TeaVivre's Yunnan Dian Hong Gold Tips

TeaVivre's Yunnan Dian Hong Gold Tips

Yunnan teas were a big discovery for me.  It didn't seem possible that leaves that were golden and smelled like apricot could ever be hearty enough to measure up to a black tea.  BLACK tea. You know, that had black tea leaves.  Boy, was I wrong.  Yunnans, with their wonderful flavor profile of sweet potato, cocoa and apricot, have become one of my favorite teas....and this tea from TeaVivre is a perfect example why. 

The dry leaf of this tea smells of apricots dusted with cocoa. There is a lovely luster to the leaves that lets you know that it's fresh tea. The leaves are long and golden and practically begging to be put into the cup!  So in they go, and wet, the aroma of the leaf is a sign of things to come in the cup...

There is something different about this tea…yes, very yam-skin (more earthy than just yam), yes some chocolate….but behind the honey smoothness of this tea is a different note that I haven’t associated with Yunnan before….there is a wonderful note of ground nuts that is settling in-between the other typically Yunan notes that makes this different than the others I’ve tried. Nuts. It’s definitely a middle note that brings that wholeness of this smooth tea together. Nuts. This tea has no astringency, which suits me on this warm morning with an empty tummy. Nuts. Or am I just…. nah, that’s too easy. Highly recommended.

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.