A fantastic tea. Great complexity – a balance of savory, sweet, spicy, and smoky.
It is also very dynamic – every infusion brought out a whole new balance of flavors: sometimes sweeter, sometimes smokier, sometimes spicier, etc. Highly recommend gong fu style with plenty of leaf so you can treat yourself to very engaging tea session!
There is an element to it that does require some getting used to. Some of the notes that come through are simply not that familiar. The carob and light malty-sweet smoke notes (for lack of a more accurate description…) are a bit strange at first, and are not something you find in other teas. So, give yourself some time to acclimate, and you will find yourself wanting to explore this tea more and more.
Last question – is there a bamboo aroma? I don’t know. Haven’t sniffed bamboo in a long time. I’ll sniff some the next time I go to the zoo and will report back.
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Dry leaf: dark caramel, wildflower honey, grape stem, hints of sweet smoke; complex note like apple tart (cooked green apples, caramel, spices) comes through
Smell: dark caramel, carob, sweet smoke. Apple tart note still there. Leaf/stem note you get with roasted oolongs or black tea blends.
Taste: strongly brewed English breakfast tea, dark caramel, apple tart (green apple, caramel, spice), dry spice – allspice, hint of black pepper. Carob, dark chocolate, and dried tart fruit (cherries) in aftertaste.
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I LOVE tian jian. I remember some of Scott’s other tian jians having qualities akin to black tea. This kind in particular hardly ever reaches the West, so much like maple-flavored things are nostalgic in the US, tian jian is marketed mainly to southern Chinese, many of whom will recall the “fragrance” of bamboo from their childhood.
The bamboo note is very interesting and adds some complexity to the brew. Too bad it doesn’t conjure up any fond memories for me. My childhood was filled more with tomato plants and poison ivy!
I’m also from the Northeastern US, but grew up with Chinese herbal concoctions so I find the medicinal notes of certain teas to be somewhat comforting, although not as much as Vermont maple syrup, and of course poison ivy. ;-)
I LOVE tian jian. I remember some of Scott’s other tian jians having qualities akin to black tea. This kind in particular hardly ever reaches the West, so much like maple-flavored things are nostalgic in the US, tian jian is marketed mainly to southern Chinese, many of whom will recall the “fragrance” of bamboo from their childhood.
The bamboo note is very interesting and adds some complexity to the brew. Too bad it doesn’t conjure up any fond memories for me. My childhood was filled more with tomato plants and poison ivy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRfRITVdz4k
;P
I’m also from the Northeastern US, but grew up with Chinese herbal concoctions so I find the medicinal notes of certain teas to be somewhat comforting, although not as much as Vermont maple syrup, and of course poison ivy. ;-)