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

[sherubtse]

Working my way through a sample of Laoshan Black, from a company rarely mentiond in these parts - Verdant Tea.

A very pleasant taste of cocoa through all infusions, with a roasted sweetness underneath.

Best wishes,
sherubtse

[ethan]

sherubtse, Thank you. I ordered Verdant's $5 for 5 samples for new customers, so will get to try the black laoshan.

[sherubtse]

sherubtse, Thank you. I ordered Verdant's $5 for 5 samples for new customers, so will get to try the black laoshan.

I acquired the same item(s). They should send you the Laoshan Black as part of the sample. (Though to be sure, you may wish to ask for it specificallly.)

Best wishes,
sherubtse

[ethan]

From Verdant Tea:
the above-mentioned sampler arrived; &, I am drinking the Laoshan Black.

I like it. It seems simple at first but understated nuances get noticed after a few sips. Also, perhaps it is better when not very hot. Seems very good; yet, not very different from Black Pearl from Mountain Tea which at first I felt was overly simple in taste but gives a bit of complexity when I keep the steeping time to < 2 1/2 minutes.

Oh, this Laoshan Black is better when not real hot. Very nice & w/ a kick (of caffeine).

[ethan]

From Yunnan Sourcing: Imperial Mojang Golden Bud Yunnan Black Autumn 2013.
Opening the foil package I was excited by the bright golden tea which proved to be very tasty & fairly complex: flavors of good dian hong. (Not much sweetness)
It is a strong, rich flavor w/ body & kick.
I think I'll use a little less leaf next time to see if w/ less power, some sweetness comes through.
Very good tea.

[ethan]

From Yunnan Sourcing: Wu Liang Mtn. Gold Bud Tippy Yunnan Black Autumn 2013.
Not as complex as the tea above, but looks & tastes good.

[shah82]

2009 harvest of YinJunMei from Teaspring, the very last of it.

Has a ton of qi, and the flavor isn't too muted, and has nice grannyface powder. Now I wish I had more of it. Knowing how downscale puerh has gotten since about 2010 or so, if the same holds true of black tea (and this was true for yunnan gold as puerh gobbled plantations meant for black tea in the mid2k's), later iterations won't age as well.

[ethan]

From Yunnan Sourcing: Imperial Gold Needle Yunnan Bl. Tea autumn '13

Has a sweetness that I have been craving while still quite a bit like dian hong. Very good, "balanced complexity" (got to laugh at myself for trying to get a description just right, but this is close)

[ethan]

from Yunnan Sourcing, autumn 2013: Pure Bud Bi Luo Chun. Pretty gold pearls that are soft to the touch (true also of golden needle reviewed above) another tea in the same flavor group as dian hong but again different
? arises for me about the difference between the 4 YS black teas I have now from autumn 2013 & the Spring 2012 -- how much is due to time of year, different terroir, etc.
good, but sweet in a slightly off-putting syrupy way (in taste not mouthfeel)

[mcrdotcom]

Keemun Superior from an Irish vendor this evening. Last of it I have, fabulous flavours

[PurplePotato]

Rainforest Light Black from Tao of Tea. When I first got this tea, it was strongly acidic, but trying it again the acidity has mellowed down nicely and the complexity has increased as well.

Yesterday, I stuffed my little yixing full with tea (buds!). I knew consciously that this packing had to be a terrible idea, given my past experience with this tea, but I went with my gut anyways. The result was rather strong, but still very drinkable. Today, on its second outing, the tea has mellowed quite a bit, and is just plain tasty, with the latest infusion having a nice floral and plummy aroma, along with a sweet sticky banana like taste.

Rain Light Black.jpg

Next time you get some tea and it is off, make sure you give it some time to rest. you have nothing to loose, and may experience dramatic results.

[verus]

My regular morning cup of tea: tea bags from Tanzania. They're lovely, just a great, well balanced, slightly sweet but still powerful organic black tea. I love the stuff.

[ethan]

versus, where did you buy them?

[verus]

It's a chain store here in the Netherlands, most of their tea tends to be mediocre but their black tea bags are great:

http://www.simonlevelt.nl/thee/theezakj ... e-melange/

I don't know if they ship abroad...

They have also a Chinese green tea, the green snowbud, that is yummy. And the White Darjeeling they sell is good too.

[sriracha]

Yesterday I brought a YS 'Drunk on red' cake to work, figuring it would be good tea to drink while working. Today's first infusion smells a little like sun-warmed timber or sleepers. =)