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Magnificent. I love Gopaldhara teas. The 2018 first flush was a favorite of mine, and now so is the second flush. This one drinks like a dark red wine with prominent notes of mature dark grapes, which combines with a woody autumn leaf quality reminiscent of a nice Dian Hong black tea.

Syrupy and buttery and sweet, this is nice. I am still recovering from a cold, so I think it was a mistake to try this one out. My tastebuds and sense of smell are shot. This one brews up clean and is definitely enjoyable, but I can’t really describe any nuances beyond that right now. Accidentally brewed this with too much water, and I still felt it was noticeably thick – so I guess that says something.

https://www.aprtea.com/chinese-anxi-tieguanyin-oolong-tea-luzhou-flavour-type-charcoal-baking-grade-one-250g/

Described as having “clean notes of charred greens, burnt wood, and tobacco” – I won’t argue with that, but I also find hints of tropical fruit and smoke. There is a grape leaf aroma.

Very nice. Burnt sugar and caramel flavors predominantly, with hints of peach, walnut, and maybe a touch of saltiness. This tea is pretty mellow, but the slight touch of campfire/smoke lends it a bit of excitement. I did not find much astringency after a 3 minute steep, and no bitterness. In fact, if I had some more, I would give it a shot at 4 or 5 minutes. The campfire is mostly in the aroma, and it doesn’t really translate strongly into the cup. It is not anything like a smoky lapsang souchong.

Tea was received as a free sample from AprTea Mall, in exchange for my writing a review. It was nice to find 8 different tea samples, about 50 grams total, in my mail yesterday. This is the first one I have sampled, and my first ever Dahongpao-style tea.

https://www.aprtea.com/chinese-wuyi-dahongpao-rock-tea-middle-fire-grade-one-250g/

The description from Vahdam Teas is on the mark. This tea is pretty complex, and I wouldn’t brew it for any longer than 3 minutes to avoid becoming overly astringent. Maybe a little too far on the grassy side for my taste, but the distinct properties of black tea are still there.

Two 100s in a week for me, LOL. Happy to have discovered first flush darjeelings on my first order from Vahdam Teas. I’ve had second flush darjeeling and I like it, but first flush is even better I think. May have another 100 on the way when I get around to reviewing the autumn flush darjeeling from the same order. That one is special, too. Love me some darjeelings. Guess I need to tighten up my rating system, though.

Not entirely bad, but won’t buy again. Tea was sticking in large clumps when I opened package. Creates a cloudy brew somewhere between green and orange in color. Lots of sediment at the bottom of the pot, which I believe may be powder from the nuts. Tasted better than it looks. Not quite as aromatic as I remember other rose black teas, but has a nice aroma. I was hoping the pistachios would have more of a presence. The pistachios and almonds are there, but mostly they serve to dial back the floral aspects from the rose. The spices are a nice touch and add to the complexity.

I think I’ll finish the rest of this off by making a lot of iced tea.

Floral aroma. Taste is somewhere between cinnamon and jasmine, more on the cinnamon side. Not very complex, and taste does not linger for too long. Good tea but wouldn’t order again. I would recommend for people who want hints of cinnamon in their oolong.