985 Tasting Notes
I bought enough of this for myself and a tea friend to try on a recent, probably once in a lifetime, trip to Harney’s in Soho. I am definitely not disappointed!
Sometimes, Keemuns are a little too smokey for my taste and sometimes have a bitter end (the taste, not that they were thrown out! Then again, I think I have thrown at least one out…..). This one is perfect. It is not as light and refined as Keemun Mao Feng, but it has a good solid base, a full mouth feel, and beyond that, it has me at a loss for words.
Good for you, Harney! I have yet another tea on my shopping list!
Preparation
This is a backlog from yesterday…….
I had a tea to go of this with honey from Harney & Son’s in Soho. Yes, that is absolutely correct. This bumpkin from Ohio just happened to be at a trade show in NJ where we were done in the early afternoon. My boss asked if there was anywhere I wanted to go in NYC, and the first thing that came to mind was Harney’s. It was such a great treat to get to go….I sampled Pomegranate Oolong, and had a sample of Golden Snail iced. I picked up some Midsummer’s Peach loose leaf by the ounce, and a few ounces of English Breakfast to try at home. The store is beautiful and yet simple. The staff was extremely helpful. After shopping at Harney, we had dinner in Little Italy, and then went to Veniero’s for dessert. My boss bought me another tin of Keemun Mao Feng as a gift. It was a total squee day for a diehard Harney fan.
For those that wonder about their pricing per ounce, from what I saw, they sell by the ounce based upon the online price per pound (pound price/16 = ounce price). I do know the Millerton store will ship amounts of 2 ounces or more out to US for $4.75 up to $25, $5.50 for up to $50, and $6.50 for up to $125… and ships for free at $125. This sounds like a great option to me, if you need refills for your tins……
That IS a great treat! I never thought to have Keemun Mao Feng with honey! How did you like it?
If I could handle the calories, I would drink it like that always….. ;) YUM!
Awesome, I love the Harney Soho store! Glad you got the chance to visit it while you were in town!
One day, if I ever go to New York City, I am so going to the H&S store. *is envious *
I was there the day after you! Made a lunchtime run down there on the subway to get a little tin of Golden Snail. It was hard to restrain myself from buying a lot more! The shop is lovely, especially in the middle of a weekday when it’s not too crowded.
My morning tea of yesterday. Very good. Now that I am not drinking it in a side by side, I do think I could probably live with just this one! Resteap at 6 minutes is as good as the first. I must love this, because once my cup is empty, I stare at the bottom and always wish there was more…..
Preparation
This was the afternoon tea of yesterday. I brewed a pot for my daughter’s friends, and we all tried it. Love that you could taste the maple and buttery flavors. It was great sweetened, and we added a little milk. I am holding off on rating until I can brew like normal, so it is more an apples to apples comparison. But we all had fun at our little tea party.
Preparation
My tea of the morning….. Can I just say how happy I am that there is more than one tea in my life? Yes, I still go weak in the knees for a good China black tea, and this one definitely delivers. It is staple-worthy, and almost worth committing to as a one and only. Almost.
For my usual price comparison: This one comes out to be $2.50 an ounce which is mid range in my scale of cost, plus it is packaged very nicely. I have heard that it now comes in a golden tin, but mine was the standard black with a gold lable. It was also packaged with an inner pouch to keep the tea at peak freshness until you open it (or at least mine was). It resteaps great, and is so complex. The coiled leaves open up into a rather large volume…I am always amazed at the volume difference from measuring out of the tin to post steap. It is a must try if you are fond of China black tea.
Preparation
SimplyJenW, mine did come in a gold tin with an inner foil pouch. But my chocolate mint also came in a gold tin so I am wondering if the company has an anniversary coming up or something? It doesn’t seem long since they celebrated their 25th, though. Maybe they just go t a great deal on gold tins! :P
If I weren’t on a Harney hiatus due to terrible shipping practices to Canada, I would be all over this. Currently trying to scope out plain black teas and finding a preference for China Blacks.
@Uniquity…I would work out just about anything with you for US tea for some David’s Buttered Rum…..
That could work for me.. There were a couple of Harney’s blacks I was interested in. Shoot me a PM and we can try to work it out?
My tea of the day. I got three steaps out of this one today. Yum! Definitely a favorite.
Preparation
I MUST place my first Upton order! I want that digital scale, too, so I can measure precisely even the longest and lightest leaves! :)
I am sure I will get more when the new teas come in. I think the ones I like come in the Fall? Then I can sample a few more. I just love that they have so many choices within one category.
I’m waiting for the fall selection too! That’s when I expect all those nice China blacks to arrive.
If either of you notice the fall selection coming out, could you give me a heads up? That is what I am crazy for, too!
I’ll spread the good news as soon as I see it. I already check the Newest Arrivals page daily, even though I know my favorites won’t come in for months yet!:) The only new China blacks right now are the pre-Chingming ones, which I interpret as the equivalent of “first flush” teas — more delicate than the ones harvested later in the season. And delicacy is not what I’m looking for in this particular category.
I decided to try this again for my evening tea, and drank it lightly sweetened. It really was not as bad as I remember. I do think there might be hibiscus in this blend, which is kind of unexpected. Anyway, I think I am going to try it iced next time….. But it will NOT be going on the repurchase list. I think hibiscus and red rooibos are just too much for me in one tea……one or the other is fine.
Preparation
I am revisiting a few of my China black samples to make notes on which to possibly purchase in the future. Refer to other tasting notes as this one is mostly for me…..
I really like this one. It fits the profile of what I would think for a black of this region with cocoa notes, smooth taste, and is enjoyable. Price is about $1 an ounce. Great for brewing once as far as cost goes (I usually try to plan when I drink my more expensive teas, that I will have time for rebrewings.)
I bought a pound because it is SO GOOD for breakfast!
The pounds are dangerous…If I really like a tea, the cheapo in me always wants the best deal adn the most amount, that way I can love it for longer. I could easily end up with a pound of everything..
Pounds ARE dangerous….that is why ordering from the shops sounds so great…..their per ounce prices are usually based upon the price per pound. And if I have a tin, I can reuse it, and save a litte money.
When I order English Breakfast in a restaurant (often the only black tea that’s available), I am always so delighted when it arrives and turns out to be Harney’s. I will have to try the loose form someday.
So far I have managed to restrain myself. I have only purchased Queen Catherine, English Breakfast, and Tower of London in pound bags, a friend went nuts for Catherine and begged four ounces off me. :) But I would have a pound bag of Golden Monkey if it hadn’t sold out, and just wait and see what happens when it is back in stock! :)
Oh, rubbish. I forgot I wanted to try Tower of London. I really need to stop being on Steepster. : ) So far I only have a pound bag of vanilla comoro…but we’ll see.
I wish I had known it came in loose leaf (the bags are convenient, but the loose leaf always seems to taste better). I would have looked at the Soho store. I have been wanting to try it, too. Mabe my Barnes & Noble has sachets…..