This is another aliexpress purchase for me. It came packed in a jar, with it and two samples wrapped in bubble wrap to which was affixed postage and address information. Very minimalist packaging but the tea seemed to survive well!
I have tried this tea both western and gongfu style using 1 tower/cone/pagoda per 100ml.
The dry tea is nice and symmetrical with about 70% of the cones being as tippy as the picture. The dry tea smells very fruity with vegetal notes, but when dropped into a hot damp glass it releases a scent of chocolate, malt and cinnamon.
*Gongfu method*
1 min Clear golden broth
Scent light , dark chocolate, honey, cinnamon
light flavour, dark chocolate cake, dark chocolate, cinnamon, pepper, honey, with brighter malt notes and grain notes lingering in the background.
2 min. Deeper cooper colour with yellow ring.
Scent. Chocolate, with stronger malt, cinnamon, and honey, with some plum notes.
Flavour. Fruity, with hints of ribena ( blackcurrant), chocolate, butter, mild honey, oats, pepper, cinnamon and malt. Thick and dense tasting. Not as sweet as some but juicy and chocolate rich with a nice note of spice.
3 min more malt and honey, similar levels of chocolate and sspice. Tastes more chocolate cake like and less fruity than the last steep. The fruit is still underneath offering a certain tart sweet note. Hint of a faint leather note.
4 min
More oatmeal and fruit blended with honey and malt, cocoa fading.
6min. Malt softened by grains and fruit.
*Western Method*
345. Both the scent and flavour are dominated by tart fruit and malt and light leather spice notes. These are supported by chocolate, oatmeal and light honey.
I prefer the early steeps of the gongfu method with the German spiced chocolate cake notes. This tea was not very sweet, but perhaps brewing at a lower temperature than the recommended near boiling would intensify the existing sweetness. The tart fruit almost creates a rich tart red wine note at times. Altogether an interesting and easy to brew tea!
*I bought it at this shop
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Yunnan-red-tea-handmade-small-pagoda-tea-afternoon-black-tea/1000467574.html#
but it was available through other shops as well.
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