What-Cha Irish Breakfast Black Tea

I had hopes for this Irish blend....especially after tasting What-Cha's English black blend tea and finding it quite lovely and complex.  Dry, this leaf is intriguing, with it's deep dark assam leaves mixed with twisty ceylon and the green touches from the Nepal tea that create this blend.  The smell from the cup....well, this is not your typical Irish Breakfast tea.  What-Cha has taken the concept of a tea that has a notoriously heavy flavor profile (which is why we who like Irish Breakfast teas love them to begin with!) and updated it with a briskness that balances the bottom notes with youthful abandon. There is beautiful deep malt and cocoa as bottom notes that are joined  by mid notes of a green wood spiciness and a lingering apricot top note that gives this tea a long malty sweet finish.  The true beauty of this blend's finish is held in the buoyant briskness that the ceylon brings. The deep lovely malt and cocoa notes are not lessened by the briskness...they are enhanced....brought to a fuller, rounder mouthfeel than most Irish blends possess.  There is a touch of astringency to the cup, but it is just enough to make you look forward to the next sip.  Which is hard not to do.  If you are a black blend drinker, give this one a try.  It is a captivating alternative to what you're used to.

You can find this tea here.

What-Cha Yunnan Fengqing Golden Buds Black Tea

What-Cha is a small business in the UK that has some very interesting and unique offerings for tea drinkers. I am a true fan of of most quality Yunnan teas, and this tea is certainly one of those.

What-Cha Yunnan Fengqing Golden Buds Black Tea

Surprisingly, the dry leaf wasn’t actually as tippy as I though it would be, considering the fragrance coming off the leaf! The dry leaf is long and twist…the kind that won’t stay in the teaspoon and you’re never quite sure that you’re measuring properly because it won’t go IN the teaspoon. But I’m not going to complain about that quality in any tea! Notes of cocoa, apricot and yam were gentle but present in the dry leaf. Wet, the leaf is long and beautiful, leaving a golden amber liquor in the cup.

This tea has the same wonderful notes that make me a true fan of teas from this region: dark cocoa, earthy sweet potato skin, a touch of raisin….but this tea also has a woodsy note that some Yunnans have. It’s the taste that reminds me of long-forgotten secret places and old trees that should be visited with reverence. The earthy yam skin and cocoa notes give this tea a beautiful base to balance the raisin and woodsy note on. There is a slight apricot top note, but the strength in this tea lies in it’s deeper notes. Overall this is a well balanced cup of tea, with no astringency and a medium well-rounded mouthfeel that is worthy of a tea drinkers favorite thing….quiet contemplation and enjoyment.

You can find this tea here.