Da Hong Pao

I bought this just to see what’s so special about Da Hong Pao. There are a lot of sources for this type of tea, but I chose Camellia Sinensis because they never disappoint me and I like supporting Canadian businesses (plus the tea arrives quickly). Now onto the tasting note:

First steep: Roasted, floral, very smooth, kinda sweet.

Second steep: Sweeter, roasted flavour is nice and not too strong, has a soft floral aroma.

Third steep: More balanced, the liquor leaves a pleasant sweet and roasted flavour at the back of my throat.

Taking a break to sniff the gaiwan, the wet leaves have a very charming scent. I like how the roasted characteristics never become too overpowering.

Fourth steep: Much of the same characteristics are present, still quite smooth/creamy with a soft floral/fruity aroma.

Fifth steep: Seems a bit lighter and zesty. This cup made me think of mango and honey dew melon.

Sixth steep: More sweetness and fruit than roasted flavour.

Next time I’ll try with a longer initial steep and more leaves.

Sometimes I see that other teas are compared to Da Hong Pao, and I can kinda see why now, but I don’t find those comparisons very helpful. I’d rather people mentioned specific characteristics or flavour, like “sweet and roasted”. Overall a wonderful tea, but some of the hype around it tainted my experience. I’ll have to try some more Da Hong Pao teas in the future.

100ml gaiwan, 2 tsp, 6 steeps (10s, 20s, 30s, 45s, 1min, 1m20s)

I think I bought this Da Hong Pao in the spring of 2016 when I was just starting to explore Wuyi oolongs. I steeped about 4 g of leaf in an 85 ml teapot for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds. However, this pot has a slow pour, which tended to add a few unwanted seconds onto the first few steeps.

The first steep has notes of wood, char, black walnuts, and caramel. The underlying sweetness is overpowered by the roast. The second steep is even woodier. This tea is smooth, but less complex than I remember it being.

As the session goes on, it’s clear that wood, char, and caramel are the dominant notes. I get hints of tobacco, cream, and minerals in later infusions, but no fruit or florals.

This tea tastes like a high-end furniture store smells. It’s surprisingly good, but not something I’d drink regularly.

This is a black wulong tea and it is smoky, creamy with a taste of dark chocolate and a creamy taste which is more like a caramel cream taste which appears as it is steeped multiple times in the Gong Fu Cha style.
Gong Fu Cha:
95 degree C water in Gong Fu
Rinse
15 seconds
10 seconds
10 seconds
Then double each steep

Brought from a fried visiting her relatives in China. A dark and rich wolong with a distinctive aroma that portends a strong flavor, but when tasted the tea is surprisingly smooth.