Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Ancient Wild Tree Black Tea

Thank you to Angel at TeaVivre for this lovely sample!

Dry: Luscious long twisty dark and dusty leaves with a few dark bronze pieces mixed in. I think of an elder tea tree when I look at and touch the leaves. There is an aroma of smooth malt, faint hay, and even a touch of cocoa. I’m already excited to brew it up because it smells like something delicious is going to evolve in the infuser (spoiler alert- it does!)

Steeped: Brewed Western style results in a clear brown liquor with a fairly complex fragrance of malt and dates with a hint of spice, and even earth. If I was blindfolded, I might wonder for a split second if this was a pu-erh before a sweet honeyed note with a floral background drifted up from the teapot. I bet this would be fantastic Gongfu style, too.

Flavor: This is probably the best black I’ve tried from TeaVivre so far besides my favorite Keemuns from them. Initially, there is something reminiscent of dates and molasses, chewy and dark. It is also naturally full-bodied and sweet with honey-flower notes, almost syrupy before it mellows. There is something in the background that is spiced and faintly earthy- reminds me of cedar when preparing to cook with it. My husband shared a cup with me this morning and he really likes it also. It resteeps nicely, though we stopped after 3. Overall, this tea is lovely, unique, complex and makes for an interesting tea experience. Definitely not your everyday Yunnan black- if you have the chance to give it a try, I’d highly recommend it. :)

Thank you so much for the samples, Teavivre! Always a great day to get a package from Teavivre! The leaves here are dusty black, large and very twisty. The leaves kind of look exactly like they would be from an ancient tree. The fragrance from the mug has such a caramel scent even before taking a sip and the color of the mug even looks like caramel. The flavor is caramel, honey, sweet like I actually added sugar, a little bready and a bit tangy to give the flavor depth. I imagine the tanginess is from the leaves being ancient. I’m not sure if I should have rinsed the leaves. The texture while drinking the tea is even syrupy! With the second steep, the tanginess evens out and the other flavors from the first cup remain. I tried a third half mug steep with a very long steep time, expecting a ruined, overleafed/oversteeped, undrinkable cup (what I usually describe as the oaky/woody leaf flavor), probably expecting this because the leaves are from an “ancient” tree but the third steep was delicious. Another smooth cup. It didn’t have that oversteeped leaves flavor at all, and was actually unexplainably unique. A nice one! Note to self: definitely don’t miss the third steep and I think a longer steep time won’t hurt the third steep either.
Steep #1 // 2 heaping teaspoons for 11 ounce mug // 15 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // 5 min after boiling // 3-4 min steep
Steep #3 // half mug // just boiled // 6+minutes
Harvest: April 30, 2014

Oh this dry leaf smells wonderful. Its like honey drizzled over fruit. The cup scent is similar but more baked. If fills your senses as you begin tasting. I notice a spiciness, kind of peppery without the burn. This is very smooth. With no hint of bitterness. One taste I’m getting kind of strikes me as grape. Maybe its really plum and I don’t know any better. Slightly yam but the fruit taste is stronger. There is even the faintest touches of earth and leather. For as light as this seems on the first sip, there is so much depth here when you slow down and taste. Thank you Angel for this very nice tea.

Thank you Angel for this sample.

In raw form the leaves are dark brown/red, curly and smell of malt, wood and treacle.

Flavour reveals fruity raisin and date with sweet wood, brown sugar and malt tones. Rather light in strength with no astringency though slightly sour at times. Clean tasting and fresh throughout. Some dryness in the after taste.

Overall: A delicious Dian Hong with clean tasting and pure characteristics. Soft and sweet which balances nicely with the dark and rather rich malt and wood flavours. Personally, I prefer it creamier but this made a very nice drink this morning and it went down a treat. I would consider buying some of this to alternate with my golden tips.

Still playing with this one and enjoy the variety of tastes I am getting. Smoky but not overwhelming and the undercurrent of malt and spice is really quite nice.

This reserved black is a perfect way to start the day but also can serve very nicely for my 3p cup.

I like this tea best cold brewed. The fruitiness and maltiness of the tea really comes out when cold brewed. It’s nice when hot too, but I just enjoyed it more cold.

OMG, SO FRUITY!!! I had two gorgeous steepings of this tea this morning. This is the fruity-est (ha!) unflavored black tea I’ve had! Why would you ever need a flavored tea, when your have this one? Honestly, it’s better than fruity flavored teas I’ve had. I think it’s definitely a stone fruit flavor. Peaches and plums. It’s smooth, a bit malty, and freaking delicious! Yum yum. Oh man, I should have just bought a bag rather than this tiny sample!

when I smell the leaves that are dry, they smell spicy and smoky.

when I smell them wet, the smell is more intense.

when I smell the brewed tea, it smells nice and smoky. and when I taste it its heavy in smoke and spices and leaves a after taste similar to grape juice lol

(one note that keeps it from reaching 100% is that it should be steeped lightly)

many thanks to angel teavivre for letting me take part in this tasting

Essence of malt, leather, & plum, with an exotic quality to it. It also gives a good head buzz, almost like drinking a sheng.
This is the last of it, and I’m really aching for a Teavivre order, because I only have a few teas left in my cupboard from there. And they are having a sale. And I have no money…sigh…

Wow. This tea.
I don’t really know what to think.
I taste leather. Earth. And something else that’s really strong…I’m not sure I like this one too much…
It’s just really strong, almost too strong for me. Ehh, think I will pass.