Yunnan Dian Hong (Fenqing Dianhong Lily Bud Straight Leaf Congou)

Sipdown

Dexter provided me a sample of a Yunnan Dian Hong from this company and though I am not sure if it was this one specifically, I would say given her note that it just might be. Like Dex, I found this one too assertive when it comes to the sweet potato element. It’s almost harsh as its a rush of just one element whereas black teas are usually more balanced. It was fun to try though and always nice to experience new things so thank you Dex for sharing!

I think this is the one I ordered, just going by the picture because the only description I could find for the tea I ordered was “yunnan dian hong”. I’ve actually had this a few times now but was always too lazy to find the supplier name again, so never rated it.

The dry leaves are long and straight, unlike most yunnan black teas I’ve tried. The tea itself was also a bit unexpected for me. There’s a rich bread/honey taste, and less cocoa than other yunnan blacks. Definitely enjoying this now, and looking forward to the re-steep.

Well, this matches the picture! So I’m gonna go with it. The label Dexter wrote has “High Grade Yunnan Dian Hong 2014” on it. :)

I’m doing this in my cute travel tea set… 1/2 the baggie (about 2 tbsp loose leaves, whoa) and 120-ish ml water. I did a super fast rinse, and I’ve been steeping until it looks and smells tasty. :D It’s a fairly light tea, but strong on the sweet potato and malt flavours. Wow. Very strong. Even with my short steeps, that’s pretty much all I’m getting.

Interestingly, people have noted meat and smoke tastes. I don’t feel quite that way about it (as in, it’s not a dominant flavour for me), but I can see taste where they’re coming from. With longer steeps, there’s an astringency on the teeth, and almost a bitter polish sausage shop flavour of smoked meat on the back of the tongue. You know. The shops that have their own smoke house and smoke their own stuff? Those shops.

Anyways, this is really interesting. I don’t think I love it, but I really appreciate being able to try it. Thank you, Dexter!

I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this one. It’s really assertive. It’s almost too sweet potato, too malty. I want to say unbalanced but I can’t figure out what it’s lacking. It’s not really bitter, not astringent – I almost want to say burnt – but not smokey, not roasty. It’s not smooth – kind of rough around the edges. I’m not sure. Interesting, strange, not sure I like it. I’m drinking the third steep and it hasn’t mellowed at all.
http://instagram.com/p/xsNaxhOEz5/?modal=true
http://instagram.com/p/xsNY3GOEz0/?modal=true

I was really curious about this tea after yyz reviewed it. So much that I placed my very first Aliexpress order. I should have known better. I tend to like lighter teas and this tea is for those that love dark full bodied teas.

I was afraid of it being too strong for me so I brewed at 200F for 1 1/2 min. That was very strange because all the elements that made this tea what it was still came through but were weak. So on the 2nd brewing I brewed it longer. It didn’t matter weak or strong it still was toooo strong for me.. I could pick up stewed fruit. It was very sweet like honey & molasses & malty. There was also a spicy note in there which was very faint. Kinda like the chilli note yyz got.

Strange , but I have loved some blacks that do have a malty, molasses, flavour. This one had something about it that made it stronger. Anyway, glad I didn’t buy a full size of this, only sample size.

i’m 98% certain that this is the tea i’m drinking by process of elimination on the other samples cameron B. sent me haha Thiis tea… is smooth…and smells sweet. I likely didn’t do this one justice as i got distracted with work and drank it all up before i realised it..then had a second steep and drank that up as well lol. that typically means that i’ve really enjoyed a tea. What i recall is that this had a sweet, stone fruit sort of maltiness to it. I didn’t get all the wonderful notes in this that YYZ did, but i’d consider picking up more of this if i ever stop being scared to start shopin on aliexpress. lol

thanks again Cameron!

I admit I purchased this tea out of curiousity, a purchase review stated that it was a tea they had been looking for and had finally found after trying 30 suppliers. I was wondering what would be the draw for this person. Having had it using gongfu method twice I can say this is an intensely sweet and resilient black tea. I got many steeps with stewed apricot citrus and sweet cherry notes mixed with molasses on top and a nice deep base with cocoa, malt, and coffee, mixed with leather and earth. At times there are mole spice notes of cinnamon, chili and thyme, and baked goods notes ranging from charred crust to butter pastry. The tea is intensely sweet in its early steeps. It almost gave me a sugar headache! Altogether quite enjoyable.

http://instagram.com/p/uwBBJoGK_r/
It can be found here:
Sample sizes: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Promotion-of-high-grade-tea-Yunnan-Dianhong-2014-2-bags-Free-shipping-Buy-more-get-more/723612_2012109496.html

Full size. . http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-Yunnan-Fengqing-Dianhong-tea-lily-bud-straight-gold-Dianhong-single-premium-congou/1743139133.html

The dry leaf smells of fruit and cocoa and are mostly long flat blades with a mix of golden buds and longer dark chocolate brown blades at about a 50/50 mix.

I used 2.5g of leaves in a 140ml gaiwan at 95°C.

The tea had a red toned copper, slightly peachy colour with a yellow gold ring around the edges.

45s Scent: cocoa,hints of smoke and roasted notes, stewed fruits, apricot, red fruit and citrus notes.

Sweet and spicy up front with cocoa and darker malt notes underneath with molasses and hints of roasted notes with a touch of char. Stewed apricots, hints of citrus, and sweeter red fruits up front. It’s interesting because I under leafed this yesterday (2.5g/200ml) and got more leather, earth notes which are pretty well hidden in this steep and the tea was brisker. There is a faint hint of leather in the deeper base notes. Savoury spice notes, hinting at a mole sauce with cinnamon, hints of thyme and chili. In general very sweet with a rich deep base that may appeal to coffee and shou puerh drinkers. The tea has a good dose of caffeine and a hint of briskness with a thick rich texture on the tongue.

30s scent: similar to above with stronger malt tones

Cocoa,molasses,apricot, hints of sweet cherry,less citrus, malt, hints of charred crust,creamy buttery pastry, hints of coffee, mole spice, very sweet lingering aftertaste. Thick dense texture on the tongue with a light briskness creating a cooling texture on the tongue.

40s. Scent: cocoa, red fruit, molasses, malt, apricot, hints of pastry.

Cocoa, apricot, red fruits, citrus notes, molasses, malt, butter pastry, coffee , mole spice and hints of earth and leather, less intensely sweet.

60s indistinct cocoa, molasses, fruit mix.

Apricot, cocoa, molasses ( very sweet again), hints of butter pastry, coffee, malt, cinnamon, hints of earth and leather, and a tarter cherry note.

100s. Scent similar to above

Tarter with malt and red fruit, cocoa, fading molasses, citrus notes some cinnamon.

160s. Similar to above with a slight grain note and some briskness.

240s weakening with molasses fruit and artichoke.

I’m exhausted today. I wish I could sit around and do nothing, but unfortunately stuff needs to get done. Hoping this tea will inject some caffeine energy to get me going.

The leaves are incredibly long and gold and dark brown in colour. Makes measuring these leaves difficult, then I accidentally poured too many leaves in the infuser. Ah well, at least it wasn’t on the floor.

The aroma is honey and fruit. My first couple of sips were really fruity, and now I think I understand what stewed fruit tastes like, even though I can’t remember the last I tasted stewed fruit. The tea is naturally sweet from the honey and molasses notes.

I think I prefer steep better. The fruit notes have toned down, and the richer molasses notes are more evident. Yep, steep 2 is a winner for me.

Thanks for sharing Cameron B!

Another of my samples from Han Xiang Ecological Tea this morning! I must say, these leaves are very beautiful. They’re long and thin and quite stiff, they almost remind me of pine needles or slender twigs. The color is about half golden and half black. Dry scent is a bit sweet but not much else, which I’m finding a lot with black teas. I did a 3 minute steep at 200 degrees.

Ooh, the brewed aroma is an interesting combination of sweet honey and dried fruit with savory, almost smoky meat scents. And I find that the taste follows along those lines as well! The beginning of the sip has a lot of dark, syrupy dried fruit flavor, maybe raisins and figs? Then in the middle, the smoked meat savory flavor comes to the forefront, and it stays there for the rest and into the aftertaste. Intermingling between the two are notes of honey and rich molasses which unexpectedly help to bring everything together. Yums. :D