It’s a good tea. I made it in my gaiwan as god intended. I’ve had a few different da hong paos at this point, and this is definitely the best one. Still, I don’t really think da hong pao has my favorite type of flavor profile. The roasted barley flavor is a bit too much for me. More natural sweetness would balance this out a bit, but I don’t really detect it as others do. I know this is a good one, but I think I’m done trying to like da hong pao. I have a few remaining samples of it that I’ll try, but after that… I don’t dislike it. I just don’t really need it in my life.
Edit: You know, as I drink more infusions of this, I realize that it’s not the barley I dislike, but the oak. I don’t care for oak in my wine or tea, as it turns out. I think that’s what I don’t really like about da hong pao, so if I could find one with no oakiness…
