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A delicious, archetypal Yunnanese black tea. The essence of autumn (in terms of flavor; this is a spring picked tea). Really nice spice and fruit notes, like homemade apple cider. Dark chocolate notes in later infusions. Really interesting sweet almond note comes in around the third infusion. Winey / fermented fruit and horsehair notes at the beginning – classic Yunnan. Slight mineral / baking soda flavor, not the most pleasant but is offset by all the other wonderful characteristics of the tea – great mouthfeel, delicious fragrance and flavor. Would definitely buy again.

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Top notes of bitter, charred potato skins, mid notes of incense, pine needles, and cedar, and an interesting faint finish of dried unsweetened mangos. Medium-thin mouthfeel, overly-burnt flavor, incredibly long-lasting an surprisingly complex and enjoyable finish. I was disappointed by the flavor of this tea – it seems like it was re-roasted too many times over the years, or too intensely, but the finish is great. Would not buy again, but an interesting tea to try once. Wuyi varietal characteristics come out in the later infusions – I would guess that it was made with Fo Shou or Shui Xian, but the info on Song Tea’s website does not say. While their website recommends not rinsing the tea, the charcoal note was incredibly heavy in the first infusions even after rinsing – I cannot imagine how burnt it would taste without a rinse.

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10/10 would recommend. This is a pricey tea but very worth it. Very clear notes of wildflower honey, floral nectar, and cantaloupe. A delicate, floral flavor (hits all of the high notes), yet a ridiculously creamy, smooth mouthfeel and an immediate 回甘 (sweet finish) that just doesn’t end. Do yourself a favor and try it.

NOTE: Just going off the dry scent in my warmed gaiwan, I found that the charcoal roast was a bit heavy for my liking, so I rinsed the tea. Normally I don’t do this for Phoenix oolongs (to make sure I don’t waste any fragrance since that’s the area in which these teas excel), but I would say that this tea actually benefited from the rinse – if nothing else, the flavor was certainly not diminished by doing so.

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Not my go-to tea (I prefer completely pure, unflavored teas), but stuffing Xinhui mandarins with pu’er tea and allowing the combination to age is a traditional practice and results in a very comforting tea. The shu pu’er picks up a very interesting citrus / menthol / medicinal note from the aged mandarin peel which actually offsets and compliments the chocolatey richness of the base tea quite nicely (to be expected I guess). A very comforting, smooth, and mellow brew.

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Another awesome value from Bitterleaf ($0.10/g). Very, very floral (as an Yiwu should be), with a really aromatic 回甘 (sweet finish) that is quite persistent and develops nicely. Slight mineral astringency but no bitterness overall. Very smooth for such a young tea.

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A really nice example of 陳韻 (“aged appeal”, or the smooth, mellow texture that is created as a result of aging) in pu’er. Not a particularly sweet pu’er, but absolutely no bitterness and incredibly smooth. The flavor is like dried Chinese dates and molasses. A subtle aged Bai Mu Dan flavor (like dried lavender stems) is revealed in the finish. Very subtle but lingering 回甘 (sweet finish). A relatively pricey tea, but very pleasant to drink – smooth, understated, and very comforting.

For a key to my rating scale, check out my bio.

For a key to my rating scale, check out my bio.

Incredibly aromatic / floral but not sweet at all, this is a very interesting Ya Shi Xiang, or as Red Blossom calls it, “Persimmon Blossom Fragrance”. The dry fruit sweetness typical of Phoenix oolongs is replaced with nutty / cereal grain notes.

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Amazing value ($0.10/g) and surprising complexity. Because it’s made with the 黄片 or older leaves of the tea plant, it’s less punchy with more sweetness and viscosity. Overall very sweet and aromatic but with some notes of moss, cedar, oak, menthol, etc. to keep things interesting. Highly recommend.

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This season’s harvest is sublime! Incredibly creamy, with a nice balance of sweet and smoky tones. Complex and interesting, but most importantly delicious. If I had to describe this tea in one word, it would be “yummy”.