It is too late now for anyhting caffeinated, so this seems like a good option. I just received a box of samples from derk, so I am excited to try them out, this will be the first one of them.
The first thing I notice is how pretty these look. Obviously, they are not leaves, so the look is always going to be unusual, but very few flower buds are this cute I reckon.
The smell is mostly what I would expect from Chrysantemum, although a little more citrusy and vegetal than the properly grown flower scent I am used to. It also doesn’t really have any of the thick pollen smell. I get reminded of my grandma’s house :)
I really like the mouthfeel of this tea. It is farily thick and at the same time somehow feels as if the tea just disappeared in my mouth – so light. In terms of taste, there is surprisingly a lot of balance. It is sweet, sour, a little medicinal and herbal (reminds me of Almdudler/Rivella and cough sirup). The particular notes I get are not so pronounced, apart from the obvious flowery taste, I also found this leafy taste that derk identified as curry leaf. I am a bit ashamed to admit it, being passionate about cooking and into curries, but I actually never came accross curry leaves. To me, that note is reminiscent of fenugreek leaves.
Another satisfying aspect of the tea is the long cooling and sticky aftertaste. It is sweet and peppery overall and doesn’t seem to change a whole lot initially. Quite a bit later on however, once the pungent sweetness disappears, I get a strong floral sensation coupled with the spicy feeling in the throat that still persists some 10 minutes after drinking. I wonder how many infusions I can get out of this. It has been mentioned that it lasts long, but I need to go to bed soon. Maybe I will cold brew it overnight, or just leave it for a morning continuation of the session.
As far as tisanes go, these Chrysanthemum buds are absolutely awesome, I will be looking to get more. I also have to thank derk for sending me this (among all the other lovely teas), because it is surely a hit!
Flavors: Black Pepper, Citrus, Flowers, Herbs, Medicinal, Pepper, Plants, Sour, Sweet
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Every time I drink this, I think about South Indian food.
What a tempting review. I want, I want, I want. I have been looking on tisanes offered by YS for a while, including this tea. They are not particularly numerous but all of their herbs/flowers in their tea blends tasted very fresh and robust. So, I guess I know what my next order from Yunnan Sourcing will largely consist of.
I recommend brewing them in a glass vessel or chahai to appreciate the beauty of these golden flowers as they’re suspended in their own soup. Quite stunning to watch as one drinks. This one definitely passes TeaDB’s “mom test”.
I can see where one might get curry leaves from the nutty notes in the tea. It’s definitely nothing like conventional Chinese chrysanthemum tea.
Every time I drink this, I think about South Indian food.
What a tempting review. I want, I want, I want. I have been looking on tisanes offered by YS for a while, including this tea. They are not particularly numerous but all of their herbs/flowers in their tea blends tasted very fresh and robust. So, I guess I know what my next order from Yunnan Sourcing will largely consist of.
I recommend brewing them in a glass vessel or chahai to appreciate the beauty of these golden flowers as they’re suspended in their own soup. Quite stunning to watch as one drinks. This one definitely passes TeaDB’s “mom test”.
I can see where one might get curry leaves from the nutty notes in the tea. It’s definitely nothing like conventional Chinese chrysanthemum tea.