Black Sheep - Dian Hong Dragon Pearl

This is a swap sample, I think it came from VariaTEA? If not, I’m sorry to whoever it was! XD

I love my Teavivre Fengqing dragon pearls, so I’m excited to try this version. I used all of the pearls for my mug – I think it was 6? I didn’t want to be left with any sad abandoned pearls!

This is definitely different from the Teavivre version. It’s lighter, with some musty hay notes that remind me of white tea. There’s a bit of honey here too, rather than cocoa. The bread is there, but is more of a supporting flavor. And I taste a hint of a metallic earthy mineral note. Some raisin starts to poke its head out in the aftertaste, and as the tea cools.

Overall, it’s yummy and still very satisfying for breakfast. However, I do prefer my existing black dragon pearls. Which is good, because they are probably cheaper and this one is out of stock! Thanks VariaTEA for the share, sorry it’s taken me so long to get to it!

GUYS!! IT’S HAPPENING!! MY FIRST GONGFU STEEPING SESSION!!! I finally have a gaiwan thanks to Roswell Strange and now I feel like I am on a new level of tea drinking. YAY! Or maybe not yay because I can see this inspiring spending. Look how cute all the teaware is though: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0SFC3_hOsa/?igshid=tonuknbumysd

Anyways, I chose this tea because a lot of the plain teas recommend weights for mls and this just said 2 pieces for 200 ml. So I ordered a scale for tomorrow and then popped 1 piece in my new 100 ml gaiwan.

Per the instructions, I rinsed the tea for 10-15 seconds, though probably longer because the gaiwan conducted much more heat than expected.

My first steep was for 1 min. Or 1.5 mins by the time I got it all into the cup, because again, hot. Then I came here to start my note and then I went to instagram and now I am drinking it. The tea tastes very similar to how I remember it tasting brewed Western style. Malty, though this is a bit more earthy, maybe a touch grassy even. I am new to this so sorry this will probably be terribly non descript. It’s also slightly metallic.

Do you guys put the lid on when you steep? Or just use it to strain the tea? The second steep was 30 s, though more like 50 s once it all made it into the cup. I tried a different pouring method and mostly got boiling tea on my finger. Also tea trays make much more sense to me now since a lot has ended up on my counter as well. This cup is smoother than the last. A hint of smoke. I wanna say the tiniest touch of vanilla right at the back of the sip? Maybe honey? I have no clue what I am doing here. Clearly.

Steep three is 90 s, well actually 98 s. I am getting better already! This one is sweeter but back to being a bit earthy…like honey coated wood…or leather. It’s syrupy but I get wisps of smoke.

Finally steep, per the package directions is 3 minutes. While it steeps, I’m just going to say I think I have to do a guided gongfu where someone tells me what to expect and then I can see if I have any real sense of what I may or may not be tasting. I know everyone is different but I think it would be fun. Ros, I am looking at you.

Okay, back to the tea…this was like 3 min and 18 s by the time it got into the teacup. This one is leathery. Much more leather than the last and I don’t know if there is actual smoke or I just associate smoke with leather flavor. It’s also got some raisin to it. That is what is contributing the sweet this cup as opposed to honey. And some malt is back as the tea is a bit thicker of a mouthfeel.

Alright. That was fun. Thank you Roswell Strange for making it happen. It’s super interesting how the flavor can change steep to steep. Plus, my family was also highly entertained since I basically pulled a kitchen chair up to my kitchen counter by the kettle and sat in the corner, facing the corner, steeping tea, and writing this note. I feel like more time and a better set up would make this more enjoyable. How do you guys usually go about gongfu brewing? Do you move your kettle somewhere comfortable to sit and relax? Do you put water in a pot and take that with you? Do you set up a kitchen chair in the corner of your kitchen? Give me all the advice, steepsterites!

Gongfu Sipdown (610)!

Not a bad session; but a short feeling one. I used the whole 8g sample in a 150ml gaiwan, seven infusions. Big initially flavour payoff in steeps 1-4; tons of chocolate/malt and a bit of smoke and raisin in the undertones. Sweet, but not in a “bright” way. The same sort of decadent sweetness as a good brownie. Really quick drop off in flavour though, as is the case with a lot of black tea steeped Gong Fu. Still; a pleasant afternoon session.

this one is really different from other pearls that i’ve had. It’s lighter, brassier…no real hints of malt…it’s sweet and tasty…but not what i would think of when thinking about dragon pearls. :)

Thank you to Teabento for the lovely sample! The reason why I haven’t been around to review teas is because I keep getting sick and have been avoiding caffeinated beverages, especially. Had a cold a few weeks ago, then my demanding, new boss was making it difficult to even drink any water throughout the day, which led to dehydration, which led to an ahem UTI. A week of antibiotics annihilated that, plus the cold went away. Ok cool, back on track. Then a few days after I finished those antibiotics (a couple days ago), I woke up with a sore throat that keeps getting worse. Went back to doctor very reluctantly, and sure enough, now I have strep throat. Just can’t win.

But at least I can go with caffeine again? So in walks Black Sheep finally, finally. Have been looking forward to trying this since I received my package.

Maybe it’s because I’m sick but these aren’t as chocolatey as I thought they would be. The mouthfeel is thinner with the most prominent note being honey, followed by some grainy malt. I’m looking forward to another cup of this soon, perhaps when I’m better, to see how the second round would go.

This starts out so yummy smelling from the bag – chocolate roasty toastedness. Plus, cute little black sheep curls – I love the presentation of TeaBento’s teas for sale.

This is light, sweet, with a touch of chocolate. Only a small amount of malt, and it’s a thinner, buttery tea. I could drink this all day. It’s smooth and luxurious, without overpowering anything. Even though I normally like a bolder taste to my straight black teas, this one is a daily drink.