93

I’ve had this tea for a few days after ordering it from Teavivre. This was my first order from them and I was greatly pleased with the quality and service, will definitely be ordering more soon.

First of all, I fell in love with packaging/presentation the teas come in. Detailed info on origin of tea, harvest date, brew instructions was a huge plus.

When I opened the bag the tea came in, I was instantly hit with a deliciously strong spicy aroma. It is a combination of chocolate, cinnamon, and other spices, hard to accurately describe, but all I can say it is one of the best aromas I’ve smelled on a black tea.

The dry leaf of this tea is perhaps one of the most attractive out there, thin curly needles covered in fine golden hairs with a dark skin.

I brewed this tea following the instructions on the back of the foil bag but I also experimented a lot with this tea. 185F water and 1-2 min steep time is what Teavivre recommends.

This tea brews a nice dark amber colored cup with a faint spicy aroma. Taste-wise, it was slightly sweet, smooth, light bodied, a bit malty, and with a delicious mix of cocoa and peppery notes, maybe a little cinnamon too. I re-brewed this tea many times, up to around 5-6 infusions and all of them were delicious.

The wet leaf was brownish-yellow and very aromatic, spicy and woodsy.

While not as strong as other blacks, this tea is personally one of my favorites, as it is delicious by itself if brewed correctly. I experimented with some higher water temperatures and I got a stronger flavored cup but with a noticeable astringent finish, great with a touch of milk if brewed this way. Overall, This tea is definitely a permanent specimen in my tea collection.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 1 min, 45 sec

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Profile

Bio

SoCal native and Tea addict.

Looking to try every single type of tea the world has to offer.

I’m not too fond of flavored tea or blends, but every now and then, there will be one that I like.

I enjoy all types of tea, but my absolute favorites are Japanese Greens and Oolongs.

I am much more familiar with Chinese and Japanese teas. I’m looking to get in to Korean tea next and then Indian/Ceylons. Herbals are good too, but I don’t pay much attention to them (except rooibos).

Ti Kuan Yin (or Tie Guan Yi, whichever you prefer) Is one of my favorite teas. I’m trying to taste many offerings from different vendors to find the absolute best batch I can find.

My “Tea-Dream” is to one day make a cultural-tea trip to China, Taiwan, and Japan.

Ratings Guide

0 – 19 = Bad.
20 – 49 = Meh.
50 – 59 = It’s Ok.
60 – 69 = I like it, but…
70 – 79 = Good.
80 – 89 = Very Good.
90 – 100 = Amazing.

Location

Los Angeles, CA

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