ZhengHe GongFu Black Tea - Jin Ping Village

Another one from my Tao Tea Leaf order! ^^
Didn’t have this one before but since it got such good reviews everywhere I decided to add it to my order.
The dry leaf smelled pretty roasty and nutty, which always seems to remind me of shelled peanuts. Seems kinda odd, but that’s where my mind always goes to xD
The actual taste was pretty chocolate-y. Lots of cocoa notes.
Was pretty roasty though, with an tiny hint of nuttiness that I got in the dry leaf aroma.
This tea reminded me of Verdant’s Laoshan Black, but with more chocolate and cocoa notes. I like this one a lot more than the LB, but it’s still not my absolute favorite. xD Nothing to write home about in my book.
But it’s still good. Nice to have a choclatey tea in my collection for now. (:

I steeped this twice earlier today, and decided to do a third steeping before bed. This one is a bit bland compared to the earlier two, but still pretty nice. :) I enjoyed this tea. It’s earthy, chocolatey, slightly fruity, and very smooth.

Western
3g 200F 3min
this tea is great. its chocolaty and earthy, some spice and touch of smoke, just a bit. some people who dont like smoky teas should not be afraid to try it. Not much sweet potato detected, just tiny hint.
For some reason this tea reminds me (i could be wrong)
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/wuyimountainrockoolongs/2939-zheng-shan-xiao-zhong-of-wu-yi-fujian-black-tea-spring-2014.html
Im so glad i picked this tea on the legendary 50% sale in July. it was a join order and Marzipan made it happen.
Will pick it on next sale( i got 1oz size just to try)

This is my last untried Tao Tea Leaf “sample” (it’s a big pouch) from scribbles. I’ve enjoyed the other three teas, so I had reasonably high hopes for this one. The leaves reminds me of a Keemun – they’re thin and short to medium in length, and very dark in color. Dry scent is musty/dusty hay or straw with some oats. I let the leaves steep for 3 minutes at 200 degrees.

The aroma definitely says “Fujian” to me – it has that dill note along with bread and maybe a touch of fruit. Hmm, flavor-wise this tea has a lot going on. I taste bread and sweet potato first, and the sweet potato has a touch of cinnamon on it. The bread seems to be rather buttery and has dill sprinkled over the top. There’s some fruit here as well, and it’s reminding me of raisins, either regular or golden. Deep in the background, I can taste some dark unsweetened cocoa. And in the aftertaste, I get a mild vegetal note, like a cooked-to-death green bean. The overall texture is very smooth and creamy, yum! This tea kind of reminds me of a combination of Yunnan and Fujian teas, maybe a touch more toward the Fujian side.

«This is my #1 favourite black tea» Dexter3657 wrote on this sample she so generously shared with me.

I won’t let this influence my note, but it’s always nice to know you’re drinking someone’s favourite tea :-)

Oh…it’s a nom-nom-nom tea. Sweet and malty, it’s what I call a comfortable tea. I’m sure it’s the type that does’t require much care in the brewing method and always comes out delish, no matter how bad you’ve treated it. I’m having it in the glass Gongfu pot. I forgot how long my first brew was, and it did not affect the taste. No astringency whatsoever.

It’s a Fujian and it wears that beautiful golden robe.

Yes, it’s fruity and nutty, with hints of baked potatoes. But it also has a saltiness and spiciness to it, almost brothy and savoury.

I like it cause it’s different and brings a different dimension to some other similar teas I have tried.

Thank you so much Dexter3657 for sharing one of your favourite with me :-)

Non tea related content:

It’s bird season, and as you know, I’m a fan, I feed them all over the yard. Since this morning, I have identified 17 different spicies. In a few weeks, I’ll have over 40 different species coming and going in the many feeders I fill with love every week…

I thought I’d mention them cause they are beautiful and really gave me joy today.
As I’m writing this, I’m watching a male Rose Breasted Grosbeak, just stunning!