Continuing the posting of reviews from this week’s black tea kick, we arrive at the second black tea sample I finished over the course of the last few days. I greatly enjoyed the previous Shan Tuyet teas offered by What-Cha and could not resist the urge to just tear through this one. Of the the group, this ended up being my favorite. It was a sweeter, subtler, more delicate black tea compared to the other Shan Tuyet black tea that I tried.
I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in a 4 ounce gaiwan filled with 203 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.
Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves presented aromas of raisin, honey, and prune. After the rinse, I found new aromas of baked bread, citrus, and roasted chestnut. The first infusion then brought out aromas of roasted peanut and candied orange peel. In the mouth, the liquor offered notes of honey, raisin, prune, malt, lemon zest, and roasted chestnut underscored by hints of roasted peanut. Subsequent infusions brought out a stronger citrus presence as well as caramel and sorghum molasses on the nose. Impressions of baked bread and candied orange peel belatedly emerged in the mouth alongside notes of caramel, sorghum molasses, brown toast, pine, cream, butter, fig, cocoa, and minerals. The final infusions offered lingering mineral, lemon zest, pine, and roasted chestnut notes underscored by fleeting impressions of brown toast, fig, and honey.
An interesting black tea with tremendous complexity and depth both on the nose and in the mouth, I am a little surprised that this tea did not received more attention here on Steepster and in other places. In my opinion, these Shan Tuyet teas have really flown under the radar of most tea lovers. They are very much worth investigating. Check this one and/or any of the other Shan Tuyet teas on the market out if you get the opportunity.
Flavors: Bread, Brown Toast, Butter, Caramel, Chestnut, Cocoa, Cream, Dried Fruit, Fig, Honey, Lemon Zest, Malt, Mineral, Molasses, Orange, Peanut, Pine, Raisins
