Tea: Ning'er "Golden Honey Aroma" Yunnan Black Tea
A Yunnan Gold from Yunnan Sourcing
| Brand: | Yunnan Sourcing |
| Style: | Yunnan Gold |
| Region: | Simao, Yunnan, China |
| Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
| Loose? | Loose |
| # Ratings: | 2 View All |
| Product page: | Ning'er "Golden Honey Aroma" Yunnan Black Tea |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 27 of Yunnan Gold
✓ 42 of Yunnan Red
✓ 33 of Yunnan Sourcing
✓ 10 from Simao, Yunnan, China
✓ 81 from Yunnan, China
Review of Ning'er "Golden Honey Aroma" Yunnan Black Tea
October 13th, 2024
| Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
| 9 of 10 | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 90 of 100 |
| Superb | Good | Good Value |
I really enjoyed this tea, although it was not my favorite-of-all-favorites. It grew on me somewhat as I drank it more. I'd put it towards the category of "my least favorite among my most favorite types of tea" if that makes sense? Like it breaks into the top category but only barely.
The leaf is quite beautiful, I'd say unusually so for a tea in this price range. It also smells nice, not an explosively strong aroma but pleasant, and even in the dry leaf I get the honey notes a bit.
The brewed cup is soft and mellow. The aroma isn't super strong but it is definitely subtle and complex. It does smell a lot like honey, sweet and slightly floral! There are also fairly strong malty notes and hints of chocolate. The malty notes remind me of rye which I really like. The flavor is mild for a tea: it has considerable sweetness, a slight savory quality, and minimal bitterness or sourness.
The mouthfeel is very smooth, too much so for my tastes. There is only a faint astringency. I find myself wanting more. In some regards this tea resembles a smoother version of the Traditional Process Dian Hong Black Tea of Feng Qing, but I like that tea more as it has more astringency. This tea was never quite as satisfying. I found in order to get it as full-bodied as I'd like, I had to brew it more strongly, and then it ended up being too caffeinated and making me a bit jittery.
This tea resteeps very well. I usually made two infusions, which was easy. It infuses slowly and is not very particular about brewing conditions. It tastes good stronger or weaker.
The price is great. I know I only gave this a 4/5 but I think that's less about its quality and more that it just isn't the type of tea I most enjoy. The price on this is really a steal, $11.50 for 100 grams for one of these golden-leaf, single-harvest traditional artisan teas? Yunnan Sourcing continues to deliver outstanding value.
This tea might be good for people who enjoy a smooth, mild tea that you can brew extra strong without it becoming too astringent or bitter, but I don't usually like my tea that way. If you like smoother, more subtle teas though, I'd highly recommend this one.
