Since I have been spending so much time lately posting reviews of teas I drank months ago, I wanted to take a few moments to post a review of a tea I drank much more recently. I finished a sample pouch of this tea last week. I loved the 2016 Premium Wild Style Black Tea, so making time for the 2017 production was a no-brainer. Though I did end up loving this tea, I did not enjoy it quite as much as the 2016 version. This, however, was still an excellent Wuyi black tea.
I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a very quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 194 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 subsequent infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.
Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of peach, honey, cinnamon, malt, baked bread, and blood orange. After the rinse, I picked up on aromas of roasted peanut, smoke, brown sugar, and dark chocolate. The first infusion saw the nose turn a bit spicier and more citrusy, though I also noted a subtle sweet potato scent and a stronger brown sugar aroma. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of baked bread, roasted peanut, malt, brown sugar, sweet potato, blood orange, and honey that were backed by impressions of cream and roasted almond. The following infusions saw cream, lemon zest, and roasted almond emerge on the nose. Impressions of peach and dark chocolate belatedly appeared in the mouth along with new notes of minerals, red apple, tangerine, violet, plum, and pear. There were some subtle cedar and smoke impressions too. The final infusions emphasized lingering mineral, malt, baked bread, cream, pear, and lemon zest notes that were chased by subtler impressions of tangerine, brown sugar, and roasted peanut.
This tea was just as lively, flavorful, and energizing as the previous year’s production, though it did not offer quite as much of the fruity sweetness I enjoyed so much in that tea. Arguably a slightly deeper and more complex tea, I have no doubt that fans of Wuyi black teas would enjoy it. Definitely consider giving this tea a try if you get the opportunity.
Flavors: Almond, Blood Orange, Bread, Brown Sugar, Cedar, Cinnamon, Citrus, Cream, Dark Chocolate, Honey, Lemon Zest, Malt, Mineral, Peach, Peanut, Pear, Plum, Red Apple, Smoke, Sweet Potatoes, Violet
