The Chinese Tea Company

A smooth, malty and fruity tea, good hot and cold, with no astringency. A real revelation, like a combination of Dian Hong with more complex Chinese red teas, a tea that makes you sit up and take notice. Like eating a really rich, sweet, juicy plum with honey on the side. A delight.

If you are wondering what this is, it is pure Osmanthus flowers. Golden tiny flowers that produce a greenish-golden brew, with a sweet, floral flavour. Zero caffeine, and no sweetener needed.
I wasn’t in the mood for this, so after two or three steeps I dumped the cup. Will give it another go when I’ve got more time on my hands.

This is the first tea I am sampling from the amazing box of black, oolong, puerh, etc that I got in my swap with Nofar.

I love Dian Hong teas. They are so rich & buttery, & this one is right on the mark. It bears a very strong resemblance to our beloved Golden Fleece, with nice thick leaves in shades of gold, olive, & caramel. The flavor is rich, from the rinse water all the way through the final steeping. Gentle, sweet, thick. What does Amber taste like? Sunlight? For awhile I get a sense of Bee Pollen. I love teas like this. The flavor of mushrooms sauteed in Mirin. The flavor of honeysuckle in a later steeping. And I keep steeping. This is what I needed.

Had a lovely cup of this, this afternoon. This is a wonderful Dian Hong, silky sweet, rich, with no astringency and notes of chocolate, sugar and honey. I love the little shop it came from in Portobello and I can’t recommend it enough.

After a few days of quiet, I was woken at 6AM on a Saturday by the rocket warning sirens. They were loud and went on for a good five minutes. Dogs started barking like crazy as people left their apartments in their pyjamas and huddled for shelter in the stairwell. Not the best way to start the weekend.

Had a delightful, bright, golden cup of this this morning. I wish that I had more time with it, much more time, for many lazy, golden steepings. This is a thick, silky, malt/caramel/cane sugar/honey of a tea, that really begs you to let go of the daily humdrum of your life and enjoy a good book in a sunny garden chair. Fantastic!

Another cup of this as a pick me up before I have to go to work (again) this night. A much needed comfort cup.

The Chinese Tea Company is a small store in London, Portobello – a heartwarming little treasure nestled in a forgotten arcade, at the less fashionable side of the market. It is worth the visit, if you’re ever in the area. I have yet to order from them online, but once my teas run out, I probably will.

This tea smells richly chocolate-like when dry, and tastes practically like a Verdant Tea Laoshan Black double, and I do not say that lightly. The leaves are long and twisted, mostly golden with shades of black and quite fuzzy. There’s no astringency to this tea, but it does have a long, sweet lingering aftertaste. Fantastic!