Feng Qing Mini Tea Bricks

The instructions for Gaiwan use states to use 95°C water and start with 1 minute infusions until the brick separates and continue with 45 seconds – 60 seconds steeps. It also recommends at least 10 servings per brick.

Steep One – 1 minute
Very little to describe as the brick is still compact but there is a gentle sweetness.

Steep Two – 1 minute
Light brown in colour with a subtle malt scent. A little flavour is present but again not much, it’s sweet, a little fruity and smooth.

Steep Three – 1 minute
My husband was first to note an almost citrus like tang which is still very subtle and my brick has yet to separate.

Steep Four – 1 minute
There is a sweet caramel tone that smooths over the citrus. Still the brick is whole.

Steep Five – 1 minute
It carries the caramel flavour well and remains very light and refreshing.

Steep Six – 1 minute
Brown in colour but still no real scent to speak of. The tea is still sweet and smooth with a little earthiness like dried Autumn leaves (which funnily enough is what this tea actually is). Still the brick is whole with only a few little bits that have been separated.

Steep Seven – 1 minute
Slight darker in colour with notable sweet yet musky malt tones in fragrance. Still silky smooth caramel sweetness but the fruit has been reduced to the after taste.

Steep Eight – 1 minute
Golden brown in colour with a stronger earthy malt scent. It slips down so easily like silk, delicious sweet caramel and fruit tones with dark chocolate highlights whilst remaining light.

Steep Nine – 1 minute
It’ starting to reduce in colour and flavour. It’s fruity once again with rich malt sweetness. Sort of like a citrus malt cake/loaf.

Steep Ten – 1 minute
I have decided the citrus notes resemble orange the most. Very subtle once again to leave me with a sweet smooth finish.

For pictures and more information please view my blog.
http://www.kittylovestea.co.uk/2013/03/17/the-gift-of-feng-qing/

Another tea from Sil.
I almost bought some of these same mini bricks from Yunnan Sourcing, just out of curiousity. I’m glad I didn’t. They aren’t anything I’d want to have around. Worth trying though.

meh. Great Canadian Travelling Teabox

so i don’t even know what to say about this one. it’s not bad..but it’s just blah. boring. uninspiring…and i had great hopes from the description. I’ve made a few steeps just to run through the different flavour profiles and it’s over all just kind of boring.

And the world (or at least my cupboard) doesn’t need more boring tea.

Tea #8 Great Canadian Traveling Tea Box

I’m confused (I know, that’s not unusual for me). I was expecting this to be pu’erh. Is it suppose to be pu’erh? It doesn’t smell like it, it doesn’t taste like it. To me this is a mild black tea. There is a hint of maltiness, a hint of cocoa, but not bold enough for me. I used one brick to 8 oz of water, and have done 4 steeps of it. The second steep was the best.
It’s ok, but nothing special in a black. If it’s suppose to be a pu’erh total disaster. I’m just going to not dwell on it and move on. It would hurt my poor head too much to try and understand.
Edit: As per Kittyloves Tea’s comment. I’ve rated this as if it were a black. Makes me feel better that this is suppose to be a black tea. Taste buds didn’t fail me this time. I didn’t think it tasted pu’erh. I was underwhelmed with it as a black tea. Nothing really wrong, just not bold enough for my tastes.

Thank you KittyLovesTea for this in a swap.

I have never much liked pu-erh, but I also don’t think I have ever had really good pu-erh.

Each mini brick is individually wrapped and looks to be in immaculate condition. They smell like dark chocolate, cocoa and burnt caramel.

I so much wanted to like this pu-erh, but sadly after it was brewed, I was getting the same tastes I didn’t like from the other ones I have tried. I decided to cold brew this one to see if it made a difference in the taste. Sometimes cold brewing can change the taste profile of the tea, so I thought it was wise to try. The one mistake I made, was I put the new brick into some water, when I should have made some hot tea, then re-steeped the leaves as the cold brew. After 41 hours, the brick has expanded, but has not broken apart. It took a long time for the brew to steep.

It was a medium brown colour, slightly red tinge. It has the cocoa, burnt caramel tastes but there is also that earty, dirt-like taste that I do not like.

I was able to drink most of this brew, but not something I would enjoy on a regular basis at all. I am most likely willing to try more of this tea. Will see what happens.

1P (ca 6g) / 220ml Zhuni yixingpot

wash(1m)/1m/2m/2:30m @95C

Sweet and malty, hints of chocolate. Not nearly as good as other feng Qing teas. But still decent.
Practical to bring on a picnic etc.

I still love this tea. It’s a very mild, sweet, milk-chocolatey tea. This is the kind of tea that would pair with practically anything. It’s mostly the packaging that gets me, though. It comes as little chocolate square-shaped pieces which are wrapped in gold foil. So cute. Both the visuals and the smells remind me of the Cadbury fruit and nut bars my family would buy at Christmas. Definitely a favorite.