China Congou Panyang

I like this one has a tobacco-like sweetness with caramel and maltyness and a little astringency, it’s very good it just makes think of tobacco.
This is a better review on my blog :)
http://toadsteablog.blogspot.com/2012/11/china-panyoang-congou-by-upton-tea.html

Tea of noon…..

I have not had this one by itself for quite some time. I generally blend it in with my Franken-Breakfast Blend. It has such a prominent chocolate note with just a touch of maltiness and smoke. It is not quite to the level of a Keemun in smokiness, but it is close. It is not quite as complex as the more expensive Tan Yangs, but it is well worth the price at under $5 for 125 grams.

Usual mug method.

Aww, I jinxed it. Steepster’s back to running slower than ever for me. :P

This is yet another sample from SimplyJenW. I am so grateful for this package because now I can try a lot of these Chinese blacks I am interested in without falling down the rabbit hole of tea orders. I’m glad this one was in the package because I’d like to try a basic Panyang Congou that isn’t supposed to be special grade or select and see how it goes.

The dry leaf on this one also reminds me of my past life as a horsewoman, but it reminds me of the scent of rich alfalfa hay instead of molasses grain (like the Tan Yang Te Ji from Teaspring did). When steeped, however, the scent has more notes of cocoa popping out, with a bit of that dark molasses in the background. It smells really tasty! I like the notes of molasses, malt, grains and unsweetened cocoa that I am getting from this cup, but it also has a bit of harshness, almost bitterness to it as well. I am very sensative to these things, after all. I’m wondering if a slightly cooler steep time would take it away, or whether it’s just a kind of boldness that is inherant to the tea (very possible). It’s probably just my expensive tastes telling me that I want to be drinking a high-grade version… :P

I’ve just discovered another excellent quality of this tea: Thanks to its natural sweetness, it tastes perfectly delicious “naked,” without any added sweetener or milk. That makes it ideal for the office, where I’m trying to keep my tea drinking as simple and non-time-consuming as possible without sacrificing quality.

This tea tasted better this time for me. I let it cool a little and the earthy smell and taste came through. The tea has fruity notes and is mellow and smooth. No bitterness or astringency in my cup. Nice tea

When I first drank this congou I was shocked by its mustiness. There’s a certain funkiness to it that will definitely scare off the Earl Grey crowd. Yet it’s grown on me in the seven months that I’ve been steeping it, and I hope that Upton will get new stock before my (wonderfully affordable) 125g bag goes empty. The dry leaf smells sweetly of plum and wood, and steeps up a deep chocolate (in a white mug) or amber (in a glass) liquor.

The liquor has a velvety texture, and gives off a slight sweetness that’s countered by a nice tartness, creating an overall fruity impression, though it’s still fairly dry. The aromatics I can identify: pickled plum, pleasant mulch/forest wetness, and some sort of brown root-based Korean traditional medicine whose name escapes me.

I wasn’t expecting much from this tea as I had given up on super high quality from this vendor. And while this is nothing special, it’s also not bad.
It’s light with a light smokiness. Barely there smokey. I get a bit of tobacco and sweet prunes. Astringency is there waiting for a moment of forgetfulness to ruin your cup. It’s not really my style, but it’s not offensive either. I’m quite liking the sweetness actually.

I noticed flavors of, sequentially: honey, preserved plum, tobacco, and slight smokiness. It’s sweet even for a Chinese black. I’m betting it would blend beautifully with a Yunnan. Great value, too—it will probably become a staple of my teachest.