2009 Wuyi Medium-Roasted Da Hong Pao Rock Tea

Wow! This is a wonderful Da Hong Pao! I bought/tried this one at the same time as Harney and Sons version. Well, when I opened the aluminum package for H&S the fragrance was mild but The JK Tea Shop’s version: the fragrance was overpowering! This Da Hong Pao has subtle toasty flavors, like a smoky caramel. The H&S pales in comparison- perhaps it is not as fresh. This tea is shipped directly from China so perhaps this is the difference…

This delicious tea has got depths and nuances of flavor and I am reminded of the late, lamented teas from The Simple Leaf. The leaves are very large and long and they brew up to a toasty, nutty taste that evokes strains of chestnut and chocolate.

My second sample from JK Tea Shop!

This one smells fabulous, all toasty and rich, but I have yet to make the taste live up to that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice tea, but it smells like it could be so much better! The first time I definitely used too little leaf — I was expecting it to unroll the way ball oolong does, but the twisty leaves here didn’t expand as dramatically. (They’re lovely, though! Again, sorry for the lack of photos this time.) For my second tasting I used a lot more and got a much bolder taste, but still not quite what I was expecting from the scent. Next time I think I’ll try a longer steeping time. Fortunately this “sampler” is quite generous and I have a lot of tea to experiment with!

My previous experience with loose leaf Wulong teas has been limited to Tie Guan Yin and Taiwan teas, but after reading about Da Hong Pao teas I was very curious to try them. Thus JK Tea shop’s free sample was a very nice treat.

I have to say I am now a big Da Hong Pao fan! I followed JK Tea shops brewing instructions, but unfortunately I had to use a glass pot since my Yixing pot broke :(

The dry leaves have a sweet, slightly smoky fragrance that for some strange reason reminds me of brown sugar. Strange, I know…

I steeped the first batch of tea for 25 seconds. The tea came out looking clear, bright and golden-orange. The scent that I originally got from the dry leaves was even stronger coming from the tea itself. It had a sweet, candy-caramel like taste as it first hit my mouth with a veeeerrry slight bitter note at the end.

For the second batch, I steeped it for around 30 seconds and there was less of a sugary fragrance and a little more smoke. The sweet taste became more pronounced and was a good combination with the hint of smoke.

I could smell more of the floral fragrance with the third steep, (around 40 seconds) and a little less of the sweet fragrance. The taste was a little more floral and less sweet.

The succeeding steeps had progressively lighter tastes and fragrances.

Overall, one of the best Wulong teas I’ve had so far, and a nice way to get introduced to Da Hong Pao tea!

I love this tea for the big fresh cocoa powder and dark chocolate bark alkalinity that the dry leaf aroma opens with, which then transitions into an herbal, spicy, complex earth tone. First steeps grab onto this and pour on sweetened, aged, cooked, and dried peaches, pears, and golden plums. I wish that it held out a little longer, but compared to many oolongs, it’s very robust. The levels of roast and oxidation on this tea are well balanced to produce a tea that has great fruit character, but adds darker, caramelized and spice-laden complexity for holding the drinker’s attention.

Just because my oolong samples from Life In Teacup have now all been enjoyed does not mean I lack for other oolong samples.

I am pretty sure that the one I have from JK Tea is this one. The sample packet (never opened until today) says 2009 Spring Da Hong Pao Ban Yan. I know I’ve had Da Hong Pao before but it has been a while. JK Tea was very kind and included this sample when they sent me the purple chrysanthemum tea they gave away a while ago, and which, unfortunately, did not mix well with me.

I’ve steeped in accordance with the directions on this page, which means hotter water than I typically use for oolongs (over 209F, it says here). There’s a lot in this sample so I have enough to try it at a lower temp later. Going for my usual 15 seconds + 5 seconds in subsequent steeps in the gaiwan.

1. Tea is golden yellow. Smells a little roasty, but there’s no pungent note like some dark oolongs have (and that reminds me of darjeeling). It’s surprisingly sweet smelling and the taste is mild, sweet and not particularly toasty. The empty cup smells like caramel. :-)

2. Dark gold. There’s a note in the aroma that is like toasted rice? Otherwise, the floral notes are coming out this time. Taste is again, not toasty. A little perkier and less sweet, but still very smooth with no bitterness.

3. Dark gold again and a light floral aroma. Continues to be medium sweet and smooth, with a floral taste, and a lovely sugary note that lingers in the cup and in the aftertaste.

4. Lighter golden in color. Honey note in aroma! It makes me think of bees and pollen. :-) Some of the toastiness is coming out in the flavor this steep, but the tea is still very smooth and sweet.

5. Similar color to 4, aroma is less sweet. Flavor has begun to fade but still has a nice, floral smoothness.

I enjoyed this!

The only reason I’m not rating this higher is that there is a sort of a funky note to the tea, a weird sort of plastic-y note, which fortunately isn’t always present and isn’t strong with this tea. I recall having a similar issue with the purple chrysanthemum, though there it was much more pronounced. I’m wondering whether it has something to do with the plastic bags used for the samples? It will be interesting to try this at a lower temperature and see what difference that makes.