Well I dug out this one for a cup. I bought this tea in China after a tasting, brought it home, and immediately wished I had bought more. I have a serious problem with hoarding this one as it is definitely impossible for me to get more of this exact tea. I haven’t gone on a thorough tan yang search for a replacement, but I have started drinking more of them in trial.
The first thing that’s obviously different about this one vs. the Harney one I had this morning is the aroma: This one smells darker, chocolatier, with less honey notes. That carries over to the flavor as well. I am tasting more grains and less molasses, but the sweet raisiny aftertaste is similar. Perhaps more burnt-sugar caramel notes in this one as well. I think its a tad toastier overall. Honestly, although I am making them sound pretty different here overall they are close. The Harney version is definitely closer than TeaSprings Tan Yang Te Ji, though I still need to try their Jing Zhi. This one is a little fuller-bodied, and I do like the cocoa notes present, so I think I still prefer this one, but Harney’s is very very good. Now to try Teavivre’s again!
