2012 "Bamboo Aroma" Tian Jian

This is one of only two traveling tea box teas left in my stash, so I’m using it for the sipdown prompt “A tea from a tea swap/traveling tea box.” It came from the Here’s Hoping Traveling Teabox which made its final journey around the time I joined Steepster, back in 2017. Thanks to tea-sipper for organizing the box and anyone who contributed at that time!

I only took a little over 2g as a sample from the box, so I prepared it as a small, western brewed cup (I just don’t have the energy for gong fu at the moment anyway…) There was a smokiness to the dry aroma which turned me off a bit (I don’t like smoky teas) so I figured a single cup is all I’d be up for anyway. Brewed, I definitely smell charcoal smoke, as well as a somewhat oaty/carmelized aroma.

As I predicted, this has a smoky charcoal/tobacco note to it that just isn’t really my thing. But it isn’t overpowering (at least, not at this age, perhaps it was when it was still fresh) so I’m not getting “forest fire smoke wafting into my face” from the cup (which, aside from just not being a big fan of the taste, is the main reason I don’t like smoky teas… that strong aroma gives me a migraine). I imagine smoke-lovers would be quite pleased with this… it almost has a sort of BBQ-umami note to it, and the base tea beneath the smoke is sweet, like a honey/carmelized glaze.

Not a bad cuppa, just not my cuppa.

Here’s Hoping Teabox – Round Seven- Tea #5
It was a mystery to me what sort of this tea was, but it turns out it’s a ‘dark’ tea with very dark leaves but results in quite a light brew. The leaves are compacted like a pu-erh. The first steep is much like a charcoal roasted oolong (and the color of the steep is the same as well) but the other steeps get sweeter. I wish I had more notes for this one, as it is certainly unique. But much like the charcoal oolongs this is similar to, it’s just not my thing.
Steep #1 // 12 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 //few minutes after boiling // 3minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 4 minute steep

A fantastic tea. Great complexity – a balance of savory, sweet, spicy, and smoky.

It is also very dynamic – every infusion brought out a whole new balance of flavors: sometimes sweeter, sometimes smokier, sometimes spicier, etc. Highly recommend gong fu style with plenty of leaf so you can treat yourself to very engaging tea session!

There is an element to it that does require some getting used to. Some of the notes that come through are simply not that familiar. The carob and light malty-sweet smoke notes (for lack of a more accurate description…) are a bit strange at first, and are not something you find in other teas. So, give yourself some time to acclimate, and you will find yourself wanting to explore this tea more and more.

Last question – is there a bamboo aroma? I don’t know. Haven’t sniffed bamboo in a long time. I’ll sniff some the next time I go to the zoo and will report back.
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Dry leaf: dark caramel, wildflower honey, grape stem, hints of sweet smoke; complex note like apple tart (cooked green apples, caramel, spices) comes through

Smell: dark caramel, carob, sweet smoke. Apple tart note still there. Leaf/stem note you get with roasted oolongs or black tea blends.

Taste: strongly brewed English breakfast tea, dark caramel, apple tart (green apple, caramel, spice), dry spice – allspice, hint of black pepper. Carob, dark chocolate, and dried tart fruit (cherries) in aftertaste.

I bought this tea a year or so ago, and when I tried it I though it was terrible; like a dirty, funky wet dog in the mouth. So it sat in the back of my tea cupboard and rested. Today I opened it up, and it’s like a completely different tea!

The dry aroma is very sweet, and if I didn’t know better I’d guess it was a black tea. Brews a light orange. Like the smell the taste is sweet, a bit like burnt sugar. There’s notes of malt, green wood, and dried herbs. Specifically like dried herbs that have been aging in your mum’s spice cabinet for far too long. It’s sort of like a combination black tea, sheng pu, and roasted oolong. Doesn’t last many steeps however.

This is a nice tea now, and makes me want to further my Tian Jian exploration