Ancient Golden Yunnan - Organic - Fair Trade
87
Percentile
3 ratings |
|
Commercial Description
This certified organic black tea is harvested from Yunnan’s ancient tea trees. Its deeply flavored infusion has notes of peppery spice, chocolate, sweet raisin, and a malty finish. Golden Yunnan has expertly fermented, even graded leaves and big, golden buds. Its wonderfully full-flavored and rich body is a treat for black tea lovers.
Brewing Instructions: (from Rishi Tea)
Water: 212˚F / Boiling / Leaves: 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces / Infusion Time: 4–5 minutes
Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 of 1 page with 3 reviews
80 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5Difflugia (170 reviews) on Apr. 18th, 2017
While somewhat broken, the dry tea is in relatively large pieces and the golden tips that the style is known for are apparent. The aroma is malty with notes of raisins.
While brewing, the tea smells wonderful. The maltiness is pronounced, but tannic, leafy and perhaps mineral elements are also present.
The first taste is more bitter and astringent than I was expecting and I wouldn't have guessed in a blind tasting that this tea is Chinese. Other Yunnan teas that I've tasted are milder with the maltiness being more pronounced. Don't get me wrong, I really like this tea, it just has a flavor profile that I normally expect from a Darjeeling or even a quality Assam.
As the tea cools, the bitterness, mild though it is already, begins to fade and the astringency becomes more pronounced. The finish is long-lasting and fruity with flavors of pitaya and dark plum. This is an easy tea to savor and it's a disappointment when it's gone.
As an aside, I initially had a lower opinion of this tea because I thought that the quality didn't justify the price I paid. It turns out that Whole Foods sold it to me for nearly double what Rishi sells it for online. Rishi's price of $3.50/oz is still expensive, but more closely matches my expectations for this tea.
83 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5E. Alex Gerster (66 reviews) on Jul. 20th, 2011
This has become one of the staples in my cupboard over the past year. It is one of those highly adaptable teas that seems to appeal equally to friends who are tea purists, and those who just want a "good cuppa' tea" as well.
Bold, smooth, slight malty flavor with a lingering caramel aftertaste. A very nice balance of earthiness with very light astringency. Brews up into a beautiful dark amber color after the recommended 4 to 5 minute steep.
Although I usually drink my teas unsweetened, I have had a touch of agave nectar in this one on occasion and it actually enhances the flavors very nicely.
80 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5Alex Zorach (1448 reviews) on Nov. 5th, 2010
The dry leaf has an incredibly fruity aroma, like apricot.
This is a strong black tea with a very pleasing aroma and flavor. It is malty like an Assam, but with less edge. Unfortunately, there's only a hint of the pleasing fruity quality that I noticed in the dry leaf. Less bitter than you'd expect, and not very astringent or tannic, although there's a muted tannic aftertaste. Very balanced and agreeable given how strong it is.
Rishi recommends using the liberal quantity of 1 tablespoon of leaves per 8 oz. water, and brewing for 5 minutes...while this seems like a lot, I really liked the results when brewing this way: this tea is so smooth that it's not quite too much. The result is an extraordinarily intense cup that is almost jet black, but still less tannic than a number of weaker black teas.
Brewing the way I would a normal black tea, I found this tea was a bit too smooth: it comes across as earthy but doesn't have much kick.
I really like this tea. It's a bit pricey given how much leaf you need to use, but it has the quality to back up the price. My only wish with it is that the fruity quality of the dry loose leaf would come through more in the actual cup.
Page 1 of 1 page with 3 reviews
More Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis) from China from Rishi Tea
Jade Cloud (aka Green Jade)
| Style: | Green Tea |
| Region: | Hubei, China |
| Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
| Leaf: | Loose |
52
6 Ratings
