Yunnan Jin Ya 2014 Spring

Anlina sent this one my way as well and i am impressed! This is a great offering from the Finest brew and one i’d like to pick up more of. Sweet potatoes, a little mal, very smooth brew. MMMM this was really nice! thanks Anlina!

This is spectacular!!! The buds are a golden topaz and so fluffy! This is a brilliant Yunnan! The brew was gorgeous! The dry buds have a faint smoked scent and slight tang. I brewed western in my press. The aroma reminds me of a steak dinner and Thanksgiving all in one. This is a very hearty brew. The liquor has such depth and tastes of baked sweet potatoes and mahogany. The steeped buds give off the scent of a grand feast. I am in love with this Yunnan, and I need it in my life haha

Hidden Gems TTB #20

This is a great black tea! Super strong and flavorful with notes of whole-grain bread, honey, and sweet potatoes. It’s reminding me a lot of Whispering Pine’s Golden Snail, but with a slightly smoother texture. There’s a little bit of bitterness in the aftertaste that I’m sure would disappear with a splash of milk, but I’m enjoying it plain in my travel mug this morning. A good way to finish off a fantastic box of samples!

Another sample from Anlina! This is a gorgeous tea, all golden buds. Breathing in the steam of the brewed cup (waiting for it to cool enough for a proper taste) I get hints of malt, bread, sweet potato… and I’m getting all those in the sip as well. It is very smooth, with a lingering sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel. Maybe just a hint of honey and spice. Mmmm, this is delicious. :)

This is definitely a good quality black. I think it reminds me of one from YS but can’t think which one it is.

It’s malty/bready, smooth with a bit of sweetness. I detected a faint chocolate note in it too.

Ugh this is ridiculously good. I wasn’t going to try this for a while, but I opened the bag to pack up a sample to send in a swap and then I couldn’t resist. The dry leaf is large and fluffy and golden, covered with that wonderful, fine dust. The dry leaf smells like a bakery and cooked fruits and a brewery and potatoes.

I steeped a heaping teaspoon in 96C water for three minutes, drank part of the cup and then put my steeping basket in for a while longer and kind of forgot about it. Not for too long, but the tea was probably about 60C when I put the leaves back and I don’t know how long they were in there. So good. The depth of the tea just got better and better, without any astringency or bitterness developing. It’s sweet, with a thick, creamy mouth feel. Lots of bread, malt, sweet potato, and even a bit meaty, which is a quality I love in Yunnan blacks. The malt and some stone fruits stick around on the finish, and hint of smoke pops up right on the tail end.

I could drink this every day, easily. So so tasty. I am sure glad I got sucked into this Black Friday sale.

Easily one of my favorite black tea for the late afternoon.

Love the delicate look and the smell of the dry buds; captures the true essence of a delicious black tea before trying a cup of. The perfect brew sends out a floral scent, the right amount of astringency with a subtle sweet taste.

PS First tasting note :)