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

[puerhking]

2014 Spring Wild Arbor Feng Qing - Pure Assamica from YS. Thought this tea was pretty good until I brewed it gongfu style.....and wow......super yum. Nice thick body and dense flavors.....touch of florals, some fruit, leather and what I can only describe as a cognac like flavor.

sounds great. have you tried the Old Arbor?

I have not. But I will on my next order. I have tried:
R = recommend
Wild Arbor Feng Qing Pure Assamica - R
Da Hu Sai Village Wild Arbor
High Mountain Red Ai Lao - R
Light Roast Wild Tree Purple Varietal - R
Yi Mei Ren Wu Liang Mountain - R
Yunnan Black Gold - R
Yunnan Black Gold Bi Luo Chun
Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong of Wu Yi Fujian - R

[debunix]

Having a suprisingly pleasant session with a sample of Margaret's Hope SFTGFOP 2nd flush darjeeling from Norbu, a 2014 tea sample that slipped to the bottom of the tea chest. It's delicate and floral and pleasant, and several (rather dilute) flash infusions have not had a hint of the bitterness I so dread in trying a new black tea.

[ethan]

Back from Thailand. Making tea w/ favorite inexpensive Spring water. It is a bit better. My favorite again, Himalayan Orange from Jun Chiyabari, Nepal. Posting because the tea continues to give new pleasures. Opening my tea caddy, the leaves give a delightful aroma which continues go get stronger over the months. (When I first got the tea last summer, the dry leaves had no scent.)

The aroma that begins & lasts once the leaves are wet w/ boiling water, is totally different than the scent of the dry leaves: it's the same as always, I am different. I now recognize sandalwood as one of the elements of the bouquet of fruit w/ a very slight hint of flowers.

The taste is wonderful as before: so complex. I often vary preparation so some notes such as citrus, muscatel, etc. are sometimes pronounced or sometimes reduced to hints. It is never a meek tea whether I steep 3 minutes or 5 minutes; yet, the long-lingering aftertaste & silky mouthfeel are subtle.

I've recently read that the Darjeeling black tea (how this is categorized) is really oolong since not quite 100% oxidized--only 90%. I guess that is how there is more play in the flavors, but I don't really know or care. I do care that it is so satisfying.

I do want to sell some. I bought 10 kg. & have been told it gets weak after 3 years. I only use 2 grams per 8 oz. & get 2 infusions. Even drinking it 2 or more cups a day, I will consume 1 kg a year. I think I will post again in TeaSwap. Cheers

[puerhking]

2014 Assam Enigma Second Flush from Golden Tips -

Malt....hint of chocolate, with rose and even eucalyptus. Good stuff.

Semi - gong fu.

[TheCeylonTea]

Ceylon Tea Pekoe without any flavoring

[Tead Off]

Jun Chiyabari Hand rolled Himalayan Tips. Whole leaf wonders.

[Puerlife]

I'm drinking "Lahu Tea" from "Pumuen Mountain Thailand". This is mainly a local coffee company but they've come out with one black tea and it's very easy to drink, sweet, full-bodied and aromatic. I'm a total beginner in black tea but my taste buds tell me this is very OK. But the reason I don't drink much black tea is the huge caffeine dump into my system I always feel and this one is no exception. I'm sensitive, so after the initial lift I crash.
I met the owner once and she lamented that the Lahu people who pick the tea refuse to pick just one bud and one leaf. They've always picked four or five leaves and they always will, but sifting through the spent leaves I can't find any multi-leaf stems. Nice, soft stems, though.

Oh, it's got a price I love, 99 baht for 100 grams. That's 3.06 USD.

Website: http://pumuenmountain.com/Default.aspx?pageid=18

[ethan]

trying a sample from a teashop in Newton, MA: Assam Gingia.

Not much different than boxed brands. Pretty much like bagged Irish Breakfast.

Like to keep an open mind, but it seems I am used to tea that gives a lot of flavors etc.

Simpler ones are okay for a change of pace but no thrill.

[ethan]

another sample from teashop in Newton, MA: Assam Torajulie

Not better than the other disappointing Assam I tried; however, drinking it helps me clarify what I want & don't want from tea. Assam seems to have what I don't want w/o having enough characteristics of what I do want.

I don't want excessive briskness & astringency.

I do want floral & fruity notes.

I do want noticeable mouthfeel (refined or milky).

I do want some lingering effects-- aftertaste, comforting silky feeling in throat or qi-like feeling in guts.

[puerhking]

Enjoying the 2014 Autumn Gopaldhara Gold from Golden Tips this morning.

[hopeofdawn]

Also enjoying a darjeeling Gopaldhara autumn 2014 from Darjeeling.cz. I've slowly been learning to enjoy darjeelings--and since I'm recovering from a cold, strong black tea is about the only thing I can really taste right now.

[puerhking]

I have been going through a bunch of samples from Golden Tips teas over the past couple of weeks. My experience is predominately tea from China, Taiwan and Japan....so Darjeelings are strange to me. I try to classify them in the Chinese categories and they just don't fit. They seem more like white tea than anything else....yet they aren't. Soooo....

2015 Okayti First Flush Darjeeling - This one is quite good. Grass, dandelion and coriander.....definitely on the lighter side, but tasty.

If you are interested in trying them....Golden Tips is having a sale on Darjeelings right now.

http://www.goldentipstea.com

[thirst]

I’ve enjoyed drinking a hongcha from Yunnan and one from Sichuan recently, both of which where older purchases from Teaspring that I didn’t like that much when I first tried them – but now I look forward to drinking them. Not at all an expert of hongcha or anything else tea related and I should definitely try a wider range of hongcha, but these are very chocolatey, spicy. There’s something powdery that goes up the nose. My cheapo staple dianhong feels pretty bland in comparison.

[InTeaItrust]

I'm currently drinking darjeeling twinings and tazo.

[puerhking]

Having the 2015 Avongrove Emperor Organic Darjeeling from Golden Tips tonight. Wow.....this stuff is pretty amazing. Really good chaqi also.