Big Red Robe

Gongfu!

I haven’t gone out of my way to put together a really solid tea and cheese pairing in a while, so this afternoon I decided to treat myself to a nice session of Big Red Robe paired with some dill infused gouda!! I already know that I love the way the rich, nuttiness of gouda pairs with a more roasted and earthy oolong, so I was pretty sure the inclusion of dill to this cheese wouldn’t be too “out these” with this session – and it actually worked even better than I could have imagined. Sometimes with rock oolongs like this one I already taste more savory, herbaceous notes like dill, thyme, or even occasionally sage so the consistent note of dill in the cheese really riffed those elements of the tea creating an overall profile that was umami foward with such unctuous and buttery notes of grilled nuts, warming spices, and mineral-rich exotic woods. Sometimes I get lychee notes with this Dahongpao in particular, but with this session the fruitiness was kind of pushed to the backburner and really just translated into a general sweet, very round feeling sweetness after the sip. Very fun combination, and a nice way of elevating both the tea and the cheese!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9qLSuEup7h/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ElKk4yTg1M