Gong Fu Black

The tea is very good, leaving a lasting impression on the palate. Very similar to Bai Lin Gong Fu from Teavivre, only less chocolate notes. Nevertheless they are very comparable. If given a choice I would probably decide on Bai lin, but luckily I do not have to choose. The tea is excellent for daily drinking, particularly in the morning, very energizing, and good for many steeps.

This tea is perfect. I was looking for cocoa notes in reviews and managed to scrounge up a few reviews elsewhere that made me try this one. Oh, I am so happy. I kept envisioning a big ol’ Hershey’s bar on the first steep. Second steep, not so much. On the second steep it was beautifully tanned and smooth cowhide leather and tobacco leaves. I am super duper impressed with this tea shop. I love this so much that I want to buy a pound of it and then hoard it, measuring it out on as a reward to myself. I have to fight that hoard urge, probably not the best for tea.

Chinese gong fu teas are known for being finely-crafted and have always been a personal favorite. My expectations for Zhi’s version of this tea, ‘Gong Fu Black’, were heightened after reading some strong reviews on steepster. Time to rip open a sample and test!

The dry leaf has a dusty-woodsy scent with a hint of cocoa. The cocoa-hint disappears in the wet leaf, but reappears in the liquor scent. The creamy-cocoa aroma arising from the liquor is quite inviting. Sipping this tea is just as the liquor scent predicts; a creamy black brew with strong cocoa hints. It’s rich, yet very smooth. After swallowing, the cocoa-notes sit politely in the back of the mouth leaving a satisfying overall sip. Enjoyable! If I can find any fault with this tea is that I sense a very miniscule amount of bitterness at the end of the sip. Most drinkers probably won’t even notice, and despite being present, it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. But, that’s me nitpicking at an otherwise fine tea.

While Zhi’s Gong Fu Black is not the best gong fu tea I’ve ever tasted, it’s very good gong fu nonetheless.

The BEST!

Here’s Hoping TTB

This was the last tea I sampled before mailing the box on to skysamurai and it was a great way to end my tasting adventure! This is a smooth yet robust Chinese black tea with rich cocoa notes and a hint of lingering caramel sweetness. My sample re-steeped beautifully and I’m sad there was only enough left for one cup. Adding it to my wish list!

I had ordered another tea from Zhi Tea for a book club of mine and saw that this tea had a great rating so decided to pick up a sample.

I can see why this has such a good rating. It is a smooth, balanced black tea with yummy malty notes. Very drinkable and tasty. It is a very solid black tea that would be a superb choice for an everyday drinker.

This tea is incredibly smooth with no astringency. I love the chocolate flavors and to me it’s also somewhat earthy – it’s delicious and it’s the perfect morning cup.

i like this tea, very useful for me

Not sure if this is black tea or black little pieces of heaven. This tea was absolutely incredible.

I wish I could piece together how I felt about it, but basically it was very very good. The air in the room once you ge the leaves wet is amazing. The tea taste is very sweet but also a bit refreshingly bitter. I wish I knew the full name of this tea or if it will be the same next year. Its superb.

Ps- Best results were with boiling water

I literally made this account to review this tea. if you have not tried it yet plllllease do. It’s probably the best oolong on the market. They have a website. Not sure if I’m aloud to say it tho.