I bought this just to see what’s so special about Da Hong Pao. There are a lot of sources for this type of tea, but I chose Camellia Sinensis because they never disappoint me and I like supporting Canadian businesses (plus the tea arrives quickly). Now onto the tasting note:
First steep: Roasted, floral, very smooth, kinda sweet.
Second steep: Sweeter, roasted flavour is nice and not too strong, has a soft floral aroma.
Third steep: More balanced, the liquor leaves a pleasant sweet and roasted flavour at the back of my throat.
Taking a break to sniff the gaiwan, the wet leaves have a very charming scent. I like how the roasted characteristics never become too overpowering.
Fourth steep: Much of the same characteristics are present, still quite smooth/creamy with a soft floral/fruity aroma.
Fifth steep: Seems a bit lighter and zesty. This cup made me think of mango and honey dew melon.
Sixth steep: More sweetness and fruit than roasted flavour.
Next time I’ll try with a longer initial steep and more leaves.
Sometimes I see that other teas are compared to Da Hong Pao, and I can kinda see why now, but I don’t find those comparisons very helpful. I’d rather people mentioned specific characteristics or flavour, like “sweet and roasted”. Overall a wonderful tea, but some of the hype around it tainted my experience. I’ll have to try some more Da Hong Pao teas in the future.
100ml gaiwan, 2 tsp, 6 steeps (10s, 20s, 30s, 45s, 1min, 1m20s)
