Feng Qing Classic 58 Dian Hong Premium Yunnan Black Tea

Good morning, Steepster! This is my Yunnan Sourcing black tea of choice for this morning, and it was sent to me by a lovely tea friend. The leaves of this tea are quite beautiful – they’re long and thin and very straight, similar to pine needles. Color is mostly dark grey/brown with about 30% golden tips. Dry scent is sweet honey and malt, om nom nom.

The steeped cup smells malty and somewhat sweet with mild dark fruity notes. Wow, this tastes completely different than I expected. It’s dominated by dark notes of earth, wood, and mineral with a tiny touch of smoke. Definitely not a sweet tea! There is a bit of molasses-like, dark richness but it doesn’t add sweetness here. In the aftertaste I pick up on a hint of dark fruitiness, such as raisin or date. Overall, this is a very manly tea. :P

L & C TTB

I had this tea today at work. I don’t remember much except I liked it. I think it was a little malty, a little chocolately. It was good.

Sorry.

Today has not been a good day at work.

http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_product=460&controller=product

Lewis and Clarke TTB

This tea is pretty, brown and gold leaves twisted into strands.
4g 4oz 195F 1,2,3 minute steeps. Sweetened

The first cup is dark and malty, and a touch of dark cocoa. The second cup looses the cocoa, and is very malty. The third brings back some of the cocoa again. I don’t know if its because of the sweetener I added, but I (thankfully) didn’t get any bitterness from this.

http://yunnansourcing.com/en/yunnan-black-teas/2885-feng-qing-classic-58-dian-hong-premium-yunnan-black-tea-spring-2014.html

ahhhh…nothing like a cup of deliciousness & the time to enjoy it.
I made one of my awesome breakfasts, & drank a couple of steeps of this one, with it’s rich malty & sweet taste, nice thick & kind of shiny mouth, hint of florals & tantalizing bitter edge. I’m sure it would be even better gongfu, but we do what we can.

The 2 yixings I ordered came this week. I started seasoning one of them for smokey zheng shan xiao zhong types, & my plans for the other one was for either yunnan or fujian, but I’m having a hard time making up my mind which.
Now I’m having 2nd thoughts about the smokey tea, & thinking I might reboil that one & start over…or maybe I’ll order another tiny teapot…LOL

Heading out to my youngest Grandchild’s birthday party (he’s 8 now), but I plan to spend the rest of the weekend in my PJs, sipping teas & getting caught up on all my favorite steepster friend’s reviews (there are so many of you!)