355 Tasting Notes
As promised, I ordered another sample tin of this to have around. Very tasty stuff – interesting to see how it compares to Orchid Oolong, which I’ve been drinking a lot more of since I last drank this. You can definitely notice the difference that the orchid makes in OO.
I adore Adagio’s Yunnan Noir, and now that I’m out for the time being, I’m making due with their other two Yunnans that are in my cupboard, Jig and Gold. Yunnan Gold is actually the first Yunnan of theirs that I tried and loved. Yunnan Jig is one that I’ve neglected, mainly because it’s the cheapest/lowest quality of the three. But it’s still good, and still has all of those great Yunnan qualities – the slight earthiness, the cocoa taste, and the peppery spikiness on the tongue.
i haven’t tried this yet, but i might think about ordering a sample next time. I adore their yunnan noir, though.
Bethany, what is the biggest difference you taste between the different grades? Bitterness? Amount of cocoaness? Earthiness? I’ve never had yunnan before, so I’m curious as to which one I should try :)
@Shanti Hmm. They are all similar but very different, as well. Yunnan Jig is definitely the least cocoa-ful of the three and has more of an earthiness to it than the others. Yunnan Gold is the most peppery with a slight cocoa aftertaste and some earthiness. And Yunnan Noir is almost exclusively cocoa-tasting, with very little earthiness or aftertaste.
None of the three are bitter at all. They’re all very smooth – the pepper taste is the only thing that could be conceived as “bitter.”
Oh okay. I think I’m going to go for the Yunnan Noir, then! I also want to try the Black Dragon Pearls, and compare it to the Yunnan Noir. I’ve read that it’s also supposed to be earthy and cocoa-y. :)
I was really liking this tea in my pre-Steepster days.. it’s Chinese Sencha blended with rose petals and mallow flowers. The mallow definitely shines through with a bright sweetness, and you can taste a bit of the rose, as well.
I’m not sure what mallow flowers are, but all I can imagine is a field of little green stems with clusters of marshmallows floating above them and it’s really making me want to taste this tea! (even though I’m sure mallow flowers don’t taste like marshmallows. so silly.) :P
@Laura – No worries, I had similar images when I first bought this tea. :) All I could think of was marshmallow tea. It actually does have some similarity with marshmallows, since they’re kind of mild but very sweet.
Yay for Android love! I have a G1. I wish there was a Steepster app!