Jinggu Golden Strand Pure Bud Yunnan Black tea * Spring 2014

Lewis and Clarke

This tea is so pretty. Lazy curls of golden fuzzy buds.
First steep (60s) this a sweet potato drizzled with honey. So much honey sweet potato it’s crazy.
Second and third steeps are sweet potato and honey and raisins and malt.
Forth steep I forgot about while it was steeping, but I didn’t notice any bitterness and only a very mild astringency at the back of my throat. But not in an unpleasant one.

This can probably keep going, I’ll try some more with it later.
Product page:
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/yunnan-black-teas/2875-jinggu-golden-strand-pure-bud-yunnan-black-tea-spring-2014.html

From the Marco Polo TTB.

The timing on this was great, since just this morning I was looking at Yunnans on the YS site. I was debating if I should order a large quantity of a tea I had never tasted. Then the TTB arrived and this tea was there. Serendipity!

It was quite delicious. I drink a lot of Yunnan blacks and found this one to have all of the malty, yammy qualities that I love, but with a really nice smoothness. None of the flavors smacked me in the face, but blended together in a very balanced brew. I definitely won’t have any issue ordering this one!

http://yunnansourcing.com/en/yunnan-black-teas/2875-jinggu-golden-strand-pure-bud-yunnan-black-tea-spring-2014.html

Is June already over? Really? Geez…
It’s time to update my tea list & straighten out my cupboard…tonight!
I feel like I haven’t drank enough tea this month! I’ve barely nicked my cupboard.
Oh well…whatever…
I started the day with this lovely tea. I gave it the 1min/2/5min treatment, & it was very tasty, but I prefer going with the shorter steeps.
Still, it’s like toast & honey in a cup, & it was great to walk around my garden with cup of tea, picking & eating a handful of blackberries & some red raspberries, bringing in a shallot & some asparagus to enjoy for breakfast. A wonderful start to my day!

Dry leaf – all golden colored fuzzy large buds with malt scent.
Method – Western style at 190F for 3 minutes.
Wet Leaf – very large buds, all uniform, very nice, smell like caramelized sweet potato with brown sugar.
Liquor – deep amber jewel with caramel scent.
Flavor – lots of sweet potato. Caramelized sweet potato with a bit of malt in the aftertaste.

6/14/14
Brought these pure buds down to 175F Western Style today for 3 minutes. Liquor was a more golden yellow color with prominent malt scent.
The flavor was more refined and there was not a dominance of sweet potato. I think a lower temp for these pure buds treats them with respect. This has a lovely flavor and I think I could have even steeped it longer with such a low temp. This temp brings malt, sweetness, honey, and a subtle sweet potato note.
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6/30/14
Brewed Western style at 175F with 1 tsp per 8 oz water. Brewed two cups at a time in a classic oval teapot and steeped for 4 minutes this time.
The liquor is very golden colored and smells like sweet malt. The flavor is sweet malt as well. Next time I’m gonna try 185F. This one is very good but I want to find that sweet spot with brewing it this way.
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7/11/14
Brewed this one Gong Fu style today at 185F in a 5 oz ceramic pot.
-immediate rinse
-6"-4"-6"-8" Delicious!! I found the sweet spot,,it is 185F. Liquor is golden & clear.
Flavor is sweet, malt, and not as much sweet potato,,,which I like.
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7/30/14
Brewed a cup Western style today,,,,190F for 3 minutes. Delicious honey, malt, and sweet potatoes!! It’s best brewed Gong Fu at 185F but I was in a hurry today :)
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8/20/14
Western style at 185F for 3 minutes. Heaven!!!!!