Spring 2014 Drunk on Red with Snow Chrysanthemum Sun-Dried Feng Qing Black Tea mini cake

Grandpa Style!

It’s still very chilly and gross outside, so I needed a comfort tea today but wanted to switch things up from the shou I’ve been really gravitating towards as of late. This slick sun dried Feng Qing hongcha with snow chrysanthemum has always been a favourite of mine, and today the super syrupy and intensely soothing medicinal flavours of the chrysanthemum perfectly hit the spot and really warmed me up from the inside out. It’s amazing how this tea flips back and forth so fluidly between being almost saccharine in its citrusy florals to having such biting bitterness. I love both sides of the coin though, and honestly this tea has only continued to get richer and more pleasing with age!!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2IxuiJuDoO/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgrMZ0jjLCE

From the Samurai TTB
What is it they say about things that not too many people like? An acquired taste. But I like dill and pepper, so this tea is delicious to me. A bit like camomile times 10 and add spicy ness. I can’t taste the black tea underneath the snow chrysanthemum but I know it’s there because it’s in my tea strainer. I’m not surprised at this because a little snow chrysanthemum goes a long way. I got 4 western style steeps out of this tea, and can still taste just the dill of the snow chrysanthemum.
Not sure if I need to purchase a whole cake of this, but I’d be tempted. I definitely need to restock my snow chrysanthemum as I’m down to a few spoonfuls. Thanks for sharing Roswell Strange!!

I like reds with snow chrysanthemum: I find those two flavors to mix well. My standard here is Ying Shan Hong from Yunnan Sourcing, which is vibrant, bold, well-defined but at the same time soothing and relaxing.

This cake tasted a bit different: the red came out very mild and chrysanthemums tasted muted as well, with some medicinal undertones. Also, a pronounced sweetness. The flavor profile is not complex but blends well. Not much of an aftertaste, though. The overall impression is of content mellowness and relaxation: it is well-suited for a late-evening relaxation in an overstuffed armchair after a hard day.

I think this cake is getting a bit old – Ying Shan Hong was much more to my liking.

Thank you Togo, for a sample of this black tea cake with snow chrysanthemum flowers. This was the first black/red tea cake I’ve had and my second encounter with these flowers. I am glad that beforehand I was able to try the snow chrysanthemum buds brewed alone (recommended!), which allowed me to discern the opened flowers’ contribution to this tea.

Gone western: 6g, 8oz, 205F, 3 steeps at 3/5/7m.

The dry leaf was not very fragrant, maybe a hint of raisin. Brewed up though, the garnet-brick red liquor had the pungent chysanthemum aroma which to me smells like tangerine, green bell pepper and dill pickle. It was also earthy, woody and sweet-smelling.

I didn’t get much flavor on the sip. Rather, it was the finish that carried the flavor. The base tea seemed lacking in body, muted, mineral and metallic like iron but clean. Holding the liquor in my mouth gave me a floral chysanthemum bouquet. On the swallow, I could pick up on some flat bitterness and not distinct flavors but tones of baked bread, citrus, raisin, apricot, dark wood and earth. Later, there was a pronounced sweetness in the back of my mouth.

Overall, it really reminds me of a clean cross of a shou and aged white cake with a floral addition. I wouldn’t seek this tea out but it was a nice session. I think I prefer the chrysanthemum alone as a tisane.
Thanks, Togo!

I overleafed this quite a bit, but since it is not all tea leaves it didn’t present that much of an issue. The steeping times I kept very short though nevertheless.

The smell seems to be dominated by the chrysanthemum flowers, it is slightly sweet and spicy and has a strong lemon note. The liquor has a very deep brick colour and medium body.

In the first few infusions, the tea was also on the back foot in terms of the taste, but that has changed throughout the session. I found the taste to be nicely balanced in these latter infusions with considerable bitterness, a little sweet, but still very floral and citrusy. The aftertaste has mostly the floral and spicy notes, and the drying sensation seems to be limited to the throat only. It actually reminds me a bit of some chili peppers.

Overall, I think this tea presents a nice alternative to standard teas. It is sufficiently different, but still has many qualities of a decent red tea. I can imagine that with a normal amount of leaf it can be a bit mild, but the way I brewed it this time it wasn’t a problem.

2014 spring drunk on red with snow chrysanthemum sundries feng quing black tea mini cake by yunnan sourcing.

Review:

Ru Yao dragon teapot. Gongfucha.

Dried leaves: peppery
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWij52hgRZQ/

Wet leaves: peppery, dill pickle. Floral.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWij_d6AXBQ/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWikGNyATzn/

Light steep; I taste/smell: (smell) light —> mineral, floral(?), pepper. (Taste) light -→ mineral(?), pepper, floral, dill pickles, ketchup(?).

Medium steep; I taste/smell: (smell) light —> mineral, pepper, seawater(?), floral(?). (Taste) light to medium -→ pepper, sweet, floral, seawater(?), metallic (iron?, copper?), mineral, dill pickle.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWij8uLAUrT/

Heavy steep; I taste/smell: (smell) light —> mineral, pepper, seawater(?), floral(?). (Taste) medium to strong -→ pepper, floral, dill pickle.

All in all a lovely tea! Very clean, balanced, fresh, tasty, and smooth. I rate a 95/100. I recommend this tea!

Where to buy: https://yunnansourcing.com/products/spring-2014-drunk-on-red-with-snow-chrysanthemum-sun-dried-feng-qing-black-tea-mini-cake

Holy fizz bomb batman! /O\
I swear it was almost bubbling on my tongue. Pretty cool.
The taste is very mild. Sweet and sugary, and a side of earthy floralness that kinda morphs into a ginseng ish note in later infusions. I’ve seen it before in Chrysanthemum teas before, but not all of the ones I’ve had. I love the fizz factor, but not the odd sweetness.
I kinda get the maltiness but my brain keeps comparing it to gingerale, and confuses my ‘buds. There is no honey, more… stevia? ha.
Not much variation between the infusions, so I agree with pmunney, this is a nice office tea… if I rest it beforehand. I’ll need to break off pieces from the cake and bring them into the office, as I don’t want to keep my cake in my desk drawer.

I’ve brewed this up a bunch of times, currently doing a thermos brew of this tea. Gongfu brewing is definitely not necessary for this tea as the flowers overpower the leaves. Either way this is really just a pleasant, warm, and comforting sipper. Nothing complex or out of the ordinary, just an easy-drinker for winter, in a good way. Malty sweet feng qing meets spicy floral chrysanthemum. For the price it’s a good office tea.