29 Tasting Notes
Keemun or Qimen is one of China’s most famous teas. Anhui, apart from that more of a green tea area, provides a very light red tea (black tea) with a caramel-golden cup. It has intense almond and cream flavours which remind me of Silver Needle. It’s completed with subtle orange sweetness. If you’re used to strong black teas, like Indian ones, this is a very different experience here.
I cannot quite decide what to rate it. Will have to come back to that.
Flavors: Almond, Cream, Orange
Preparation
I was amazed by the sweetness of this low oxidized Oolong from Anxi. The eponymous big leaves give a deep yellow brew with rose aroma and a very smooth feeling. It tastes like sweet braided bread, butter and almonds. The tea has no bitterness at all.
Flavors: Almond, Bread, Butter, Rose, Sweet
Preparation
Gao Cong Shui Xian is a type of Da Hong Pao dark Oolong from the Wuyi mountains. As its name translates into “old fir”, it has a woody, ethereal aroma paired with a hint of nutmeg and the typical Da Hong Pao smokey note. Also there’s ripe pear sweetness and a lingering aftertaste of Indian spices.
Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Nutmeg, Pear, Smoke, Spices, Wood
Preparation
Sunrouge is a special hybrid green tea from Kagoshima, Japan with charcoal black leaves which turn light green and blue-ish after steeping. The taste reminds me of a low-dosed Gyokuro, paired with blueberry and a prominent herbal bitterness in the second brew. The liquid looks magically green and red at the same time.
Flavors: Bitter, Blueberry, Green, Herbs
Preparation
Quite colourful brew already despite being so young. It works like a young Sheng should work. First there’s astringency, in this one it came with a hint of cumin and dried apple. Later infusions then reveal light sweetness, which gets accentuated by the earlier dry mouthfeel. It’s not a very pricy tea and also not very much, so I won’t be storing it long-time.
Flavors: Apple, Astringent, Dried Fruit, Drying, Spicy, Sweet
Preparation
This organic Chinese Oriental Beauty is a great everyday dark Oolong. The young small leaves taste like forest honey, orange peel, clove and give a hint of bread. Very sweet and satisfying. Not all too many infusions are possible with this kind of tea, due to its needle rolling shape.
Flavors: Bread, Clove, Honey, Orange Zest, Sweet
Preparation
I heard a lot about this tea’s super fancy and almost mythological background story before first drinking it.
I was not disappointed! The dark honey coloured brew has complex aromas of dry tobacco, some spices and forest wood. The roasted taste makes me hungry for roasted almonds and other sweets. However, it has a very strong, noble appearance, feels a bit like when drinking Whisky.
Flavors: Spices, Tobacco, Wood