A few days ago, I received a number of tea samples from JAS e-tea from the B&B contest last month. Today, I spent some time with the Organic-certified Fengqing Golden Buds Black Tea. This is my first tea review, so please feel free to chime in with advice on technique or descriptors or anything at all.
Tea leaves aroma: Slightly spicy, roasted nut, honey, smoothed out by faint vanilla.
Steeping: I steeped the tea in both a Chinese teapot, gongfu style, and western style with less tea and a longer steep.
Gongfu!
I used 5 grams of tea in a 160ml teapot, also from JAS eTea. I did five infusions, and in all five, the tea flavor and aroma remained essentially the same, but it thinned out by the fifth. I don't think a sixth steeping would have resulted in the same quality as the first four. I started with 25 seconds on the first, and worked up to 105 seconds on the fifth.
The liquid smells similar to the leaves, but the sweetness, or honey aspect is toned down and joined by a light floral scent. The light floral aroma from the liquid carries into the taste along with a mildly sweet fruit taste, but balanced with a faint spice. It's smooth. On every steeping there was a faint astringency that lingered - this was not unpleasant. It was just a nice, smooth cup of tea.
One cup, one teaspoon!
I steeped one teaspoon of the tea in 8 ounces of water in a larger teapot. I did two infusions, first 4 minutes, followed by a second at 6 minutes.
This method produced an aroma and scent similar to the gonfu infusions, however, the flavor was lighter. But this time, a new flavor showed up: A light, sweet malty flavor. The tea was still smooth, and that faint, lingering astringency was still there.
I enjoyed this tea. Steep times might need adjustment, but its well balanced and smooth.
Tea leaves aroma: Slightly spicy, roasted nut, honey, smoothed out by faint vanilla.
Steeping: I steeped the tea in both a Chinese teapot, gongfu style, and western style with less tea and a longer steep.
Gongfu!
I used 5 grams of tea in a 160ml teapot, also from JAS eTea. I did five infusions, and in all five, the tea flavor and aroma remained essentially the same, but it thinned out by the fifth. I don't think a sixth steeping would have resulted in the same quality as the first four. I started with 25 seconds on the first, and worked up to 105 seconds on the fifth.
The liquid smells similar to the leaves, but the sweetness, or honey aspect is toned down and joined by a light floral scent. The light floral aroma from the liquid carries into the taste along with a mildly sweet fruit taste, but balanced with a faint spice. It's smooth. On every steeping there was a faint astringency that lingered - this was not unpleasant. It was just a nice, smooth cup of tea.
One cup, one teaspoon!
I steeped one teaspoon of the tea in 8 ounces of water in a larger teapot. I did two infusions, first 4 minutes, followed by a second at 6 minutes.
This method produced an aroma and scent similar to the gonfu infusions, however, the flavor was lighter. But this time, a new flavor showed up: A light, sweet malty flavor. The tea was still smooth, and that faint, lingering astringency was still there.
I enjoyed this tea. Steep times might need adjustment, but its well balanced and smooth.
