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Cameron B. drank Qing Pin Black Tea by Yezi Tea

4374 tasting notes

Another Yezi tea (yes, a black tea at 10:30 PM – I’m living on the edge!). I must say, I find the name quite amusing. I can’t look at it without thinking “Kingpin” and then I imagine this tea at the head of some kind of secret black tea crime organization. Epic. The leaves are rather thin and a mix of chocolate brown with some golden tips. Dry scent is quite hay-like with honey sweetness.

Wow, there is a ton of cocoa in the steeped aroma! I can also smell some caramel and these two notes make an interesting contrast with the savory rye and slight smoky element. Hmm, this tea is definitely more savory than it is sweet. There’s strong and thick rye bread paired with a light smoked meats taste. I think I can taste cocoa here but it’s definitely unsweetened cocoa powder as opposed to chocolate. There’s a very light touch of floral at the end, along with a caramelized sugar richness. Overall, it’s quite good.

Flavors: Burnt Sugar, Cocoa, Floral, Hay, Roasted, Rye, Smoked

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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2 comments

tea-sipper
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One of my favorite tea names. :D

Cameron B.
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Clearly Yezi’s black teas are secretly plotting something…

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tea-sipper
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One of my favorite tea names. :D

Cameron B.
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Clearly Yezi’s black teas are secretly plotting something…

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- July sipdowns: 4
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 107

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing