A sample tea I got from Upton with one of my recent orders.
I have to agree with Jacqueline that this is a bit lighter in body and more oolong-ish than the Chinese Keemuns. My cup is a lovely dark red. I’m not really getting the smokiness myself, but I’m picking up on a sweetish, woody type of flavor. There is a definite tannin bite in the finish of this tea which is bugging me… maybe it needs less steeping time than what Upton recommended (5 minutes).
I enjoyed this a bit more with some soymilk which cut out some of the tannins and brought out a sweeter note. This was ok but not going on my list of items to buy.
Preparation
Comments
I have a sample of this that I need to try, although hearing it’s oolong-ish is a little disheartening.
So, what’s this tannin bite like? I’ve been tasting something in my finish lately. And now that I think of it, I don’t recall it in whites or greens-just blacks.The best way I can describe it is something bitter and sharp, slightly astringent. I only seem to find it in black tea personally.
I’ve tried a few different ones and they just don’t seem to be favorites of mine. To each their own!
WOW…….This one takes me back at least 8 yrs, and it was $2 cheaper, so not really a huge price increase. Anywho, without giving a full review (and I really do remember this one), I thought it was really good. I must have used more leaf, because I remember a fuller falavor. It is definitely different than a Chinese Keemun, I distinctly remember it being woody (oaky perhaps), but definitely woody. I don’t remember the Oolong note, and there is no smokiness like some Chinese Keemuns.
Hey wait…….this is turning into a full review…….me done. :))
I have a sample of this that I need to try, although hearing it’s oolong-ish is a little disheartening.
So, what’s this tannin bite like? I’ve been tasting something in my finish lately. And now that I think of it, I don’t recall it in whites or greens-just blacks.The best way I can describe it is something bitter and sharp, slightly astringent. I only seem to find it in black tea personally.
My wishlist is safe from Keemun reviews…phew : )
I’ve tried a few different ones and they just don’t seem to be favorites of mine. To each their own!
WOW…….This one takes me back at least 8 yrs, and it was $2 cheaper, so not really a huge price increase. Anywho, without giving a full review (and I really do remember this one), I thought it was really good. I must have used more leaf, because I remember a fuller falavor. It is definitely different than a Chinese Keemun, I distinctly remember it being woody (oaky perhaps), but definitely woody. I don’t remember the Oolong note, and there is no smokiness like some Chinese Keemuns.
Hey wait…….this is turning into a full review…….me done. :))