Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: small, dark
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: deep reddish amber
Yunnan black teas are among some of my favorites, especially during the cold winter months. This one wasn’t as tippy as most others that I’ve had. That being said, this is purely a cosmetic observation and not something that is really indicative of the quality of the tea. My tea brewing is usually a bit of a “go hard or go home style” with 30 second infusions throughout but this time I decided to follow Teavivre’s suggestions. My gaiwan is a bit larger than their suggested 85ml but that didn’t seem to negatively affect the tea at all. After a quick rinse, I started at 15 seconds and gradually worked my way up to 90 seconds. I’m sure that this played a part in extending the life of the leaves. The taste was sweet and malty with a nice bit of fruitiness. There was none of the yam-like grit that I sometimes find with these teas. After the first few infusions, a pleasant floral element popped up and lingered on my palate after each sip. Overall it had the comforting, warming affect that I look for from this type of tea. It’s not quite priced as an everyday drinker but they offer other options that are not “nonpareil”.
Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Chinese Red Black Tea sample provided by Teavivre.