Award Winning Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea – Golden Tip

This is my first sampling from the extremely generous sample package I received from Angel at Teavivre. If you’ve read enough of my tasting notes, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I tend not to be a huge fan of Chinese blacks. I know they tend to be the favorites here on Steepster, but they just tend to be too heavy on the chocolate and the sweetness and things of that nature that most people love but I, perhaps weirdly, just don’t enjoy very much and lacking in the astringency that I, perhaps even more weirdly, really enjoy in black teas. All that said, I was prepared to pass this tea off as more of the same. I’m pleased to say I was wrong! The smooth, sweet, non-astringent qualities are all present, but it’s delightfully light on the chocolate. There’s a nice full flavor with a sort of fruity undertone, although I couldn’t tell you what kind of fruit—if pressed, I might hazard a guess that it’s some kind of stone fruit? Or maybe not. I can’t say I’m really getting the sweet potato mentioned in other notes. The individual notes aren’t incredibly distinctive, but they certainly come together to make a pleasant cup of tea. It strikes me as uncomplicated and easy to drink, in the best way possible.

Golden tippies!!! Yes, drinking this one again. I just LOVE it! It always freaks me out too, because when I grab the bag, it’s so light, it feels like I’m almost out of it, but there’s still plenty left! All I have to say is Mmmmmm!!!

Backlog from this morning and a few hours ago.

I dialed down all the variables this time; cooler water temp, less leafage, shorter steep time. It seems to have done the trick. The tea isn’t quite as astringent or in-your-face.

I… don’t really have much to say about it though. My concentration is not the best right now, and I completely forgot to search for that evolving-flavor effect. I still think I prefer their regular Dian Hong.

Damn I’m tired. And out of it. I feel like I’ve been removed from reality for the last 52 hours and I don’t wanna go back. I think my hormones have been a little kookoo the past several days. Among other things. At least I’ve mostly been optimistic and happy and excited about stuff. Can that be a permanent change?

I have an interesting week planned out for myself. Mostly craft related, I want to do a little perler bead crafting while also folding stars, it is my goal to fill up the large pickle jar I have been working on for the past two weeks. Since I feel like I am trying to catch a cold or something I figure a nice relaxing crafty week with lots of tea is in order. If I am really lucky my other plan of finishing my tea research will be finished this week as well. Good times all around.

Today’s tea starts a week looking at some Black and Pu Erh Teas from Teavivre. Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea-Golden Tips was harvested in March of 2013 in Fengqing County, Yunnan, it is one of the most famous black teas in China, this beautiful gold pile of leaves is the highest grade available. The aroma of this golden tea is a blend of roasted peanuts and cocoa, but it is not the sweet aspects of these things, the aroma is quite savory. There is also a finishing note of beet root that gives the tea a slightly earthy quality.

Giving the teas a steeping in my gaiwan sadly removes the beautiful gold flocking (I know that is not the technical term for the beautiful fuzzy trichomes, but it does seem to fit). The aroma is quite sweet now bringing in notes of cherry and sweet cocoa along with roasted peanuts. The poured off liquid smells buttery sweet and creamy with notes of roasted nuts and a hint of cherries.

The first steeping is quite rich and strong, there is a roasted nuts and dark chocolate quality that leaves a dry mouth and slight bitterness. It almost reminds me of a really high quality coffee (specifically it reminds me of Sumatra Mandheling, the only coffee I still can tolerate) but with a much smoother taste. The tea finished with a sweetness that creeps in at the midtaste and blooms into honey sweetness at the end and lingers.

The second steep has the same roasted nuts and cocoa quality of the first steep but the sweetness shows up significantly earlier. There is still a dry mouthfeel and slight bitterness that wakes up the mouth and makes the taste buds alert and happy. There is also a loamy quality which blends really well with the nuttiness and sweetness present in the tea. I really enjoyed this tea, when I drank it, it was with my dinner, but I can certainly see this as a morning tea.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/teavivre-yun-nan-dian-hong-black-tea.html

This is amazing. The dry leaf smells so strongly of malt it seriously smells like something I’d get in trouble for having at work! Steeped it is just as malty. It’s deep, cocoa-y, smooth, buttery and yet not heavy. I had a little square of a Valrhona Guanaja Grue 70% dark chocolate bar with cocoa nibs as I finished the cup and that really brought out the more cocoa-y notes here.

Much like high quality dark chocolate, it doesn’t take much of this tea to satisfy a need. I don’t feel like I’d need to drink a full pot of this or like I’d need to drink it all day long. So while I absolutely adore this, it will last for a little bit at least. :)

I overleafed this by a bit. But this is simply a fantastic tea, heavy on the leaf or not. And I will certainly be resteeping.

This has quickly become my daily tea. Lovely smell, taste, and colour.

Survives at least three steeps (western style) at 3, 4, and 5 mins each.

Nice woodsy aroma. This tea has a slightly sweet taste and a nice maltiness. The flavor is that of an earthy caramel mixed with sweet potato. It has a smooth finish.