Yunnanese blacks might be a late addition to the black tea family (early 20th century). Still, they are, in my opinion, can rarely be matched in terms of aromas, flavours, and the overall experience. This Dian Hong Cha goes beyond all this greatness. I will tell you why.
First of all, it comes from ancient trees of 400 + years old, and there is a limited quantity of it. Secondly, it has a unique taste which only can be explained by the wild and ancient tea trees it comes from. It is the taste of wilderness, and it sticks around quite a bit. Thirdly, it can be aged, and if it is done correctly, its flavours will enhance over time. Fourthly, it offers so many complex characters that I do not think I have had from any other black tea. I got smokiness, woodiness with chocolate, caramel, malt, muscatel and fruity notes. It was delicately sweet, but its sweetness definitely was not the dominant note, unlike many other Dian Hong Cha.
Overall, this was an impressive black tea from Wild Tea Qi that I consider myself lucky having tasted it.
Tea Profile:
Type: Black
Origin: Yunnan
Harvest time: Spring 2019
Leaf colour: Shades of dark brown with some golden tips
Liquor colour: Dark amber
Tea aroma: Smoky and woody
Tea taste: Delicately sweet and thick with multilayered complex notes (fruit, malt, smoke, wood, muscatel, chocolate, caramel)
Steeping/brewing: Place 6 gr of black tea in 100 °C water steep for about 10 sec. (after rinsing) and add additional time to each steeping. Adjust to your taste.
Shelf life: Can be aged if appropriate storage is available.