There is no information available on the origine of this tea…at least I didn’t find any.
Is it a Taiwanese black? I’m a big fan of Oriental Beauty oolongs, and this somehow reminds me a lot of that. Maybe that’s the reason it’s called Black Beauty? The strong honeysuckle sweetness makes me wonder if it’s a leaf hopper bitten tea, just like Oriental Beauty. Garret, if you read this, please enlighten me, I’m the curious type :-)
Regardless of where it’s from, it’s mighty delicious. It’s got dark chocolate notes, and it’s a little boozy and bready. There’s that common note I find in Oriental Beauty that I always have a hard time putting my finger on, like citrusy and spicy at the same time. Once, Terri Harplady commented on one of my OB review that the note I was referring to tasted like coriander to her. I don’t think I would have been able to identify that myself, but because she has mentioned it, I’d say I agree with her, it’s close enough.
This is a tea worth having in the cupboard, thank you so much Dexter3657 for this opportunity, it’s right up my alley. I might be sipping down the last of your sample, but I’m so glad I made it part of my last Mandala order!
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I love Oriental Beauty teas…and it’s because of you ! I tried my first after one of your review (about the OB one friend of you offered you)
Chère Ysaurella, I am honoured to have inspired you to try some OB, it,s also one of my favourite tea and yes, it was a friend who introduced me to it, and I am so grateful :-)
This is one of my favorite teas. Usually on weekday mornings I steep a HUGE much of Special Dark with a couple of BIG pinches of Black Beauty in it. I know. But its sooooo good!
mug not *much. (bless my heart)
seems really a great tea
Hi!! This is a tea that I found during my 2012 April trip to China. I fell in love with it instantly while at the wholesale tea market in Kunming – Yunnan, China. The minute I got the first shipment once arriving back, I marked the keemun black I had way down and got rid of it. This one blows keemun out of the water (in my opinion) and the customers who I turned onto it, really thought the same.
It is not bug bitten, but oxidized in a similar way to the oriental beauty with shaking and fermenting, etc. and brews up so very nicely at a pretty wide range of temps. Some folks are brewing it up at 195, others 205, 208. They’ve been brewing it up western style and gongfu alike, each way producing great results.
As long as this producer is making this tea, I will have it available. The spring crop will arrive in the next few weeks!!
I do both and I like it both western and gongfu. Its just that on weekday mornings I don’t have the time to really appreciate the gongfu. This must ALWAYS be gettable.
This is what I LOVE about Steepster. Love how we all have different opinions of the same tea. I adore Mandala tea, but this isn’t my favorite. I wrote something like – it reminded me of the sensation of astringent white wine in your nose – TeaFairy said “boozy”. LOL I didn’t like that sensation, she did. It’s so interesting. I should love this, but there is just something about it that confuses me and it’s really finicky. It makes me happy that you guys love it. :))
MzPrizz, i love a creative mind, now I will have to try your special blend, mmmmm special dark, so good!
Garret, thanks for the info, this is great! (Now I can’t help thinking of poor Keemun being blown out of the water, lol)
Dexter, it’s funny to see our different but similar comparisons ;-)
I love Oriental Beauty teas…and it’s because of you ! I tried my first after one of your review (about the OB one friend of you offered you)
Chère Ysaurella, I am honoured to have inspired you to try some OB, it,s also one of my favourite tea and yes, it was a friend who introduced me to it, and I am so grateful :-)
This is one of my favorite teas. Usually on weekday mornings I steep a HUGE much of Special Dark with a couple of BIG pinches of Black Beauty in it. I know. But its sooooo good!
mug not *much. (bless my heart)
seems really a great tea
Hi!! This is a tea that I found during my 2012 April trip to China. I fell in love with it instantly while at the wholesale tea market in Kunming – Yunnan, China. The minute I got the first shipment once arriving back, I marked the keemun black I had way down and got rid of it. This one blows keemun out of the water (in my opinion) and the customers who I turned onto it, really thought the same.
It is not bug bitten, but oxidized in a similar way to the oriental beauty with shaking and fermenting, etc. and brews up so very nicely at a pretty wide range of temps. Some folks are brewing it up at 195, others 205, 208. They’ve been brewing it up western style and gongfu alike, each way producing great results.
As long as this producer is making this tea, I will have it available. The spring crop will arrive in the next few weeks!!
I do both and I like it both western and gongfu. Its just that on weekday mornings I don’t have the time to really appreciate the gongfu. This must ALWAYS be gettable.
This is what I LOVE about Steepster. Love how we all have different opinions of the same tea. I adore Mandala tea, but this isn’t my favorite. I wrote something like – it reminded me of the sensation of astringent white wine in your nose – TeaFairy said “boozy”. LOL I didn’t like that sensation, she did. It’s so interesting. I should love this, but there is just something about it that confuses me and it’s really finicky. It makes me happy that you guys love it. :))
MzPrizz, i love a creative mind, now I will have to try your special blend, mmmmm special dark, so good!
Garret, thanks for the info, this is great! (Now I can’t help thinking of poor Keemun being blown out of the water, lol)
Dexter, it’s funny to see our different but similar comparisons ;-)