Four Horsemen

Gong fu session. Advent Tea. Day something of something. I’m actually on my third gaiwan. This is a great earthy black tea with overarching woodsy notes.

On a side note if you’re looking for a good Christmas movie to add to your repertoire look up Klaus on Netflix. This one gets astringent fairly quickly so maybe doing it western style is preferred. This third steeping is lacking a bit of the depth that the first two had. Earthy aroma. Wet deciduous forest.

Thought I’d save enough for another cup tomorrow but sometimes today is tomorrow so I’m drinking it this afternoon. Right now. Definitly could have used more leaf and I prefer it gong fu style. More of the earthy wet wood tones come out.

I’ve always wanted to try this one because I thought the name was interesting for a tea!   The four horsemen… isn’t the first name you’d think of for a tea, but it’s quite evocative.   The idea here is four different black teas in this blend!  I like it already… I hardly meet a black tea I don’t like… AND none of the four are Ceylon, so it’s probably going to be a winner for me.  The four:  Assam Fine Tippy Golden Flower Orange Pekoe,  Keemun,  Yunnan, and Darjeeling second flush.  I can definitely see the darjeeling leaf in there – it isn’t much, just a speckle here and there.  And the Darjeeling definitely adds an extra fragrant element to the flavor!  If I had to pick a “four horsemen” of the black teas it could probably very well include assam, keemun, and yunnan and I’m not sure on the fourth tea I’d pick but the Darjeeling works here.  The flavor is great — definitely a strong, rich breakfast tea but not really astringent.  It has a sweetness to it.  I can definitely taste the keemun, but overall it’s a nice balance. Also a great solid second steep. I hope Maya keeps this one around, as I’m a fan.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a big mug // 25 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 2 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep

I like the idea of this tea, blending 4 teas together to meld their flavors. But it just washes out each of the individual tea flavors and what’s left is a rather uninteresting tea. I tried a bit more leaf this morning and while the first steep was a bit mineral, it was smooth and not bitter. Smooth is usually good but I was left hoping for a bit more taste. The second steep was just too weak. I would add it to an order as an afterthought, but I wouldn’t seek this out again.

Bring it on! This tea has depth, some smokiness, but not too much. I use this one as a base tea and blend in some smoother flavored teas like a Hazelnut or Creme Brûlée tea. The Four Horsemen can easily stand on its own, but I love the way it kicks up the flavor on other loose leaf teas.