125 Tasting Notes
Yixing memories.. it’s been years since I used my Da Hong Pao teapot. I was more troubled back then, early 20s and all.
I’m now 31, and early 20s me would never have thought I’d have made it as a clinical psychotherapist. But I have. And I’m proud. Even if I’m a little sad over finishing up soon with a client who felt very close to my heart. But it’s okay. It means I really, really cared.
95C, 1 tablespoon leaves in 225mL yixing.
1st steep – 45s. Roasted honey, mineral, stonefruit, wood, flowers.
2nd steep – 45s. Salted caramel, wood, jackfruit, deeper roast notes. And the kind of astringency which circles the edge of my tongue and below the tongue. Highly pleasing.
3rd steep – 90s. return of the honey note, earthy minerality, tobacco. Fainter steep now.
4th steep – 4 minutes. Similar to the above, but with some brown sugar sweetness.
5th-7th steeps – unknown minutes steeped in 100C. Similar to the 3rd steep but fainter and fainter, until it’s mildly sweet orange-brown water which still tastes like an uplifted version of plain water.
Does anyone else find that the 2nd steep of DHP is their favourite steep?
I’m in heaven every time.
My vague theory on why soy milk is so good in chai, is that the spices in chai stimulate digestion and the soy protein gives you something good to digest.
Legit soy milks like Bonsoy though, not the So Good stuff with additives and flavourings. I used to like that artificial-y vanilla soy, but I’ve really grown out of chemical additives with my tea. It makes me feel strange now and it’s just not for my constitution, personally.
So whatever all-natural Australian honey they use in Prana Chai.. I bow down.
No idea what harvest this is; it was included in my order either as an error or as a free gift (either way, thank you YS!!)
1 teaspoon in 225mL at 100C for about 4 minutes. I drank this in a hurry before heading out for work, so I can’t remember anything other than enjoying a good Chinese black tea.
At some stage, I will try this gongfu style and be present in honouring the notes of this tea.
Golden spot for the Golden Bud yesterday was 1 tablespoon of leaves in 225 mL water, 95 degrees for 3 minutes. I wanted something rich and I received it.
Adjusting rating from 81 to 85 as I realized brewing the tea stronger was what was missing from my original review.
Sweet malt, sweet potato, a tinge of sweet chocolate and a noticeable sharp astringency that is mildly drying for the mouth and throat.
I thought maybe the astringency was in my head or something, so I took a brewed leaf out from the pot, gave it a little bite and dang, there’s that sharp astringency.
Searched up whether aging a black tea would reduce the astringency and apparently, it does. Perhaps it being a 2025 Spring harvest has something to do with it. The smallest size of this to purchase was 50g, so I’ll be storing this away and it shall be a while before I reach for it again.
Mineral, roasty, stonefruit, oak, rock sugar, a faint hint of charcoal and a fainter hint of vanilla.
Also made me hungry somehow, even though I had just ate my apple-ginger-coconut red lentil dal for breakfast. I enjoyed the tea for three steeps, Western style.
It’s decent for the price point, but lacks the juiciness, body and warming qi that I’ve been pining for ever since Whispering Pines Tea Company’s Wildcrafted Da Hong Pao like 9 years ago. I think all my Da Hong Pao purchases have been an attempt to experience that specific tea again. I’m nostalgic and sentimental like that.
I was given a real show-stopper of a Da Hong Pao by the owner of a local Asian buffet restaurant. Unfortunately, it was sent to him by his family in China and he doesn’t read Chinese so I was unable to find out the source. I would order it in a heartbeat if I knew the company. I understand your nostalgia.
Certain teas really stay with us.
Honestly, Prana Chai does the best sticky chai. They roast the spices , use premium black tea and cover it all with some lovely quality honey.
Stovetop makes all the difference to truly extract the most from the ingredients. I use Lactose-Free milk (naturally sweeter than regular milk), or Bonsoy. Any milk would be wonderful in this, really.
The decaf option is heaven-sent for cold evenings and I’m so, so happy this product exists.
For a moment when I was mildly stressed about having to interact with too many people this week (I’m an AuDHD clinical psychotherapist also studying hypnotherapy), the jasmine seemed to lift some tension out of my head and bring a bit more lightness to my energy field.
Nice to enjoy jasmine with a black tea base, as green tea can make me feel dizzy. Thought that golden buds would be an odd pairing with jasmine, but the cocoa note is very subtle and doesn’t clash.
1st steep: 90C, 1 heaped teaspoon, 4 minutes
2nd steep: 95C, 5-7 minutes. Stronger this steep, reminded me of floral-y Peruvian chocolate.
