I'm not so good with naming flavors that I don't already know.
Can somebody help me describe the flavor from Big Red Robe? My mind wants to say tobacco-like, but that doesn't quite seem right.
Anybody?
Dec 17th, '08, 01:46
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ABx
It really depends on the one you get. Every store sells a different DHP with different characteristics. Where did you get the one you're trying to describe?
The essential DHP taste/aroma that sets it apart from other yancha is floral, perhaps with a bit of honeysuckle and a light roasted honey foundation to that floral note. That's just a small group of notes within a variety of stronger base characteristics that will vary between farms, batches, and ages. If you have a young high-fire one, for example, it may be nothing but roast (some call it charcoal), which hides the nuances until it ages for a few years.
The essential DHP taste/aroma that sets it apart from other yancha is floral, perhaps with a bit of honeysuckle and a light roasted honey foundation to that floral note. That's just a small group of notes within a variety of stronger base characteristics that will vary between farms, batches, and ages. If you have a young high-fire one, for example, it may be nothing but roast (some call it charcoal), which hides the nuances until it ages for a few years.
Interesting. . . I bought batches from both Yunnan Sourcing and also from the Dragon Tea House. They really taste the same to me. Or at least 85% the same, I haven't done a back-to-back tasting. They both have the same really strong flavor that I can't pin -- molasses seems to be going in the right direction, but I suppose it could just be "roast."ABx wrote:It really depends on the one you get. Every store sells a different DHP with different characteristics. Where did you get the one you're trying to describe?
Hmmmm...
Dec 17th, '08, 07:21
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Herb_Master
Maybe you should distinguish between Qing Xiang and Nong Xiang.
Trendy is Qing Xiang but many old vendors sell Nong Xiang and call that traditional.
Qing Xiang is more floral but fades out easily. Nong Xiang you can still sense the fire left over.
Top-grade like Zheng Yan, I often felt it's neither Qing Xiang or Nong Xiang..and taste never fades out!
Oh by the way, a key to understand DHP is a cliff feeling called Yan Yun. Sort of Hui Gan that enlightens you gravity..(at least that's what book said
). Is what Wuyi lovers consider as Hui Gan or camphor aroma as Puerh lovers do. Bad DHP doesn't have Yan Yun.
Trendy is Qing Xiang but many old vendors sell Nong Xiang and call that traditional.
Qing Xiang is more floral but fades out easily. Nong Xiang you can still sense the fire left over.
Top-grade like Zheng Yan, I often felt it's neither Qing Xiang or Nong Xiang..and taste never fades out!
Oh by the way, a key to understand DHP is a cliff feeling called Yan Yun. Sort of Hui Gan that enlightens you gravity..(at least that's what book said
). Is what Wuyi lovers consider as Hui Gan or camphor aroma as Puerh lovers do. Bad DHP doesn't have Yan Yun.
camphor is a woody kind of spicy sweet smell that i think comes from a certain type of evergreen. i only really know the smell on its own from burt's bees products but its pretty common in asia i guess.
and i can see da hong pao having kind of a tobacco-like flavor but definitly sweet too. it is hard to describe. i don't really think of it as floral though, at least what i've had. and yeah, if anyone's had the teaspring dhp i would like to hear about it.
and i can see da hong pao having kind of a tobacco-like flavor but definitly sweet too. it is hard to describe. i don't really think of it as floral though, at least what i've had. and yeah, if anyone's had the teaspring dhp i would like to hear about it.
Dec 17th, '08, 17:43
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Proinsias
I had both of the Teaspring DHP mini pack offerings earlier in the year. One was better than the other, have no idea which was which now, but neither of them were anything to write home about - just good enough for a half baked TeaChat post.
Hou de has given me the best DHP I've had online with Jing coming in second.
Hou de has given me the best DHP I've had online with Jing coming in second.
Dec 18th, '08, 03:19
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tenuki
Yes, I also heard they put camphor leaves or pots next to crappy puerh in storage.Oni wrote:About camphor, if you have used Bengay or smelled it, it is the same smell, I read they plant camphor trees near the tea trees so it can take up this taste, and it lasts long, even till the last infusion.
But that tends to leave after a few infusions and never really be in the taste component, only in the smell I would bet.A friend of mine who grows and makes his own tea for fun made the observation that his tea had very strong pine scent components in it (which I agreed with after I tasted it). His plants were right next to a pine tree. He just moved to a new house and brought his plants with him, so we'll see next time he harvests if the pine goes away.
Do something different, something different will happen. ( Gong Fu Garden )