Complex and smooth, a bit on the weaker side though. Dry leaf has a strong aroma, characteristic of Yunnan red teas.

Aroma is complex. Moderately smoky, resembling tobacco smoke and smoky green teas (like gunpowder) more than most smoky black teas, also moderately fruity, almost like a Keemun. Flavor unusually smooth.

I found that more leaf than I normally use was necessary to produce a cup of adequate strength for me. However, the price is low for a tea this smooth and with this much complexity. I recommend using more leaf than normal and steeping for a full 5 minutes.

I also found that this tea, in spite of being quite subtle, takes milk exceptionally well. I rarely like drinking teas with milk as I find it tends to mute the aroma and cover up some of the more interesting qualities, but I found that the smoky and fruity tones actually came out when adding a dash of milk.

This was a very interesting one. I've tried a number of Yunnan red teas now, and this one was quite different from the others I have tried: rich and dark, yet without the edge that most of the darker Yunnans have. Not my favorite tea, but I can see certain people really preferring this one, depending on how their tastes are oriented.

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