Official what Black (Red) Tea Are You Drinking Right Now?

[Bok]

He made me taste a Tie Guan Yin that he thought should be bought because it was such good value for $; then would not serve me Da Yu Ling. Funny.

Does not sound surprising to me! Sadly, as foreigners some tea shops won't sell us their best. They keep that to their own, many thinking we don't understand any of it anyways... Or it takes a few years of being a customer until you get the good stuff! In principle not a bad thing that they do not sell good tea to just anyone.

Also, talked to another tea friend of mine who cautioned me of that shop, he went there and told him things which were plain lies...

[ethan]

Bok, I think tea business is hard to balance. Taking care of old customers & discerning drinkers while trying to be fair (or at least close to fair) w/ others can prove difficult, I imagine. I did not mind my time at that shop; actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I will not buy a tea in a teashop w/o tasting it first; yet, there are reasons for a place not to give a sample of any & every tea a potential customer wants to taste. I do dislike lies quite a bit. Fortunately, I am ignorant enough to blissfully sample tea while not realizing how much someone might be trying to mislead me.
This high mountain black tea provides a great first infusion w/ little leaf. If one keeps the time of the first infusion a bit short for black tea; then a longer second infusion is just as good, & a third okay. 3 good infusions for not so many leaves & good flavors. Great!

[jayinhk]

Drinking Sabah Tea today--from the north coast of Borneo. Cheap, and I bought it just to buy it, but after two years in a poorly sealed bag, it's actually pretty nice, and appears to have pretty significant cha qi. I feel great after drinking a cup. I had to strain it a la Indian tea as it is tea dust, but I feel an incredible sense of calm after just using a pinch of dust in a mug. Mild orange flavor and smooth drinking after brewing for 2-3 mins at 90 C.

I used to have no idea how to brew this stuff and brewed it way too hot and strong, which made it astringent and bitter, but brewed lightly like this, it's really very pleasant.

https://www.facebook.com/sabahtea

[shah82]

People should buy high quality 100% oxidized or nearly so bold black unbroken tea and age them.

I bought 50g of Houde's 2009 Hao Xian black tea specifically for aging in a tin, and the other day I had a truly marvelous session with it, which was pretty close to a fruity yancha in experience. And yes, that caffeine converts to a qi-like experience in the earlier brews.

So when you see that Red Blossom has a lot of that lishan black tea, or you peeking at some better made fujian congou, particularly the jinjunmei (assuming it's well made with yancha leaves), consider going for the full pound or 600g of tea, put it in a mostly airtight container, and wait about a decade before consumption. Very expensive to do things this way, but you'll also have some seriously good tea (those that don't bust and just go stale). Teas like qimen does well, but you mostly just get mellow, thicker soup, and lots of plum, compared to the more multifaceted teas made with oolong leaves.

[jayinhk]

Drinking aged Keemun at a cafe in HK. probably 10-20 years old. Good cha qi but almost no aroma since it was brewed a little too cold.

[Alucard]

Bang Dong Hong from W2T

[debunix]

Tippy golden yunnan....so nice. I do not drink this lovely tea often enough.

[Rui]

2016 Namring Upper Darjeeling First Flush from Mariage Freres in France. Absolutely divine.

[Bok]

2016 Namring Upper Darjeeling First Flush from Mariage Freres in France. Absolutely divine.

I used to buy their First flushes when living in Paris.
Have good memories of them as well! Nice stuff. Have you tried Palais des Thés (also in Paris). A friend had brought over some of their Darjeelings, which were at least as good, if not nicer.

Would like to drink some Darjeeling from time to time, but living in Taiwan now it does make no economical sense whatsover to buy it. What I can get here for the price of a good Darjeeling is much better value for the money.

Some might say they’d wish to face this kind of dilemma – who am I to complain

[Rui]

2016 Namring Upper Darjeeling First Flush from Mariage Freres in France. Absolutely divine.

I used to buy their First flushes when living in Paris.
Have good memories of them as well! Nice stuff. Have you tried Palais des Thés (also in Paris). A friend had brought over some of their Darjeelings, which were at least as good, if not nicer.

Would like to drink some Darjeeling from time to time, but living in Taiwan now it does make no economical sense whatsover to buy it. What I can get here for the price of a good Darjeeling is much better value for the money.

Some might say they’d wish to face this kind of dilemma – who am I to complain

In the past I have tried Palais des Thés teas but not their Darjeelings. In fact this is the second time I have tried a First Flush Darjeeling. Another French company I like to try their teas from is Dammann.

That is so very true. In the Far East there is a much better value for money although I only buy a packet a year of 1st flush Darjeeling to keep me going until the new Chinese white and green teas come out.

[Bok]

In the past I have tried Palais des Thés teas but not their Darjeelings. In fact this is the second time I have tried a First Flush Darjeeling. Another French company I like to try their teas from is Dammann.

Is it the ones sold in black tins, or did you buy them in a loose bag?
Back then, I must admit, I bought them for the look of the tins rather then knowing about the teas…

I was John Snow in those days…

Another shop in Paris I have heard good things is the Maison de trois thés.

[Rui]

In the past I have tried Palais des Thés teas but not their Darjeelings. In fact this is the second time I have tried a First Flush Darjeeling. Another French company I like to try their teas from is Dammann.

Is it the ones sold in black tins, or did you buy them in a loose bag?
Back then, I must admit, I bought them for the look of the tins rather then knowing about the teas…

I was John Snow in those days…

Another shop in Paris I have heard good things is the Maison de trois thés.

Cheers. Thanks for the tip on another French company I was not aware of. About to go and investigate it.

Yes Dammann are the ones with square tins while Mariage Freres have round tins. I prefer to buy the tea loose as it is cheaper without the tins.

[Alucard]

Georgia Mr. Ramiz black tea from What-Cha. Smooth, sweet, very little or no astringency.

[Alucard]

Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong from Norbu. This is very enjoyable on this chilly overcast afternoon. Clean smokiness, light fruity sweetness.

[debunix]

Jin Jun Mei, a very fancy gift version that continues to be fruity and floral and delicious.