Fu Shou Mei Feng Qing Black Tea of Yunnan * Spring 2018

2021 sipdown no. 13 (another amazing tea from Cameron)

This one is tasty! The flavour is light, yet has depth. There is a smoothness paired with a plum-like sweetness. Thanks Cameron!

From Cameron B a while ago!  THANK YOU wherever you went!  I had this once before and it really screams “winter tea” but I was craving it today.  The temp cooled a LITTLE bit after four inches of rain anyway.  Really, this seems like the most luxurious tea in the dry leaf itself: the blackest, shiniest, silkiest wiry leaf.  I love the flavor.  It seems more like the depth I always want Verdant’s Laoshan Black to have.  It’s so odd because Laoshan green is by far my favorite, but never really cared for Laoshan black.  hmm.  The aroma of the wet leaf from the basket is marshmallowed yams.  The flavor is rich and dark, like starchy chocolate bread with some sort of dark fruit jam… all the darkest fruits mixed together — raspberries, blackberries, but also plums. (I wish I had some of this for dessert right now.) The description says the leaves are fried in unprocessed red sugar which is interesting. I wouldn’t ever guess that, but maybe that is what makes this tea so unique.  The subsequent steeps were also like this, but with a slight astringency and hint of that oversteeped oaky leaf flavor.  But that first steep is perfection.  I see eastkyteaguy has this in the cupboard… I’d love to see the tasting note for it!
Steep #1  // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug // 20 minutes after boiling  // 2 minute steep
Steep #2  // 15 minutes after boiling //  3 1/2 minute steep
Steep #3 // 2 minutes after boiling for a half mug // 3 min

Last of this one today. Not sad to see this one go as even when I figured out it warrants a 2 min steep, there are many other teas I’d rather have in my cupboard.

Home – 10:00 AM

Happy Sunday, everyone!

So this is the second of three black teas I ordered from Yunnan Sourcing. I was too intrigued by the description to pass it up. Apparently at some point in its processing, this tea is fried in muscovado sugar water. Too interesting to not buy! ;)

The leaves are quite small and slender, and they have a dark cool brown color. They have an unusual amount of sheen that isn’t portrayed in the photograph.

Yummy, this is definitely a very satisfying tea! At the forefront are the lovely malt and sweet potato notes that are quintessentially Yunnan. They have more strength or heft here than in the golden needle variety. I would almost call it a bit of a “chew” – in the most pleasant and satisfying way, like eating warm freshly-made wheat bread.

There is a bit of dark caramel or brown sugar here as well – though not necessarily the sweetness as much as the rich flavor. I’m also finding a bit of a savory note, perhaps reminiscent of lightly smoked meat. That sounds weird, but it’s not, I promise! XD

Overall, it’s a satisfying balance of malty, sweet, and a touch of savory. Definitely a great tea for getting going in the morning, but also complex enough to savor in the afternoon.

P.S. – I would love to hear recommendations for your favorite hong cha from Yunnan Sourcing!