I received a sample of this when I was in the other day. We were chatting about teas and I mentioned my dislike for Laoshan Black, and he suggested this one as, I think, being similar but different. Maybe.
The colour is a dark ochre. It’s lighter in flavour, but it still has that weird burnt flavour. In this case it’s like toasted walnut skins – astringent and weirdly nutty. I think my mom would call it “earthy”. If you like walnuts (or, uhh, just the skins!), I can see this being a good flavour.
It’s too astringent for me, although it’s a different astringency than what I’m used to. It’s not one where my first though is to add milk, where I do if I over steep my breakfast teas and they end up on the astringent side.
After adding some soy creamer, still no. Maybe with real milk, but I don’t tend to consume much milk that’s not fermented.
I have enough to try a smaller cup, and I think I’ll steep it for only 2 minutes next time.
Time to move on to the tea that keeps on giving – steep 5 of the Earl of Anxi.
Edit: Do you like my cell phone picture, taken under shoddy fluorescent lights? :)
