavors: Cocoa, Malt

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 15 OZ / 443 ML

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86
drank Assam by Joseph Wesley Black Tea
2816 tasting notes

Sample 1/3 I ordered from Joseph Wesley. I love a good assam, especially in the morning. These came in really cute sample tins with paper tags, though I’m afraid I will lose the tags and get them all mixed up!

I figured I would need to try this plain first, in order to get a good sense of what the tea really tastes like. It’s definitely a dark and malty brew with a citrusy, brisk note in the finish. There aren’t too many assams I could drink plain but this is definitely one of them. There’s a bit of astringency but nothing I cannot handle. I did prefer this with a splash of soymilk, which is how I drink most assams.

I prefer a little less briskness in my teas but overall I did enjoy this…

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Sil

i need to try me some of their teas!

SimplyJenW

I ended up writing the kind of tea on the bottom of the sample tin. While the tags were very cool looking, they fell off too easy and it was easy to get things mixed up.

TeaBrat

Jen, I think I need to do the same!

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Tea of the morning…..

Yes, this is pretty hefty. I am not normally a straight Assam drinker. I do drink it in blends, but usually find them a little too hearty for me on their own. I am sure you are wondering, why did she order a sample of Assam?…..well, because there were 4 teas from Joseph Wesley that I wanted to try and they were offered at 3, 5, or all 7. You will get another jumbled review of the Darjeeling that was my free sample…..another tea that I don’t drink much, if at all.

Thoughts: I am getting some malt, there is definitely a briskness, and really, it kind of takes over. There are chocolate notes, but they are kind of dark chocolate/malt blended together with the kick of brisk. As far as Assams go, it is good. Likely, the best one I have had (but remember, I don’t seek them out and I have only had a few.) Not sorry I took the time to try it, and, frankly, it is a perfect Monday morning tea.

Usual mug method.

Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Malt

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 15 OZ / 443 ML

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91

Tea of the morning…..

I hope to get a second pot in today, but we shall see. This one is always good. I maybe have 75 g of this one left. And it has a harvest date of 2013. Need to drink it up!

Sweet, cocoa, honey, with just a slight bit of astringency that I don’t remember being there before. Still a favorite.

Usual method.

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91

Tea of the morning……

Just imagine a golden tipped Bai Lin. This is a wonderful tea. The leaves are golden, fluffy, and just a little bit fuzzy. It looks very similar to the golden tip version of Teavivre’s Dian Hong. But this is Bai Lin! I am getting notes of cocoa and honey, and I know this will be on my rebuy list. Really, it does not even seem out of the range of a golden tipped tea for price. So happy I bought some of this one.

Very impressed with Joseph Wesley!

Usual (indulgent) teapot method.

Flavors: Caramel, Cocoa, Honey

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 24 OZ / 709 ML

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91

Second tea of the morning……

Well, that went fast. Just as I was thinking I needed to pay attention to what I was drinking, I realized it is gone! This is a Bai Lin with golden tips. I love Bai Lin. I do remember notes of chocolate and caramel, but it was over much too soon. Will have to collect more data! ;) Starting the rating at 90, but I expect it to go up with more sampling.

Usual mug method.

Edit to add: The resteep was pretty fantistic, too! Also, I placed an order and it looks like free shipping kicks in at $40?

Flavors: Caramel, Chocolate

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 15 OZ / 443 ML
Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Thank you for the nice review and for noting the free shipping for all orders over $40. Admittedly, I’m probably a little too stubborn in my sensibilities to be selling these teas on-line, hating to pollute our message with the apparently requisite yet tacky reminders of “deals,” “special offers” etc. Cest la vie.

SimplyJenW

Simplicity is a good thing.

I was not expecting the shipping break, but it was great when I figured it out!

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96

Tea of the morning…..

Still pretty spectacular. I love this Keemun with a small twist. Resteep was great, too.

Usual mug method.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 14 OZ / 414 ML

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96

Tea of the morning……

Wow. I was honestly not expecting much from this one. It looks pretty much like any other Keemun I have tasted. (There are little windows to see inside the sample tins.) I was pretty sure it was going to be the one tea out of four that I was seriously interested in trying from Joseph Wesley, that I could easily eliminate from my list. Well, I was completely wrong. Reading the description, it comes from the region of my favorite Tanyangs. So the opinion that this tea falls somewhere in taste between my beloved Tan Yang Te Ji from TeaSpring, and a high quality Keemun makes sense.

Ever so slight hint of floral, but this totally works. The sip is smooth, with a classic Keemun flavor (super light on the smoke, but it is there, more of a chocolate note than cocoa, and an earthiness). The mouthfeel is heavy. I have tried other Keemuns that leaned more floral in the past, and for some reason, they did not appeal at all. This one definitely makes it work, and work well. Yeah, I need some of this.

(Darn you, Joseph Wesley! As an avid Chinese black tea drinker I was almost sure you could not surprise me, but really, you are 2 for 2!)

Usual mug method.

PS Be sure to read the comments where Joseph Wesley explains the origin of this tea a little more.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 14 OZ / 414 ML
TeaBrat

ooh, I want some samples too. he hee!

Angrboda

How can it be a Keemun if it’s really a Tanyang??? I’m confused! Keemuns come from Anhui. Is it some sort of cultivar sort of thing like that Taiwanese Assam, maybe?

SimplyJenW

Yes, confusing. Keemun cultivars in Tanyang sounds plausible. I just know it is good, and might inquire at a later date!

SimplyJenW

(Hmmmm. Could also be a loosely named Tanyang…….)

Angrboda

If ever you decide to seek additional information, do let me know. :)

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

First, I’m happy to read that you enjoyed our Keemun Congfu and am especially tickled that you noted the distinct characteristics of this tea. Second, it is true that the name “Keemun” would normally be associated with teas coming from Keemun or Qimen County, Anhui. But, we chose to retain the name Keemun not only because this producer sells the tea domestically under the name Keemun Congfu but because the cultivar used is the same traditionally used for Keemuns. We cannot label the tea “Tangyang Congfu” because it is not made from the cultivars traditionally used for the famed Tangyang Congfu. I went to Tangyang last year, hoping to include a Tangyang Congfu in our collection. What I found, however, was either that the price was too high for me to take the gamble and introduce the tea into the US market (as a nonestablished brand) or the tea was more a showcase tea that might have looked interesting but really didn’t taste very good. What I didn’t expect to find in Tangyang, however, was our #5. As stated in the review it has a delicious savory uniqueness not often found in Chinese black teas. Because of this uniqueness I decided to include it in the lineup even though it is grown in Fujian (not to mention these producers are one of my favorites, and I’m a sucker for kind and passionate growers!) Finally, I originally intended to introduce a Keemun Mao Feng from Qimen County but ran into problem and was not able to get the logistics sorted before I launched last July. I’m headed back to China in April with mission No. 1 being to secure a lot of the Keemun Mao Feng from the producers I met last year to bring back a more traditional Qimen tea in the collection. Thanks again for your support!

SimplyJenW

Thank you so much for the explanation. Of course, I ordered a tin before knowing because it was just so good!

Angrboda

Cultivars! I guessed it! \o/

Thanks for the explanation, Joseph. Keemun is one of my favourite types (Tanyang being the most favouristest favourite, where I am not above drawing hearts one the label), and Fujian is my favourite tea producing area, so I’m very intrigued by this. Do you by any chance ship to Europe, and if you do, what would it cost for, say 100g + some samples in a rough estimate? (If you don’t ship to Europe, I may have to ally myself with a friend who can shop for me and forward it… Very very intrigued indeed.)

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Angrboda – we don’t generally ship to Europe but can work out a way to get you tea offline. We’ve the done this in the past with customers in South America. You can go to our website www.josephwesleytea.com and send a message. I receive directly all of these emails and will be able to work something out with you. cheers, Joe

Angrboda

Thank you very much! I have done so. (Don’t tell Husband!)

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92

Tea of the morning……

This is a great morning tea. It is heavier on the malt than what I usually drink. In fact, it kind of reminds me of Assam in a way. Nice and hearty, dark chocolate notes, with a serious kick. Today I decided to brew by the mug, and the second steep at 6 minutes was just as good and hearty as the first.

I think I read in a response to another Steepster poster that this one was going into sachet only form soon. I do find that kind of disappointing, just because I am a loose leaf drinker and only use bagged tea when I travel. It is not so much that I don’t think a high quality tea should come in sachet form, as I like the simplicity and reduced waste from loose leaf as much as I love the flavor. I also understand that business has to evolve in order to survive. Bagged tea makes more sense for some and is very convenient. I am one customer, and I want the company to be around for a while, so I am going to trust what is going on for now.

Usual mug method.

Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Malt

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 14 OZ / 414 ML
MzPriss

Agree. Makes me sad too :(

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

It gives me hope that you want the tea to stay in loose leaf form. With that said, one of our goals is to limit the number of teas we make available so that you may have a more meaningful relationship with them. It’s always seemed that offering 60+ teas might make good business sense but doesn’t help the customer gain an appreciation for any particular tea. We’re taking this tea out of the line-up so that we can introduce another loose leaf tea that I believe is better suited for our project. I hope that after you taste the new tea you’ll approve of our decision to give the #3 jersey to this new tea. As always, thanks for the comments. -Joe

SimplyJenW

Joseph Wesley Black Tea, I am definitely looking forward to whatever you have to offer in the future. I do appreciate your approach, which is why I am excited to see how it unfolds. Yes, the (hopefully) more dignified version of fan-girling, here!

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92

Tea of the morning with an early afternoon resteep……

My order came from Joseph Wesley. It got here in about 3 days as I ordered over the weekend. Pretty sweet. I love the aesthetic of the packaging, even though it has taken me a bit to decide how I want to handle it. The can is a paper wax lined can with a sturdy metal bottom, and the top fits very snugly, but you can pry it off with a little work of the hands. The tea inside is heat sealed in a heavy foil pouch. The cards enclosed in the can do state the harvest date! A win! The awkward part is that once you pull the pouch out and break the vacuum seal, it really doesn’t fit back in very well, even after I made a pot of tea. Then, I was trying to decide whether or not to just dump the pouch in the can. The weight is only 50 grams, and I don’t expect it will take long to drink all of it, so I dumped away. Now, I am kind of thinking I should have just left it in the pouch and rolled up the end. Oh well, I will just have to drink it fast and order more. I do have other pouches I can use, too if it bothers me too much later.

Yum. Both steeps were excellent. Not sorry at all that I splurged. Resteeping does get it into a more reasonable price range, but I may switch to ‘by the mug’ instead of the indulgent ‘by the pot’ I did today.

Usual teapot method….second steep for 6 minutes.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 24 OZ / 709 ML

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92

Tea of the morning……

I got my package of samples from Joseph Wesley. You can tell that much thought has been put into the presentation of the samples and the enclosed materials. Also, he included a hand written note and an extra sample. I ordered the Assam, the Classic Chinese, the Dian Hong, the Keemun and the Bai Lin. He included the Darjeeling for me. I can’t wait to try them all.

This is good. I am getting a little roastier flavor than I would expect from a tea like this. Notes of cocoa, maybe a hint of smoke if I really look for it, maltiness, and a good heartiness that is quite nice. A very complex cup for a classic black tea. I did resteep for a little longer the second time around, and it was also very good. I am not sure if this will be on my list to buy from him, as I have a few others to taste, but it is exactly what I like in a classic black tea.

Usual mug method with just a little cooler on the water for the first steep at 4 minutes, and boiling for the second at six minutes.

Flavors: Cocoa, Malt

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 14 OZ / 414 ML
gmathis

Sounds wonderful!
(and, Oh wonderful; a new tea company to drool over!)

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90

Sad sad day. I was expecting my delivery of samples from Joseph Wesley earlier this week. Despite tracking saying it delivered, it had not! So, this weekend the package finally arrives. With a note INSIDE from USPS saying they’re sorry, my package was lost and or damaged in the mail…. etc. It was obviously repackaged. … blegh.

I was so depressed, you have no idea. I’d been looking forward to trying these teas out since before I ordered them. I got a sample of each variety : I only received 3 samples and 2 labels. The rest, I assume, were “lost” in the mail. Love our US mail!

I email Joe (apparently he answers the emails himself. You can FEEL the heart from this company!) and he’s sending me new samples to replace what was lost. Such a fast response! You can tell they care about every cup of tea their customers have. :D Pretty incredible company. I love the simplistic approach they take to tea. It’s been so much easier getting my boyfriend interested in tea when I approach him with sites like Joseph Wesley. He appreciates the straightforward and simple mentality.

So this is the only tea I received that still had the label attached. So, I’m impatient, and eagerly got myself a cup together. Despite the fact that this tea may or may not have been upended on the floor of some mail-room.

This is almost iconic black tea. Simple, easy to drink. My boyfriend said he would love to drink this instead of black coffee “when you just want some caffeine”.

Personally I love it. It’s an easy-drinking black tea, with an plenty of flavors to dwell on. My favorite part is the sort of after-taste it leaves on the tongue after a sip. Herbal, slightly tangy, really fun actually. What’s more to say? Classic black tea. :)

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 14 OZ / 414 ML
Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Thank you for the nice comments. I really appreciated your understanding with the mail fiasco. The new package was put in the mail today and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the box arrives the way it was intended to arrive; with great craft and care. I hope that you enjoy the other teas as much, if not more, as you enjoyed the #3. Cheers, Joe

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96

Backlog:

This is the third tea that I’ve tried from this company, and I love it too. I have been very impressed with everything that I’ve tried from them.

The leaves are gorgeous (I love that the the beauty of the leaves is important to Joseph Wesley. Of course, the true test of a tea is in the flavor, but, when someone takes as much care as this company has in selecting the highest quality, artistically crafted tea leaves, it turns the cup of tea into a true artistic experience – as it should be!) and the aroma of the brewed tea is rich and rewarding.

Chocolate-y notes with caramel-y undertones. Notes of malt. That freshly baked bread kind of taste. Hints of fresh plum and flower in the distance.

A delightful first-thing-in-the-morning tea … but also perfect for any time of the day. I just love this tea! Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/12/07/3-classic-chinese-black-tea-joseph-wesley-black-tea/

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Sorry for the late response to your nice review. Thanks again for taking time to taste and to review.

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96

Backlog:

I am simply in awe of this company. The black teas they offer are so good. And they not only taste good, but the leaves are absolutely gorgeous. These are artistically crafted teas using nothing but the camellia sinensis leaf. No extra ingredients to make the tea look pretty. It looks good on its own.

This tea is a bit more astringent than the previously reviewed Bai Lin Congfu Black from this company. It has a nice malty tone. Sweet with a very enjoyable “bake-y” sort of taste and that ‘chewy’ sort of texture. Whispers of smoke in the distance.

Bold and strong. Caramel-y and somewhat earthy.

Another MUST TRY from this company. Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/11/25/4-dian-hong-congfu-black-tea-joseph-wesley-black-tea/

Nicole

I soooo want to order from them. Soon.

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Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec

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99

Backlog:

I have tried three different teas from Joseph Wesley Black Tea and I loved all three. (The other reviews will be posted soon! Yeah, I’m still behind.) It would be hard for me to choose a favorite from the three that I tried. I could curl up in a cup of any one of them and be a happy tea sipper.

I love this company. They celebrate the beauty of tea. The artistry of it. Tea is something that should be celebrated … and I like that Joseph Wesley embraces that.

A beautiful dry leaf. Dark brown with lots of golden tips. The aroma is earthy.

The flavor is remarkably smooth and rich. Imagine warm, silky caramel. Yeah … that’s what I taste here. Luxurious and decadent. Indulgent! In my full-length review of this tea (see it here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/11/16/no-6-bai-lin-congfu-black-tea-from-joseph-wesley-black-tea/ ) I compare tasting this tea to licking the batter from a beater after mixing up a chocolate cake: you know you shouldn’t be so indulgent but you can’t resist. This tea … tastes like that. Indulgent … but what makes this better than the chocolate cake batter is that it’s guilt free!

A must try.

__Morgana__

Shopping list!

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Thanks again for the nice review. We’re headed back to China in April to find a couple more black teas to add to the collection and look forward to reading your response. Cheers, Joe

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95

I drank the last of my sample today. For some reason I thought I’d had all of it but apparently not?! Anyhow, it lost some of its character over time. I guess it doesn’t age as well as Scotch heh (see previous review).
Oh well, I expected that! Sipdown achieved. And it was still quite a delish cuppa

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95

Well. Ahem. Uhh. It seems I’m feeling shy all of a sudden. Like a lanky teen with a crush on the sophisticated exchange student in class and a wardrobe to match the Queen’s.
I swear. This tea is just phenomenal. So layered and complex I don’t even know where to begin. I fear that I’ll just end up stuttering and asking for it’s autograph instead… so I’ll just throw out some basic descriptors, for now: cigars. boys club. smoke. malt. very mild astringency. lingering menthol effect long after the sip. Smooth like silk covering patchy terrain. Oh and let’s not forget the intoxicating aroma. and how I feel as if I’ve just consumed a tumbler of 50 yr old scotch!

Thank you so very much for the sample Joseph Wesley. You are incredibly generous and I could not be more grateful!
Folks, this here is a company who knows how to deliver impeccable customer service and has a superb product that I would recommend to anyone. Bravo!

TheTeaFairy

Wow! Just wow!

Indigobloom

TeaFairy, I really am humbled by this one!!

Fjellrev

Nice! I love Assam so I’m definitely going to make a note of this one.

keychange

Oh god, this note reminded me how I felt after first tasting RVC by Butiki, and the queen by h and s. I know that feeling so well, and am so glad you found it also.

Indigobloom

Fjellrev, it’s a really rich one. Do you prefer the more delicate flowery type, or the bold?

Indigobloom

Keychange, haha I thought of you when I was writing!! as my cup cooled, it did remind me of The Queen, quite a bit :)
-even moreso when I had my second cup of this with a dash of milk and honey.

Fjellrev

I like both, but especially the latter. :)

Indigobloom

Same here. It’s like my tea home!! :P

Joseph Wesley Black Tea

I am sorry that it has taken me this long to reply to your nice review. It’s a thrill to have you experience this tea similarly to me. It’s also interesting that you analogized yourself as the lanky teen in your review for that same phenomenon perfectly describes the feelings I had over the last year as I introduced these teas for the first time.

Indigobloom

Joseph Wesley- No need to apologize! You were so kind to send me the tea in the first place :)
I’m glad we had similar experiences, and that I’m not the only one! One day I’ll place an order and try all your other teas, which I am positive produce a similar euphoria :)

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