Gongfu!
Steeped this up while trying to block out all the tempting Boxing Day sales. This shaihong (sun dried) black tea is one of a handful of tea orders that arrived in the middle of Adventageddon that I’ve been waiting to have time to properly steep up, so it’s a good one to be drinking to remind myself that I absolutely don’t need to buy more tea right now!
Though the liquor is such a deep red colour, the tasting notes of this medium-ish bodied tea are surprisingly much more bright and lively than expected. Sweet, jammy red fruits and golden honey dominate the profile. Red currant or pomegranate jellies spring to mind. They’re balanced out by a bit of a deeper undertone and backend of the sip – a little bit of leather, and a warming whisp of allspice. Some expected malt. All together something about this makes me think of fruit cake, or the more German style honey-based “Gingerbread” I’ve tasted that has much less molasses and brighter top note sweetness than what we typically associate to Gingerbread here in North America. Very pleasant, and it’ll be interesting to see how the flavours deepen and change with age…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1UyzGyOpIm/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KllxH4qxZZo