This tea sounded so exciting! A black tea made out of ancient tea trees of Yunnan province. A rare found indeed. It had smoky, woody and malt aroma and taste. These are all characteristics that I’d look for in a good quality black tea. Moreover, this tea made me feel that I’m drinking pu-erh tea. While it is true that this tea was made out of pu-erh material, the previous Dian hong teas (a general name for a black tea from Yunnan) did not give me that sensation as much as this tea did.
With a slightly astringent finish, this tea almost felt like I was drinking a young sheng pu-erh, a good one. There were excitement and unsettlement in the taste, and the lid of the gaiwan carried one of the most delicate floral notes I have ever smelled and for a black tea, believe me, that is not very common.
My guess is that this tea was left for oxidation under the sun, and it helped the tea to gain a wild character. This tea is from this year, and it still has some wildness and freshness in its energy. I think this tea would become excellent over the years. Yes, this type of black tea can be aged.
Tea profile:
Type: Black
Origin: Yunnan Harvest time: 2020
Leaf colour: Dark brown with reddish edges Liquor colour: Yellow (turned darker in subsequent steepings)
Tea Aroma: Smoky and woody (tea); floral (lid of the gaiwan)
Tea Taste: Thick with smoky, woody and maly flavours and a slightly astringent finish
Steeping: Place 6-8 g of this tea in a gaiwan or teapot and add hot water around 90°C. After rinsing the leaves, you can steep for 10 seconds and add 10 second to each consecutive steeping. You can multi-steep this tea about 7 or 8 times.
Shelf life: Can be aged