This is the 2021 harvest I think, and it appears I had it once before but didn’t leave a note. I had no memory of what it tasted like but chose it for breakfast.
I really thought a sun-dried black would be hearty but I was wrong. This was not a bad tea by any means, but it was definitely not the flavor profile I was looking for on the first cold morning of autumn. (Cold for us was high 40s but it is the first time it has gone that low this season.) I really wanted a hearty, chocolate-y profile more along the lines of a Keemun, so it is totally my bad for not realizing what the profile of this tea would be.
So what it is, now that I have talked about what it isn’t…it is bright, thin-bodied, and steeps up light Western style. Resteeps okay. Mostly high notes and very little bass. This is probably best for gong fu.
Since Ashman doesn’t love Keemun and other hearty, chewy black teas as I do unless he has milk and sugar in it, this was very pleasing to him even if it left me feeling a little let down.
edited to add: Looking at the company description that I just copied to add here, I agree that this feels more along the lines of an aged sheng with its high and fruity notes.
