Tea: Chinese Breakfast™ - Yunnan Black Tea
A Yunnan Red from Numi Organic Tea - Organic - Fair Trade
Brand: | Numi Organic Tea |
Style: | Yunnan Red |
Region: | Yunnan, China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Loose? | Teabag |
# Ratings: | 2 View All |
Product page: | Chinese Breakfast™ - Yunnan Black Tea |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 42 of Yunnan Red
✓ 501 of Black Tea
✓ 11 of Numi Organic Tea
✓ 81 from Yunnan, China
✓ 382 from China
Review of Chinese Breakfast™ - Yunnan Black Tea
November 28th, 2011
Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
6 of 10 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 67 of 100 |
Good | Excellent | Reasonable |
A classic Yunnan black tea, unusually smooth for a tea bag. Aroma is complex, with hints of cocoa, wood, and fruit. Peppery finish, characteristic of Yunnan teas.
I recommend a longer steeping time (5+ min). This tea is not as aromatic as a loose-leaf Yunnan, and its flavor is mild so you can steep it for a long time without it becoming too bitter or astringent.
A very well-executed tea and the first Yunnan I've had in a tea bag, among the best black teas I have had yet from a simple tea bag. Yet fairly expensive for what it is. For the price of a box of 16 bags, I could order far more loose-leaf tea. This is something I'd be happy to order in a cafe but it is priced too high relative to loose-leaf tea for me to buy it for regular use.
I will note, however, that it does have organic and fair trade certification, so factoring this into the price may make it seem more reasonable.
I do have one final comment. I notice Numi claims a trademark on the name Chinese Breakfast. This seems an overzealous attempt at trademarking, and it makes a somewhat bad impression on me, like the company is trying to overreach with its branding or intellectual property. Numerous other companies already have teas by this name. This was a bit off-putting to me, enough that I feel like mentioning it in this review.