Ye Sheng Hong Cha (Yunnan Wild Black Tea)

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Cinnamon, Creamy, Earth, Grapes, Wood
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Shawn Silva
Average preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 15 sec 3 g 8 oz / 230 ml

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12 Tasting Notes View all

  • “A very good tea from Norbu here, I am definitely getting the evergreen aroma in the dry leaves. I steeped about 5 grams in my 18 oz. teapot and at first I thought that was too much but it seems to...” Read full tasting note
    93
  • “Wonderful as usual, just be careful not to overgrew it or overleaf it. My second brewing came out on the bitter side because of that.” Read full tasting note
    98
  • “This wild black tea is quite different but in a similar way. It has all the characteristics such as a malty and woody flavor of a good black tea, yet there is something quite different. When I...” Read full tasting note
    81
  • “I almost forgot I had this tea – it’s delicate and lovely, light and pale, a little sweet and a little tangy. I think the taste is overall very mellow. If you like pungent teas, this might not be...” Read full tasting note
    92

From Norbu Tea

Overview:
This black tea was produced entirely from one of Yunnan’s wild growing Ye Sheng (wild) varietal tea plants from Longchuan County in the Western part of Dehong Prefecture. These Ye Sheng varietals are distinct from the Camellia varietals traditionally used in the production of orthodox teas both botanically and from a flavor/aroma perspective. The tea factories of the region (most notably Xiaguan) use Ye Sheng varietals in some of their productions, and the ethnic groups in the Yunnan/Myanmar border region have been using these varietals to make tea for centuries.

Appearance, Flavor and Aroma:
This black tea has a distinctive appearance with its mix of long, twisted black leaves, brownish-purple buds and the occasional greenish brown young leaf mixed in. The aroma of the dry leaves is difficult to describe, but I get a mix of floral sweetness, some of the evergreen aroma I associate with other Ye Sheng tea (like our Ya Bao, which is produced from a similar varietal) and a bit of something like camphor (but not quite). When infused, this tea produces an aromatic, crystal clear, reddish-amber infusion. The flavor incorporates the floral sweet and “evergreen” elements from the aroma with more classic, malty, “black tea” type flavors into a complex, moderately mouth-coating infusion that leaves a lovely, lingering floral aftertaste in the mouth.

About Norbu Tea View company

Company description not available.

12 Tasting Notes

93
2816 tasting notes

A very good tea from Norbu here, I am definitely getting the evergreen aroma in the dry leaves. I steeped about 5 grams in my 18 oz. teapot and at first I thought that was too much but it seems to be enough now that I’m sipping on the cup.

My tea color is a medium brownish-red and smells quite aromatic. There’s some definite flavor notes you would expect, like notes of malt and chocolate. What’s unusual is the sweeter, floral like finish that seems more darjeeling-esque in nature. It definitely leaves a nice floral taste in your mouth. I am quite liking it! It’s man easy one to sip on plain as well. No bitterness or astringency.

Norbu certainly picks some interesting teas… I hope some other people check them out!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Charles Thomas Draper

I am checking out Norbu now. Any suggestions other than this tea?

TeaBrat

Yes – I also liked the Huang guan yin oolong, the Feng quing gold tips and the Jin xuan xiao zhong (both black teas). I have several I bought which I haven’t tried yet. :)

Charles Thomas Draper

Thank you. You know I respect your taste….

razzzori

I didn’t notice it at first, but yes, it does have a very Darjeeling like quality about it. Thanks for sharing!

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98
423 tasting notes

Wonderful as usual, just be careful not to overgrew it or overleaf it. My second brewing came out on the bitter side because of that.

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81
16 tasting notes

This wild black tea is quite different but in a similar way. It has all the characteristics such as a malty and woody flavor of a good black tea, yet there is something quite different.
When I took my first sip I noticed there was a kick of something I rarely taste in black tea. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it was a good surprise. If you are looking for something different then give this a try.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 15 sec

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92
49 tasting notes

I almost forgot I had this tea – it’s delicate and lovely, light and pale, a little sweet and a little tangy. I think the taste is overall very mellow. If you like pungent teas, this might not be your cup, but I’m a huge fan.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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3294 tasting notes

There is something about this tea that I absolutely love. It has a wonderfully creamy feel to it, & there is a taste there that I can’t really describe, but thoroughly enjoyed.
Another sample from Sil, Thanks!

Sil

i think this is the one we can’t get anymore… maybe. i get confused

Dexter

http://www.norbutea.com/YeShengHongCha_p/yeshenghongcha.htm
Not sure what year you guys had but spring 2014 is available…. just saying :)

Sil

probably was another tea then…they stopped stocking the one i really really really wanted

Terri HarpLady

This one was spring 2012 :)

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1040 tasting notes

This was my second sample sip down today at work…. I can’t believe I haven’t written anything about this before now. I’ve had it for quite awhile…

Today this was really fruity, grapey, maybe even a little wine ish, light, delicate – not bold enough for me. Nice, pleasant but not something that I need to keep in my cupboard.

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83
306 tasting notes

Interestingly, the leaves have an earthy smell to them that reminds me of ripe Puer tea. After the first infusion, the leaves smell a lot like grapes or wine. The first infusion has a soft, velvety mouthfeel, with a creamy kind of mild sweetness that fades into an earthy taste and hints of cinnamon.

The second infusion is mellower and has more of a classic black tea taste, earthy, woody, dark. The third is more of the same and a touch more tanniny. The first infusion of this tea was really the most complex so far. If it produces any more that are really interesting I’ll update the review, but for now I am going to finish it here so I can relax and enjoy the tea.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Creamy, Earth, Grapes, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 3 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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86
15049 tasting notes

oh dexter… you always spoil me. this is a lovely tea from Norbu and one i greatly enjoyed, though for the life of me, i can’t recall well enough to write a proper note. It was one of the teas that i had yesterday before running off to do my overnight and it was a great start to the evening. But man, it feels like i drank this a billion years ago. I’d be inclined to pick some of this one up again as it really was great.

Terri HarpLady

Is it purple? YS has one by the same name that is purple, & I loves it

Sil

um… i don’t remember? lol

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92
359 tasting notes

This tea seals the deal for me. Thanks to the lovely Dexter3657, I think I will now place my first Norbu order.

It’s a beautiful one, but very hard to describe. I think I’d have to borrow yyz superhuman taste buds to give it a proper review!!

It’s malty, woody and chocolaty. What makes this tea very distinctive IMHO, is a mineral saltiness that coats the mouth, it creates such an unusual mouthfeel.

I’m tempted to say there’s notes of hay but it’s a bit more fragrant than that, reminds of dried flowers, straw and light perfume. Nothing offensive, it just adds another layer of complexity.

I’m at steep #5 gungfu style and it keeps on giving, very potent.

Thank you so much Dexter3657 for allowing me to try such a high quality tea. (Now I highly recommend you start drinking it for yourself, lol!!)

Nicole

that sounds great!

Dexter

I’ve actually been drinking this one, and it’s not my favorite. So happy that you like it though. :))

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301 tasting notes

I am really enjoying this wild black tea from Norbu – smooth, sweet and fruity. Deliciousness in a cup! Beautiful long twisted dry leaf; rich red-brown tea liquor; a very mellow sip. This one is a keeper for me.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 45 sec 3 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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