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I once again decided to do an experiment with “Grandpa style” brewing, and this time I decided to use my Da Hong Pao. While I had rather lofty expectations after how well my grandpa-style Qi Lan worked out, I was really surprised at how this tea reacted to the alternative method.

The first two “cups” were very dark, with a very pleasing yet strong aroma of nuts and fruit. The taste was also pleasantly nutty, with a subtle roasted flavor that added to the delightful complexity of the tea. The aftertaste of the tea was a typical yancha “mineral” flavor, which was smooth and a touch sweet. Latter infusions resulted in the nutty flavor fading away, leaving behind a mildly sweet tea with a slight mineral aftertaste. The really nice thing about the later infusions is that the tea kept its smoothness, whic resulted in a long and pleasant brewing session.

I ended up drinking 12 cups of tea, but keep in mind that each cup was only 4 of the 6 ounces that were present in the cup. I would day that 8 would be the limit of this tea if brewed in a traditional manner.

This was a rather interesting experience for me, because I am used to milder green teas. This tea was like a sledgehammer of greenness. From the moment the hot water hit the leaves, there was an almost overwhelming vegetative aroma. The first sip was the same, except that there was a bit of a bitter taste as well.

I was once again brewing this in the so-called “Grandpa” style, meaning I added water to the tea when I started to get low. I am writing this review 3 hours later, and the only real difference is that the aroma and taste have mellowed. From how it tastes, I think the leaves haven’t yet reached the end of their life either. This longevity is something to be commended, and greatly enhanced the score I gave this tea.

In the end, this is an above-average tea, but not something that I would recommend for a new tea drinker, an not really something that I would go out of my way to purchase.

So, I recently read an article about “Grandpa Style” tea preparation over at marshaln.com, so I decided to try it out with this tea. For those of you who don’t know, this means I put the leaves in a cup, and add more hot water when I start to get low.

The results were truly interesting. Because there were not discrete infusions, I experienced the full spectrum of what this tea had to offer. It was interesting to taste the subtle transition to the slightly vegetative-yet-sweet tea that it becomes in the latter infusions. Truly a great way for me to finish my day.

I’m pretty new to tea in general ,so it is rather difficult to express how this tea tastes. The flavor was only a medium in terms of strength, and it had a pleasing aftertaste. The scent of the tea was also unique, which simultaneously reminded me of flowers and roasted nuts. All in all, it was a very pleasing experience.

This was a rating of the first infusion, steeped for 3 minutes at 93 degrees centigrade.

A very pleasing tea. I actually had to brew it twice, as the first time the water was too hot, causing the tea to be very bitter. The second brew was great, and exceeded my expectations by a fair margin. used 180 degree water, and steeped it for 4 minutes.

I have to say, as this is my first foray into loose-leaf teas, everything actually turned out okay.

I bought this tea for one reason: To wake up for morning classes. I can assure you that there is sufficient amounts of caffeine for the task. The base Assam tea was better than expected, and it tasted great after adding a bit of cream and sugar.\

It also helps that I didn’t miss my 7:30 class, and even managed to stay awake through the whole lecture.

I had low expectations, but this set the bar even lower than previously believed possible. The tea was extremely vegetative to the exclusion of all other possible flavors. Multiple infusions did nothing for it either.

There is nothing particularly special about this tea, other than it slightly exceeded my expectations. Steeped one tea bag for 3 minutes in 180 degree water for my preparation.

For a green tea, this is really solid. This tea is extremely consistent, and you can expect the exact same experience again and again. The tea is also rather good, with only a hint of vegetation, and it holds it’s taste for several infusions.

The only downside is that it is the exact same experience. There is no variation, no unexpected flavors, no suspense. The hardiness of this tea makes it virtually impossible to