I wish I bought this one instead as a full ounce instead of the green tea. Man, I really, really love this tea. It smells EXACTLY like chocolate. It’s a lot like the Laoshan Black, but this one is considerably smoother and the chocolate note is the most dominant. Laoshan’s have a rosier quality to me, but this one is sweeter and less astringent. So sweet.
Okay, how I did this one: 3-4 grams (about a tea spoon and a a third of one is what I actually measured-forgive me for my approximations) in seven ounces of water 200-190 degrees F.
Steep one, 5 seconds…choCOLATe…
Steep two at ten seconds, still chocolate but smooth with a weird fruitiness coming in. The sandalwood is there, but it is hard to describe its unusual presence. It’s not something that you obviously taste or immediately get, but it has a smooth, smokey quality that isn’t really smoky or burned in the least bit-roasted, yes, and smoother. It’s almost like a chocolate covered almond to me.
Steep three, 45 seconds, too faint, then upped it to a full minute. Chocolate is still there and oh so sweet, but more almond with a very approximate cherry aftertaste.
Steep four at three minutes. Faded, which is to be expected, but still very sweet and smooth. Not quite sure how to describe it, but it makes me feel so good.
Steep five at around five to six minutes. There’s still chocolate hanging around, but now it’s like a Dian Hong in its later infusions. It has predominantly sweet potato taste, and some caramel notes to it now that are a little bit more noticeable. My love is reaching interesting depths now.
Steep six boiling water at three minutes. Chocolate and toffee….
I should have realized that I would deeply enjoy this tea because I like Laoshan Blacks. Unlike the black, it’s smoother and doesn’t have the same astringency or malt. I think that the chocolate like taste is much easier to get and smell because it doesn’t have the fermentation to overwhelm it. I would recommend this to a newer to intermediate drinker, but it has to be brewed right or the notes would be lost. I would introduce Gongfu to a newer drinker with this one because it’s so sweet, and this one really allows one to enjoy pure tea. I think that a more experienced drinker would like it, and it’s more for someone who likes roasted oolongs or Laoshans. It does not have the same dehydrating effect for me whatsoever.
This is just my bias, and I hope that this tea gets a higher rating on here over time because I think that it really deserves it.
Flavors: Almond, Caramel, Cherry, Chocolate, Roasted, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes
