Panyang Congou

Another sample from the TTB. :)

Not much for scent but it’s a good follow up to something that’s bitter or spicy – it seems. I really am liking this tea. It’s not bolder-than-bold but more of a medium strength type tea but pretty darn flavorful and pleasing. I can totally understand the honey notes others have mentioned…but it’s not overly sweet even with the notes. It seems to help my hunger level…thank the TEA GODS! LOL

I have a horrible case of the munchies this morning and this seems to be helping. If I ever see this in my travels I am going to purchase! I really like this cuppa!

Panyang Congou has lofty, nutty scents, with faint additions of honeyed sweetness. With a beautiful raw sienna color, the liquor is soft, with nonabrasive flavors of baked apples and spring hay.

From the Fujian province, Panyang Congou is a close relative of Panyang Golden Needle and Golden Monkey, but slightly older and made in a more traditional style, with the least amount of tips.

Congou is a corruption of the Chinese words Gong Fu, or Kung Fu, which mean “High Mastery”. A tea trade classification for Chinese black teas with this particular twisted shape, the word refers to the masterful skill required to produce the teas by hand. Today, the teas are made almost entirely by machine. The leaves are expertly rolled into a tight twist before slowly oxidizing to take on the fruity but unsweetened flavor of baked apples.

Here is my official tasting note: OM NOM NOM.

Proper notes later, when I don’t have a huge stack of homework to do. x_x

1 1/2 tsp in 8 oz

I picked up a tin of this one in my latest Harney order because I’ve been enjoying the Fujian blacks from Teavivre that I’ve tried lately, and it is only $2 per ounce, so why not?

It is a very nice, smooth tea with a slightly earthy quality. Doesn’t need milk or sugar. It’s kind of like a cross between a Keemun and a Yunnan. It’s not that exciting, but at $2 per ounce, it could certainly be a cupboard staple for when I need to make a quick mug of something to run out the door with.

Having a couple of basic teas like this are great so that I can save my favorites for times when I can really sit and savor every sip.

I’m not sure exactly how I ended up ordering this one. I must not have noticed the notes comparing it to a keemun. I don’t know where many of you get fruit or cocoa from this, but those must’ve been the reviews that read before purchasing. Oh well, to each their own. But it’s got the keemun smokes in it, much like if I put my veggies to steam and forget to add water or the pot ran out of water. Ever tried to eat a carrot left to sit in a pot after the water runs dry? That’s what this tea is like to me.

This tea has dark color and a very soft aroma. The taste is very smooth, almost sweet, with just the slightest hint of smoke. Each sip starts off slightly toasty but finishes slightly sweet. I taste something that reminds me of caramel. It is not a brisk taste, not very dry at all. There is a very interesting aftertaste, almost a blooming sweetness when the air hits your tongue. It reminds me of the tastes and aromas of autumn. This is a very interesting tea with enough complexity to occupy your palate on its own without milk or sugar. I find this tea to be very thought provoking; each sip almost forces me to stop and pay very close attention to the flavor’s every nuance. With an understated yet full body and wide range of tastes layered quite smoothly together, this tea is a quiet storm of taste sensations.

Steep Information:
Amount: 1.t tsp
Additives: none
Water: 1 zarafina cup
Tool: Zarafina black-loose-mild
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: chocolaty, nutty
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet
Flavor: sweet, mild black tea
Body: Light
Aftertaste: not much, a little astringent
Liquor: light translucent brown

Steepster Traveling Teabox Tea

I think that I should have set the Zarafina to Medium.

The leaves were a pretty mix of back and gold.

It was a pretty smooth and sweet (no additives) tea, but unremarkable (if compared to other quality teas, including other Harney and Sons).

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: Zarafina Black-loose-strong
Again i should have done medium! When will I learn?
It was a bit bitter, but a smooth, strong black tea with honey notes still.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/harney-and-sons-loose-leaf-black-tea_24.html

I normally like Harney & Sons’ offerings, but this is a very ordinary and uninteresting tea.
Meh.

A regular brew of mine for a while now. Nutty and with a tiny bit of smoke; all-around an enjoyable brew. Has the warmth I typically associate with the best Chinese blacks. I don’t drink tea with milk/sugar but it could likely stand up to it.

Bought this sample from Ost this summer. At first I thought this tea was pretty average. It ended up quite bitter, so I had to put in more sugar than I prefer to counter that. Now that it’s cooled, it tastes like a dessert. Nice malty flavor. So although unflavored teas aren’t really my thing, I’d say this one tastes better than many.