Beautiful leaves; thick, delicious smell.
I made this tea up in a gaiwan over many several steepings, and it was excellent; everything I could have hoped a golden needle could be. The very first golden needle I ever tried was ridiculously good and spicy and complex, so it set the bar for me very high. Every other golden needle I’ve tried afterwards has fallen short, except for this one. This was so relaxing and satisfying to drink, because it honored my first memories of Yunnan Golden Buds, and was as delicious as I could ever want! This is doubly excellent, because I only have about an ounce and a half left of that very first YGB, so now I can feel free to drink it at will and just replace it with this. Hoorah!
The first steeping of this tea was quiet and surprising: honey candy. It was as if we’d steeped a piece of honey candy for three minutes, and added some honey to our cups for good measure.
The second steeping is where this tea really opens up and commands your attention. The cinnamon and spices have come right in, and they are a pleasure to discover. In my notes, I wrote down that I felt like I was wrapped in a blanket of spices. It is lightweight, but absolutely strong.
The texture is creamy, and the aftertaste feels like something is evaporating off of the tongue. As I continued to steep, a surprising floral taste establishes itself. The florals are dark, the kind you would taste in dark chocolate, though this doesn’t have any particular cocoa for me. It feels like a guilty pleasure to drink at this point. I imagine someone grinning, checking the room with shifty conspiratorial eyes, and then indulging in the cup, quite delighted to find that no one is going to come and take it away.
Simply my ideal Yunnan Golden Buds.
Tried this again in the gaiwan with more leaves. The floral notes and spiciness are decidedly stronger this way, and the honey is a background supporting flavor. I find this tea changes more over time if I use a normal amount of leaves in my gaiwan, but there are definitely days in the coming fall where I will want to use a little more leaf for a more intense experience.
I have since tried this iced, and it is DARN GOOD. The billowy, full texture is exquisite (I keep wanting to say mellifluous, even though that only applies to sound; however, it is the texture of mellifluous sounds that I am tasting here). Even better- I do not feel guilty making this iced, because it is several dollars cheaper per oz. than the lower quality YGB’s available at my local teahouses.
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Thanks for doing the recon work on this one. Yunnan golden bud/needle is my favorite tea and I’m always nervous when I get low on the ones that I like—fearful that the next batch will not be as good. By the way, I just ordered 4 ounces of the single mountain pu-erh from Verdant; I loved your review of the tea—it reenforced my own strong feelings about it.
Dear Spoonvonstup,
What incredible descriptions you write! It was great to get your feedback in the Minneapolis tasting I did last weekend. I am with you on the “guilty pleasure” description. That is how I felt when this one came in and I got try the first batch. The same shifty eyes of “should I be drinking this? Did I just import this?” Golden Bud / Golden Needle teas seem to have that polarizing effect of incredible or utterly uninspiring.
This one, the Tieguanyin, and the Big Red Robe are really the only “well-known” teas that I import. Usually I am a lot more secure importing from tiny unknown villages and bringing people an entirely new profile. I feel like the selection of “known teas” is already pretty crowded and confusing, and I don’t want to overcrowd unless there is a darn good reason.
Next on the list to find: A white tea worth writing home about. I will cross my fingers that you make it to the next tasting so that I can use your descriptions!
I agree with all the sentiments …this is what I find wonderful about Steepster, finding people who write about and share a passion about the teas they drink..that gets to the culture and nature of the leaf, of the community…..I totally admit that this tea has preoccupied my mind since I first saw it and after having so many of my friends melt after having tried a sample of the Verdant tea Laoshan black, I’m sure it will be on the order I place when the weather cools and people start gathering around the warmth of each others kitchens to share, celebrate, and vitalize…that is a good place for an amazing tea to flower
Triumph – I am always happy to do this kind of recon work! Glad to hear you’re getting more of a the Yiwu. Is a brick going on your holiday wish list?
David – Thank you for bringing in these teas! I’ve never found one tea company where basically everything I try I know I’m going to love. If only there were more book stores and restaurants that worked that way. I am definitely looking forward to trying a white tea from you. I’ve never really gotten into them, and this seems like as good a time as any to restart that education.
Kashyap – I agree completely, especially about what I look for and enjoy the most about tea and tea culture. The Laoshan black is such an unexpected delicious treat, and I’ve found it captivating many of my friends, too. People who always avoid black teas because of bitterness fears just can’t find anything they don’t like in it. Here’s to cooler weather and more cozy teas. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of this one.
Thanks for doing the recon work on this one. Yunnan golden bud/needle is my favorite tea and I’m always nervous when I get low on the ones that I like—fearful that the next batch will not be as good. By the way, I just ordered 4 ounces of the single mountain pu-erh from Verdant; I loved your review of the tea—it reenforced my own strong feelings about it.
Dear Spoonvonstup,
What incredible descriptions you write! It was great to get your feedback in the Minneapolis tasting I did last weekend. I am with you on the “guilty pleasure” description. That is how I felt when this one came in and I got try the first batch. The same shifty eyes of “should I be drinking this? Did I just import this?” Golden Bud / Golden Needle teas seem to have that polarizing effect of incredible or utterly uninspiring.
This one, the Tieguanyin, and the Big Red Robe are really the only “well-known” teas that I import. Usually I am a lot more secure importing from tiny unknown villages and bringing people an entirely new profile. I feel like the selection of “known teas” is already pretty crowded and confusing, and I don’t want to overcrowd unless there is a darn good reason.
Next on the list to find: A white tea worth writing home about. I will cross my fingers that you make it to the next tasting so that I can use your descriptions!
I agree with all the sentiments …this is what I find wonderful about Steepster, finding people who write about and share a passion about the teas they drink..that gets to the culture and nature of the leaf, of the community…..I totally admit that this tea has preoccupied my mind since I first saw it and after having so many of my friends melt after having tried a sample of the Verdant tea Laoshan black, I’m sure it will be on the order I place when the weather cools and people start gathering around the warmth of each others kitchens to share, celebrate, and vitalize…that is a good place for an amazing tea to flower
Triumph – I am always happy to do this kind of recon work! Glad to hear you’re getting more of a the Yiwu. Is a brick going on your holiday wish list?
David – Thank you for bringing in these teas! I’ve never found one tea company where basically everything I try I know I’m going to love. If only there were more book stores and restaurants that worked that way. I am definitely looking forward to trying a white tea from you. I’ve never really gotten into them, and this seems like as good a time as any to restart that education.
Kashyap – I agree completely, especially about what I look for and enjoy the most about tea and tea culture. The Laoshan black is such an unexpected delicious treat, and I’ve found it captivating many of my friends, too. People who always avoid black teas because of bitterness fears just can’t find anything they don’t like in it. Here’s to cooler weather and more cozy teas. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of this one.