Super Pagoda Dianhong Small Regis Bud Black tea

This is another aliexpress purchase for me. It came packed in a jar, with it and two samples wrapped in bubble wrap to which was affixed postage and address information. Very minimalist packaging but the tea seemed to survive well!

I have tried this tea both western and gongfu style using 1 tower/cone/pagoda per 100ml.

The dry tea is nice and symmetrical with about 70% of the cones being as tippy as the picture. The dry tea smells very fruity with vegetal notes, but when dropped into a hot damp glass it releases a scent of chocolate, malt and cinnamon.

Gongfu method
1 min Clear golden broth
Scent light , dark chocolate, honey, cinnamon
light flavour, dark chocolate cake, dark chocolate, cinnamon, pepper, honey, with brighter malt notes and grain notes lingering in the background.

2 min. Deeper cooper colour with yellow ring.
Scent. Chocolate, with stronger malt, cinnamon, and honey, with some plum notes.
Flavour. Fruity, with hints of ribena ( blackcurrant), chocolate, butter, mild honey, oats, pepper, cinnamon and malt. Thick and dense tasting. Not as sweet as some but juicy and chocolate rich with a nice note of spice.

3 min more malt and honey, similar levels of chocolate and sspice. Tastes more chocolate cake like and less fruity than the last steep. The fruit is still underneath offering a certain tart sweet note. Hint of a faint leather note.

4 min
More oatmeal and fruit blended with honey and malt, cocoa fading.

6min. Malt softened by grains and fruit.

Western Method

345. Both the scent and flavour are dominated by tart fruit and malt and light leather spice notes. These are supported by chocolate, oatmeal and light honey.

I prefer the early steeps of the gongfu method with the German spiced chocolate cake notes. This tea was not very sweet, but perhaps brewing at a lower temperature than the recommended near boiling would intensify the existing sweetness. The tart fruit almost creates a rich tart red wine note at times. Altogether an interesting and easy to brew tea!

*I bought it at this shop
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Yunnan-red-tea-handmade-small-pagoda-tea-afternoon-black-tea/1000467574.html#
but it was available through other shops as well.