Chinese Kung Fu Tea Arts 2009 Da Hong Pao

This is a small store I stumbled upon, and despite my hesitation on some of their older Yancha's possibly from the same source who I believe stored them in the same room they smoked. I was actually talking with him the other day regarding his business. He runs a store through ebay, and if you are in the market for a hand painted Gaiwan he is supposedly going to start carrying them in a partnership with another seller.

But while my conversation with him did not stray far from tea, he seemed very helpful to answer any questions I had about his products, but like any vendor he's trying to make a living so everything must be taken with a grain of salt.

Onto this tea... This tea already shows great promise as its lacking the cigarette smoke aroma and coming off rather sweet and fruity smelling.

The tea itself is very candy and floral smelling, while it tastes like a mixture of brown sugar and butter.


And I am completely sure my new Lins Ceramic Kettle is altering the water I even did a bit of a side by side taste test. And I am really enjoying this oolong, but I do not know if it is the oolong or the altered water, but I'm getting next to no astringency out of this, a bit of a sharpness but no bitter and drying astringency. This second infusion was rather creamy and cooked root vegetables.

All in all I like this tea, but there is little anything spectacular about it other than its sweetness. It is a standard wuyi not quite as complex as others, but perfect if you want to drink a nice smooth and gentle tea, with some flavor.

2007 Wuyi-star Da Hong Pao Brick

I picked these up to age, hopefully close to the great success of the1997 Shui Xian brick. I should note that from the vendor I picked these up from I have not been entirely happy. If it weren't for the tea of his I tried last night and this tea being nearly air tightly packed in what looks like some sort of factory packageing, I'd almost believe that they had been stored in a place where many people smoked. Otherwise I have to just guess that the roasting was done to a such an extreme on these such that a 2 year wait on this, and more than that on the other tea from him, that for the first couple of infusions the predominate flavor is ash.

This is servering as a note for further aging. The brick is very very hard to break apart, harder than the '97 SX brick. and The cake is thicker even in the thin parts which makes it hard to break off a stick, so you sort of need to chip it from the brick.

But I think this tea has promise, and hopefully the really heavy roast deminishes. It has a rather spicy aroma to it otherwise, with hints of chocolate and malt.

I'm surprized at the durability of this tea in the later infusions already, and while the initial infusions might be very strong, the later ones are of good quality.

I look forward to tasting this again in a year.

Jing Tea Shop Da Hong Pao

I think I secretly judge a vendor by how much I like their Da Hong Pao, as it is a tea almost synonymous with Yancha. Even as most vendors have a Da Hong Pao, and possibly not the other Si Da Ming Cong (4 famous tea bushes of Wuyi). So I think in taking a close look at the Da Hong Pao a vendor offers, I think I can get an impression of the vendors tastes when it comes to Yancha.

I don't know if its been the lack of tea I have had in the past few days, but the aroma of this is amazingly welcome and familiar, but I must say it has its own certain characteristics that set it apart from others. I get marachino cherries, with roses, but a hint of caramelized sugars, and believe it or not, I think there is the smell of roasted carrots believe it or not. I do not think I could have made this any more smooth, perhaps a slightly longer steep next time, but it has a presence on in the mouth that coats but nothing stands out screaming its presence. There is the hint of a nutty and buttery notes, but it all blends into a creamy texture. The finish though is cooling like menthol and leaves me salivating for more.

The most amazing thing about this, is its color is like an ultra clear honey, or a translucent piece of amber. Quite visually pleasing.

I should note as I've been starting to take into account how the weather factors into the taste of the tea, it is a mild day with a Steel sky in the home of Bethlehem Steel.

This tea puzzles me, it has an amazing aroma, but I feel its lacking on the palate and finish, even with a relatively stuffed pot, a little over half full after shaking to settle the leaves. But even though there is a lack of flavor in the finish the impression and feeling it leaves is quite welcome.

Tea Musings / Andao Tea's Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe)

Today, I had a session of tea in the manner discussed in The Leaf Issue 1. Now I knew I wanted to write up a review on this tea, to end the Pu-erh steak in posting. Though I'd consider it very fortunate that I read that article again last night, and as I was getting ready to have tea, that I should think of some of the lessons in that simple article.

When I first tried that tea from Andao, I wanted to write it off as under roasted, and nothing a Da Hong Pao or Big Red Robe should be. After having the tea acouple of times, I still never liked it much, but this time I made it all about the tea, had propper posture, and just focused on the tea.

I did not know it would change much of anything. Yet, the tea seemed nearly transcendental, the chaqi from it is still pulsing through my body. I just remember a fruity nose, maybe hints of peach cinnamon, and cherries. And a smooth mouthfeel with a slight bit of astringency. I still have a lingering sour cherry taste in the back of my throat from my last sips.

It seems that focusing on the tea, improved my mood, and my experience beyond anything I would have imagined.

Teasprings Wu Yi Cha Wang Da Hong Pao

This is the last of my new teas till I get some more. This is another one of the "fancy" Da Hong Pao's from Teaspring, coming in its own tiny packet, and box. I will be sure to try and get more teas to review shortly, and look at my postings on my other sites for reviews on Coffee, and coming soon Whiskey.

1: 30 seconds boiling.
Nose: Vanilla, Burnt Toast, Hints of coffee, and blue berries.

Palate: Strong bitter begginning, only getting more bitter as time goes on. Very reminiscient of a strong espresso. It also has hints of chocolate, and a slight burt toffee sweetness to it.

Finish: Lingering toast, with a nice hint of sweetness.

2: 20 seconds, Boiling.

Nose: Burnt Toast, A lot more lighter scents now, hints of banana's and citrus, still a slight coffee aroma.

Palate: Molassas, charred toast, possibly a hint of sour apple.

Finish: lingering dryness, leaves you wanting more.

3: 30 seconds, Boiling.

Nose: Well done toast, with hints of cherries.

Palate: Toast,

Finish: lasting coffee.


This one did not impress wholly on the taste, but it was definitely a well roasted DHP, with a wonderful aroma, and interesting finishes.

Teasprings Diao Yu Tai Te gong Da Hong Pao

Da Hong Pao, is a Yancha or Wuyi cliff/rock tea. Its English name is Big Red Robe. As the story goes an important person in China was rejuvinated in health upon drinking tea from the bushes on a nearly unreachable cliff face. So he wrapped the rest of his tea in his red robes. Now This tea does not come directly from one of those bushes, which can still be seen today. Rather they come from clones made from clippings of the original bushes, so they are nearly identical. Some further offshoots of these bushes are sometimes given the name "Little Red robe."

1:
Nose: nutty and sweet, maybe a peanut brittle. Slight hints of roast, dried fruits.
Palate: Creamy mouth coating texture, very pleasent, slight hints of berries, a slight sourness almost like rubarb.
Finish: Refreshing, with a completely mouth covering taste of toast.

2:
Nose: Floral, like a lily. Hints of cherry candies. Toast and burnt sugars come out in the cold aroma.
Palate: Honey, especially the slight bitterness you get from it. Hints of peanuts.
Finish: Bitter finish which is not overwhelming.

3:
Nose: Hard Candies, caramel, slightly floral.
Palate: Caramel, honey, lightly roasted coffee.
Finish: Lingering dryness.

I'm sure it will go for a couple more infusions, but this post is getting rather long as it is.