Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: dark, tightly rolled
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: amber

I seem to have a bit of an obsession with honey aroma teas from Taiwan lately. Whether they are blacks or oolongs, I want to drink them all. This one is a very unique bug bitten black tea. My late night tasting notes humorously included the phrase “holy crap!”. It’s no wonder that it won 3rd place at the 2015 North American Tea Championship. The taste was sweet and slightly fruity with a very strong, lingering aroma. Honey definitely dominated the flavor profile but there hints of bright citrus that in a pleasant floral note. That natural sweetness became more apparent as the liquor cooled. The aftertaste reminded me very much of the burnt sugar topping of crème brûlée. There was no bitterness or astringency to speak of. I found myself drinking what seemed like infinite sips. Towards the end my infusion time was well over a minute and the taste still remained very pleasant. This tea was very no fuss and I think it would do very well when brewed in a more western style if you were so inclined. +Golden Tea Leaf Co. describes it as highly addictive and they couldn’t be more right. I immediately found myself wishing that I had more Honey Red Jade for my private stash. Thankfully  I’ve got several other teas from them that I’ll be sharing with all of you soon.

Honey Red Jade sample provided for review by Golden Leaf Tea.