Golden Yunnan

I was hesitant to try this one because “tobacco” and “honey” aren’t usually taste descriptions that appeal to me. The dry leaf smelled like damp earth, which is probably the tobacco part of it. The tea also tastes like damp earth that is mellowed out by the sweetness from the honey. It seems like a nice tea, but it doesn’t fit my tastes.

This is my second tea from the Steepster Select box.

First impression – I began steeping this tea and within a few seconds the smell of this tea was absolutely amazing. It has a lush honey smell with a sweet fresh cut tobacco undertone.

First sip – Crisp and sweet with absolutely no bitterness. Nice and mild and quite fragrant (in a good way).

It has some of the flavors that I like in a good green tea but with a much sweeter base and a nice deep tobacco flavor. I like this quite well without any sugar or cream. It’s a nice flavor and a great tea. I think this is a new favorite. Highest rating i have given a tea yet.

Edit – This tea gets even sweeter as it cools! Yummmmm!

Wonderful. My first Yunnan and something worth writing about. It feels like I’m drinking what it feels like to sit on a soft, beat up leather couch in front of a fire place with snow falling outside in silence. Yes, I’m serious. Its smooth but it has depth with the tobacco notes and the sweetness at the end. Wow. I haven’t been feeling good lately and this just brought my spirits back up. Man, this is good tea.

I occasionally regret my decision to become a sophisticated loose-leaf tea-drinker, especially when all I want is a nice, bitter cup of tea to stave off weariness. I love a full bodied tea, where the flavors hit your tongue fast and heavy, like one often finds with CTC bagged teas. I’m not always up to the intellectual task of sorting out what tastes like water and what tastes like tea, as I frequently find myself doing with the best of loose-leafs (read: Verdant).

This tea is the best of both worlds – a full, bitter black tea that hits your palate like a battering ram, but with a complicated, almost sweet, tobaccoey finish. Beautiful.

As always with yunnans, I think the dry leaf of this tea is absolutely beautiful. I love the mix of dark and golden slightly curly leaves. After steeping this up, I would agree with others that there is a definite tobacco smell. Luckily, I’ve had tobacco-y teas before and enjoyed them so it didn’t scare me off. I tried it without additions and it was rich with a slightly creamy texture. The flavor was good, but I tend to like my morning teas with a teensy bit of sugar and a splash of milk. The flavors are still shining through after the additions which proves to me that this is a great quality, richly flavored tea. I’m looking forward to at least one more infusion of this one today.

First steep. Tobacco is definitely a massive flavor, look forward to it mellowing with additional steepings. Added more sugar than I normally would after first few sips, made it taste better.

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp / both sample packets
Water: 1000ml at 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, floral, slightly minty
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, lightly bakey
Flavor: sweet, woody, hints of floral. Silky mouthfeel
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: mint, bakey
Liquor: translucent dark orange brown

Really lovely, smooth, flavorful. it’s a bit light so I’d avoid additives.

Resteep:
1000ml at 212°F for 3 minutes
slightly more roast

Rating: 3/4 leaves

Blog http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2014/02/in-pursuit-of-tea-loose-leaf-black-tea.html

Got this blend in my first Steepster box and absolutely loved it. Even let my picky mother try some. After one sip she said she “wanted to buy more immediately.” It’s strong, but not overpowering. The key for me was not oversteeping. Wonderful aroma as well.

Rich and bold without being over powering. The musty tobacco notes are at the forefront but it also has a strong sweetness that I’m not sure I really like simply because it finishes much sweeter than I would like. I wouldn’t buy this tea.

Pretty yummy. Although by now I’ve learned not to read any review that contains the word “mouthfeel”. Puts me off whatever.