Lately I’ve found myself skipping over the flavored teas and going straight to my straight teas. Flavored teas just haven’t been hitting it for me and so this am while I was setting up my tea tray with my tea for the day, I grabbed this delight- Jin Kong Que from Masters by Adagio Teas. Reading the description the mention of roasted sweet potato caught my eye and my tastebuds.
Brewed with freshly boild water and allowed to steep just for about 30 seconds or so, this tea delivers spot on flavors that keep you reaching for your cuppa. Lovely soft roasted notes with a sweetness that does remind you of a sweet potato are definetly coming through strong. In the background you are getting this beautiful malty touch that levels each sip out along with a roasted/toasted finish. Smooth, simple, yet so on point and so delicoiusly addictive. I did under steep the tea and the parameters on the site indicate 2-3 minutes but since I used a bit more leaf, I wanted to be conservative without overbrewing.
Next steeping, I did allow the tea to properly steep and I think I preferred doing a shorter steep. The light delicate flavors I was really enjoying before are still enjoyable but there is a harsher after taste of astrigency that I’m not 100% loving. I could have also over steeped by a moment or two so that harshness could be my bumbling of steeping.
Regardless, this tea shows how simply smooth, rich, and beautiful a black tea really can be. I’m quite in love with this tea and sad that I no longer have this tea to enjoy but happy the tea is still available on the site so I have a feeling this tea will be a future buy quite soon.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Masters by Adagio Teas
Description
Jin Kong Que is a remarkable tea handmade in the Yunnan Province of China. It has a rare ability to balance bold flavor without giving off bitterness. Its name, which translates to Golden Peacock, is as flashy as its namesake with fairly large, very golden leaves and leaf buds. The liquor does not disappoint as it boasts intricate notes of honey, toastiness, cocoa, and roasted sweet potato.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Karakundah Black/Simple Loose Leaf
Some mornings are no-nonsense; this Monday is one of them. No time for blends. Time for serious faces, email, and caffeine.
This black tea, which I received this month in my Simple Loose Leaf box, is a yummer. (Nope, “yummer” is not a word — or is it NOW a word? Language evolves, guys. Start using “yummer.” Let’s see if we can get it to catch on).
I knew immediately that this tea was from India because of its slightly spicy and raisin-y tones. The name “Karakundah” also helped — the name didn’t ring as Asian. Turns out that this estate is the highest commercial tea estate in the world.
Make sure to share that fact at your next party. You’ll be swarmed with friends in no time.
This black tea’s powerful rich and malty flavor from a single teaspoon made it clear to me from the get-go that it was a high quality pick. And, lo and behold, it turns out that it’s an “orange pekoe,” which is the highest quality of leaf on the grading scale. (The lowest quality is “fannings and dust,” which I’ve heard is what they throw into commercially-available pre-bagged cheap tea.)
Overall, this pick has gusted me into Awake Land in a quality, unfettered way. It met and, I daresay, exceeded my expectations. Nice work, you high-elevation pals. I tip my cap to you.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Description
Karakundah tea estates, found in the Nilgiri region of India, produce some of the highest grade black teas in that region. Commonly known for the medium-bodied cup of tea, Karakundah black teas are highly sought after on the world stage making this tea a prize for international buyers. Serve with or without milk and add sugar to taste.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Black Ruby/Rakkasan
Sustainability. What does that mean to you?
Is it as simple as maintaining ecological balance within the confines of ones company property or it is more than that?
Any company can put a label on their tin but to live it is a different matter.
Black Ruby comes from a women-only run estate. Though there is no specific information on Milan Kumari Khatri’s tea estate nor that I can currently find on the web, besides what is on the Rakkasan website, I can tell just by sipping this tea that the estate has very high standards.
If English Breakfast had a sister, this would be her. This delicious tea has the usual earthiness but also has some extremely unique fruit undertones, such as black cherries. If you want to support a good company make sure to give this tea a try!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description
This tea is no longer on the website but click below for more information .
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Zhen Quo Fine Black Tea/A Southern Season
I have seen this tea sold under several different spellings, but this is the only one of this type I have tried. It is one of the first fine loose leaf teas I ever purchased, and I haven’t outgrown it. When I am in the town where they sell it, I get a bit for the shelf.
My husband only likes his black tea with milk and sugar, and since he tries to cut back on sugar where he can he prefers that we drink green, white, oolong or puerh together. I had a hunch that he would like this one plain, and it paid off. That tells you a good bit about this special tea from the Yunnan Province. It tells you that it doesn’t taste like a breakfast tea, it isn’t malty, and it isn’t very brisk. So let’s talk about what it IS.
This lovely black tea steeps up a little light in color, but it is far from light in flavor. There are layers of goodness in each cup. This is smooth, slightly savory, and has hints of golden raisin and honey, a hint of sweet pastry, and a little fruit. High notes and middle notes abound, with just a little bit of bass.
It resteeps wonderfully, so even though this is a regional shop with only a few locations, they do ship, and it is worth a try. Or perhaps you can try a Zhen Qu from other sources and let us know how it compares to this description!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: A Southern Season
Description
A black tea from Yunnan province, a big bodied, deep rich brew that is a mix of dry savory notes balanced by pervasive sweetness and a hint of fruit
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chinese Wuyi Jin Jun Mei Black Tea Grade One / Apr Tea
Took a hiatus from some of the amazing teas I’ve been sampling the past few weeks. Not because I wanted to but because I had a bit of a cold.
Nothing serious but enough to knock my senses out a bit. Hoping against hope that I was better than yesterday I decided to open this 5g packet. Thought it quite odd they would use honey incense in the name but the moment I opened the packet it hit me. Then I had to blow my nose to make sure I was getting every ounce of this incredible aroma.
Honey and incense! The packet still smells like it even with the tea out in my pot. Needless to say I’m excited to try this. Oh wow. Oh man. This is beyond delightful. Everything about this tea is pleasure. Even the way the dry leaves looked before steeping.
Golden leaves mixed in with dark, chocolate-brown. The clear, dark, honey, liquid is a beautiful precursor to the flavor. No astringency, only sweet bits of honey rounded off with light touches of forest floor and hints of nuttiness. The mouth feel is incredibly smooth.
This tea just blows me away. If you enjoy black tea you absolutely have to give this one a try.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Apr Tea
Description:
Wuyi Jin Jun Mei (金骏眉):Every 500g of Jinjun Mei tea needs tens of thousands of fresh shoots of tea buds, picking the fresh tea buds of the mountain original ecological species in Wuyishan Nature Reserve, to be completed through a series of complex withering, shaking, fermentation, rolling and other processing steps. The appearance of Jinjun Mei tea is small and tight. The color is gold, yellow, black and white. Golden for the tea fluff, buds, tight tight knot, round and straight, light body weight, uniform. Open Tang golden color, water with sweet, sweet through the incense, the bottom of the flower fruity display was unable to imitate and beyond the rare quality. Special aroma, dry tea fragrance; hot soup pure and refreshing; warm soup (45 ℃ or so) maturity and delicate; cold soup clear and elegant, high and lasting. Both hot and cold drinks are smooth, with “clear, and, alcohol, thick, fragrant” features. Even brewed 12 times, the mouth is still full of sweet, after the end of the leaves stretch, sprouts fresh, beautiful show.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!