Zealong Black (New Zealand)

An Ode to Tea challenge – Z

Another fun challenge idea! I’m not quite finished with the Tea Tournament but I thought I’d start this. Thanks very much, Mastress Alita!  So my particular rules for the Ode to Tea challenge is that these teas MUST A) be a true sipdown! last steep session! OR B) be a tea I have never written about yet.  So I will have 26 sipdowns OR it will get me to write about a new-to-me tea!    I’m also starting at Z and working backwards because I’m already so far behind everyone anyway. :D
This tea is a sipdown!  It’s an odd one but tasty and unique.   It is the closest thing to being a Ruby varietal, while not actually being a Ruby varietal.  It reminds me of the almond nougat in one of those chocolates.  It’s really good!   WHOA though – seeing HOW EXPENSIVE this is now when I went to see if they still had it.  Whoa,  thank you again for share, SkySamurai and I’m glad I finished it while it was fresh!  Solid three steeps…. now wishing I went for a fourth.
2021 sipdowns: 43

Tea advent – this is very nice, smooth, and yeasty. The first steep was a bit more balanced, with cocoa notes and no bitterness. Smells more cocoa than it tastes. The second steep is mostly yeasty and malty, like the grain mixture before its fermented into beer. There’s a striking difference between the first and second steep, I actually forgot it was steeping so it went a bit long, but that didn’t help the second steep retain much of the depth of the first. In all it was a yummy tea, glad I got to try it.

I couldn’t find my Malty Black this morning … then I realized I forgot to buy more last time I visited Ronnefeldt. Since I didn’t feel like falling back on Assam or Yunnan today, Zealong Black it is.
… I still need to get a new tea-timer(5 minutes this time, was supposed to be 3), but then again, 2 teaspoons may have been a bit little and I guess it evened out, since the colour was a golden orange, and the taste was sweet as promised – honey, not caramel, but still definitely sweet. (A less sweet tea might be better suited as a breakfast tea, but I was already awake and my breakfast was a bit odd anyway …)

A very surprising tea, possibly a bit pricy, but worth a try for sure. The dry leaves are rich in notes of dark cocoa and hints of raspberries. Steeped, the tea opens up to aromas of cooked sweet potatoes, mild grain malt, tobacco and hints of blackberries. A very light color, more reminiscent of an Oolong than a black tea, crystal clear and a shade slightly darker than a harvest gold fills the cup.
The flavor is boldly sweet with a clear hit of honey, moving into light malty notes and absolutely no astringency at all. Almost frighteningly smooth on the finish after getting all of its bold flavors in the mid-palate.
A great tea that could easily be served with dessert at a formal tea dinner, or would be fine at any gathering of tea aficionados or just a nice treat alone for reflection. As stated earlier, the price is a little high for what it offers in terms of my own subjective enjoyments, but well worth trying and sharing with friends.