Yunnan Gold Tips (Limited Edition, Chinese New Year 2014)

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Malt, Sweet, Bread, Chocolate, Cocoa, Molasses, Rye, Sweet Potatoes, Wood, Creamy, Honey, Earth, Floral, Forest Floor, Yams, Hops, Yeasty, Citrus, Fruity, Grain, Stonefruit, Autumn Leaf Pile, Cannabis, Flowers, Leather, Tobacco
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
High
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Lion
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec 3 g 12 oz / 345 ml

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56 Tasting Notes View all

  • “As per JC recommendation I brew 2 heaping tsp in 200 ml glass pot short steeps 5/5/10/15/20 sec none of the steeps are weak. Very chocolaty and malty. Wet leaves smell of honey and tobacco. ...” Read full tasting note
  • “I’ve been a cranky ragebot all week long for various reasons, but as one of those small silly things that can talk you off the ledge last night before bed I reminded myself I’d be able to try this...” Read full tasting note
  • “Last night I did my monthly tea count, re-organized my shelves a bit, etc. I’m starting the month at 362 Teas, which is down from 389 last month, so progress, not perfection, right? My first cup...” Read full tasting note
  • “Oh. Mah. Gawd. Sulu. This is good tea. Smells fantastic, looks nifty. Cute package. Heavily baked bread flavor, sweet, malt, smooth…golden. It was probably a mistake to have an entire pot this late...” Read full tasting note
    97

From Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

Limited Edition of 150

Happy New Year!

We’re galloping into the New Year on a 150 horse-powered infusion of Yunnan Gold Tips. Care to join us? Like a chestnut mare with a brilliant golden mane, this special tea has the might to carry you through good times and bad, and a gentle, unassuming beauty that will stir noble feelings in your breast. We wish the year of the snake a fond farewell, perhaps even a tip of the hat as it slithers away into the bushes. Now it’s time to face the road ahead. Welcome to the year of the horse — saddle up this damn fine steed and ride out to meet it!

We’ve teamed up again with our pals at Aesthetic Apparatus and made 150 tins of one of our favorites, Yunnan Jin Hao Gold Tips tea. This full-bodied black tea from China will remind you of a classic Yunnan — it’s good and strong — but the gold tips add a soft, velvety smoothness. Brew it in boiling hot water for at least five minutes and you’re off to the races. Cross the finish line and re-steep the leaves for another ride.

About Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea View company

Andrews & Dunham knows that nothing beats a perfect cup of tea, and a great tea needs no explanation. We love the romance of tea. We love that tea might just be the healthiest thing you’ll ever drink. But if the tea you’re drinking doesn’t taste fantastic, you’re missing out. Only a few teas meet our mysterious, rigorous standards and we’re proud to offer them to you. We’re always looking for that perfect cup, so you don’t have to.

56 Tasting Notes

493 tasting notes

As per JC recommendation I brew 2 heaping tsp in 200 ml glass pot short steeps 5/5/10/15/20 sec none of the steeps are weak. Very chocolaty and malty. Wet leaves smell of honey and tobacco. There is some rye bread sourness and slight spice comes at the very end. I can’t decide which method I prefer. Both produce very different results.

Preparation
0 min, 15 sec 2 tsp 7 OZ / 200 ML
Tabby

Hah, the art for this tea is cute!

Terri HarpLady

That it is! But I thought the name of the tea was Chinese New Year :)

boychik

i think it would be a splendid name for this tea:=)

Terri HarpLady

That’s actually the name on the label. When I drank it, I was looking under that as the name, but someone had entered it under Yunnan Golden Tips already.

boychik

You are absolutely right Terri. I haven’t even noticed it because its white letters on yellow

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612 tasting notes

I’ve been a cranky ragebot all week long for various reasons, but as one of those small silly things that can talk you off the ledge last night before bed I reminded myself I’d be able to try this today (and thanks boychik, your review today made me even more excited!). I was a tad worried I’d find it too mild and straightforwardly sweet potato like I was just talking about with Golden Monkey, but this is great, a lovely balance of that sweet smoothness tips give with more robust but still smooth malty dark flavor I crave. The cup color tells it; it isn’t that warm orange-gold-brown hue of the sweet potato teas but instead a deeper more burgundy-tinged affair, as I like. And as it cools there’s a lingering aftertaste of dark chocolate, yum—I imagine it comes from the very faintest hint of bitterness I crave giving it a depth of flavor, but the smooth sweetness the tips provide rounding it out. Was prepared to send a lot of this off to my IRL tea buddy or Steepsters who might lean towards the general Yunnan style if I didn’t love this but I do. So there’s a win for the day, woo small triumphs!

ETA this is a resteep champ, yes even Western style. Had a second cup, 5 minutes just like the first, just as good maybe in some ways even better (lighter yes, but sweeter too, and still with enough heft to make it deliciously satisfying). Woo hoo!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
TeaLady441

That sounds awesome! I was totally trying NOT to buy this too, but your review is very persuasive!

Anna

Hehehe. ‘Ragebot’. The Ragebots. <3

boychik

Yay glad you did review it and like it. I get irritated easy myself lately . I blame winter for my mood swings. Good tea is the best remedy.

Dexter

This just went on my shopping list too.

caile

Sounds great !

scribbles

Ok, I was trying to not buy this tea…thinking…it’s just tea…I guess I’ll be putting in my order as soon as I get back from walking the beast.

Sil

cavo…i haven’t ordered yet lol

ifjuly

haha, The Ragebots! i would spend a friday night going to see them play. (:

yes boychik, the weather for sure plays a part. and yes again to tea as the best remedy! well, and friends. (:

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3294 tasting notes

Last night I did my monthly tea count, re-organized my shelves a bit, etc.
I’m starting the month at 362 Teas, which is down from 389 last month, so progress, not perfection, right?

My first cup of the month, although my sense of taste & smell is coming back, it’s still not where I want it to be, and I’ve been avoiding all of my favorite teas (all 277 of them, LOL), because…well because! Although there is a lot to be said for mouth-feel, tea buzz, etc, I hate to miss those subtle flavors. I just remembered that Sheng sometimes seems to help with allergies, so maybe I should quit messing around & bust out a brick!

All I’m getting from this tea today is a nice milky mouth, some baked bread, maybe a little chocolate (Which I’m probably imagining, not actually tasting), & cannibis. Yeah, you heard me. It’s been over 30 years since I toked up, but you never forget that taste.
:)

Sil

yay for getting through some of your teas last month! :) i have a SMALL totally unflavoured box here that you’ll get eventually..but i’m trying to give you time to drink more heh

Terri HarpLady

I have a box of awesomeness that I’m still working on for you. It was suppose to be your birthday box, & includes the teas we ordered from YS, but it’s gonna be a late birthday…

Sil

it’s ok… it wil give me something to look forward to in september when i’m nowhere and everywhere all at once.

oh..and Nicole wanted to come to st louis if she can arrange it when i’m there so that all three of us can meet…once i get final date confirmation i will let you both know

mrmopar

Weed, what weed….

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97
790 tasting notes

Oh. Mah. Gawd. Sulu. This is good tea.

Smells fantastic, looks nifty. Cute package.

Heavily baked bread flavor, sweet, malt, smooth…golden. It was probably a mistake to have an entire pot this late in the evening but I just couldn’t stop. No time for a resteep tonight, but will definitely try tomorrow. Though my pots are kind of like resteeps… I steep 16 ounces then another 12 ounces or so with the same leaves and combine them in the same pot.

It’s not a desert island tea, but it’s Damn Fine.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
boychik

Yay I’m happy you like it too;)

Terri HarpLady

I love saying damn fine tea :)

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90
115 tasting notes

Really smooth. Brewed this one a little lite, only 3 mins for some reaason (Mike’s fault). I like this one a lot though. It’s not crazy in your face with the flavor but still easily stands on its own. I could see this being drinkable on a frequent basis.

Flavors: Honey

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 34 OZ / 1000 ML
__Morgana__

Can’t wait until mine shows up!

Terri HarpLady

Mine just came, complete with a horse head finger puppet! Yay!

Mike

I blame @rickyc for the brew time. I thought it tasted light and he assured me it was a characteristic. He’s known around the office for his terrible, terrible lies.

Lion

I still have about half a can of this. This one has made my year pretty tasty! I’m eager to see if they introduce another Chinese New Year themed tea for Year of the Sheep.

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90
301 tasting notes

Honey-sweet, bread-like, with a bit of malt in the back. This is one fine tea!

I used 1 heaping teaspoon in an 8 oz cup with 200 degree water and steeped for just 1 minute and it was delicious. Resteeps for 2m, 2.5m and 3m were almost as delicious but the flavor declined a bit with each steep. The next time I’ll try boiling with a longer steep just to compare.

I’ll keep this tea around for sure and plan to enjoy it frequently.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 1 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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813 tasting notes

Year of the horse! I won’t save this tea until the next year of the horse in 2026 hahahaha
I’m a dragon. Year of the dragon starts on Feb 10th.
I just started steeping this now. So excited to drink it! The description sounds great!

I steeped 3 short times. Sooooo nice!

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79
681 tasting notes

Sipdown 142/395

This is probably going to be my last new tea of the day. I have plans to resteep my Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake leaves after this, and then hopefully get another couple of cups out of this leaf, too. I had originally planned on trying to use up three more samples, but I can feel a migraine coming on and it was going to be a very Nina’s Paris heavy day, so I think I’ll save them for tomorrow or Monday. I’m aiming to have my cupboard at or below 350 by Christmas.

What a lovely straight black tea! I remember drooling over reviews of this back when it was first released, and immediately adding it to my wishlist despite rarely drinking straight unflavoured teas back then, especially loose leaf without milk or sugar. I’m a true English girl, at the end of the day. Sil sent me this along with a few other unflavoured black teas, when I told her I was trying to expand my horizons, and this tea was truly one that helped me appreciate more unflavoured teas, particularly without additives. It is strong and bold, but with very little astringency (something I abhor and the main reason I still add milk to certain teas). It has a malty flavour and bready note which just make me want to curl up in a ball with a thick jumper, a classic novel and a cup of this tea. It’s comfort tea! There’s a honeyed note somewhere in there too, but it’s not as prominent as the more savoury, bread and malt notes so I think that this would be a perfect breakfast tea. I’m not getting any chocolate notes as others have mentioned, and I’ve never smoked so couldn’t say if there are tobacco or cannabis notes, but it does sound interesting. I wonder if they’re there and I just didn’t pick up on it… Either way, this is a delightful, hearty tea which I am particularly enjoying in this crappy weather.

Thanks for helping me try yet another wishlist tea, Sil!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML
tea-sipper

AH this was an amazing tea. :D

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86
836 tasting notes

Sweet and malty with good mouthfeel.

Flavors: Malt, Sweet

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 30 sec 3 tsp 13 OZ / 375 ML

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6444 tasting notes

I got this with Cavocorax probably around 2 years ago and am only trying it now. What a shame because even aged, it is really quite nice. It would have been interesting to compare it to the brew when the leaf was fresher but c’est la vie. Nonetheless, this is still been a lovely accompaniment to my avocado toast “breakfast” (at 1pm), with its bready notes and touches of stone fruit and caramels. It’s a solid cuppa that is flavorful enough to not get boring while being simple enough to not tire of quickly (as many tend to do with over-the-top flavors).

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