Nannuoshan

Method:
~2tsp/10oz
Pre-boiling
Rinse: 3-5sec
First steep: 1min 45sec
Second steep: 2min
Third steep: 2min 30sec

A quick five second rinse releases the aroma of smoke, stone fruit, and honey into the air. The liquid is a lovely gold, medium bodied and slightly viscous. Wow, is this really a smoked tea? It tastes of sweet honey, stone fruit, and light mineral. It’s dries the tongue just a bit. Faint notes of muscatel are present. The only evidence of a smoke flavor is the taste that lingers behind after swallowing. It’s perhaps more pine wood than smoke, but it’s there. It becomes more obvious as I sip through my cup. In the second cup I notice subtle notes of cocoa with a light caramel/cream finish and a touch of roastiness. The body, again, is light-medium and less viscous than the first cup. The third cup has a stronger caramel flavor, but overall it’s much lighter and starting to weaken. I don’t think it’s a tea I’ll be buying, but it was certainly a lovely one to try. Thanks nannuoshan!

Thank you so much for the samples, Nannuoshan! I hope my reviews do these teas some justice.. I’m not the most eloquent writer. Already, I’ve noticed there are no steeping instructions on the site for my mug/brew basket infuser/ electric tea kettle type steeping, only for teapot & gongfu methods. So I’m already not able to follow the parameters, which I would have really liked to do. But Gabriele at Nannuoshan guided me to the best way of steeping them. On nannuoshan.org, a teapot method suggests 6grams of leaves for 500 ml of water. Since my mug holds about 350 ml of water, I will use half the sample and fill the mug 2/3 of the way with water, for all Nannuoshan samples. To get the right temperature, I also boil the kettle and wait the amount of time for the water to cool, so waiting 30 minutes after boiling the water should give me a steep temperature of 176 degrees. The steep time on the site also seems a bit long for these teas… I want to follow Nannuoshan’s instructions but I really want to get the best taste possible. I won’t be explaining this every time I review a Nannuoshan tea, but I thought I should the first time. I’m not sure I’m what Nannuoshan is looking for in an official Nannuoshan tea reviewer (I didn’t know that’s what they were looking for when they sent out samples) but I would like to do the best job I can reviewing the teas they sent to me.

To the tea…
I loved the idea that this tea was planted around fruit trees and the fruit influences the flavor of the tea. The dusty green and white dry leaves are actually surprisingly fine and coiled. As I’m accustomed to a Bi Luo Chun looking, but with smaller bundles. The steeped leaves in the brew basket are actually uniform colored and sized green leaf shapes. It’s almost magic that the leaves can transform like that. I filled the mug halfway, added 1 1/2 teaspoons of leaves to the brew basket, and added some more water to make the mug 2/3 full. The flavor of this bright yellow brew is a fantastic green tea. Anything over a three minute steep for this brew method was almost too much. There was a hint of astringency, but nothing that ruins the other complex flavors. It certainly tastes fruitier and sweeter than your average green tea. At first, there is a creamed corn vegetal flavor. Then buttery and nutty notes are consistent through the cup, with a brothy aftertaste. A light pineapple note goes along with the sweet fruity flavors. I don’t think there would be as many fruit notes in the cup if they hadn’t been grown next to fruit trees. Green teas are not usually this noticeably fruity to me. I like that the flavors of this one are so complex and the different flavors are all equally represented. It makes for a delicious, unique cup! The following steeps might not have as much complexity to the flavor, but the first steep was perfect. This tea rates very high up there with my favorite green teas.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 tsp// 12 oz mug filled 2/3 // 32 minutes after boiling (should be 176 degrees)// 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // 30 min after boiling // 2 1/2 min
Steep #3 // 30 min after boiling // 3 min

Since I tried the Yin Zhen first, I have some frame of reference. The dry leaves are much longer and spindly. As Tealizzy put it, they look like a cross between a silver needle and a golden needle Yunnan. They have a mild, perfume-like scent.

Method:
~2tsp/10oz
Pre-boiling
First steep: 2min
Second steep: 2min 30sec
Third steep: 3min 15sec

The liquid is very, very pale and clear. It’s a creamy shade of yellow. The scent is floral with strong notes of oakmoss and spice that sets the back of my throat tingling before I’ve even taken a sip. Evergreen is the first flavor to hit my tongue. It’s very much like the camphor you’ll find in a sheng puerh. The spice gives my tongue a pleasant tingling sensation as the taste melds into a long, sweet creaminess. Immediately following is a flavor that to me is distinctly Yunnan. It’s a thick, syrupy, caramel pudding flavor that seems to stretch on forever. As the tea cools I catch hints of cut wood—pine, maybe—beneath the creaminess. The wood-like flavor grows a bit stronger in the second steep. It leaves a fresh, almost minty feeling in my mouth. Long creamy finish is again present and accented with a juicy fruit flavor that I can’t identify. The final steep features thick, dairy notes at the forefront with earth, evergreen and wood underneath. It’s a very tasty tea! Thanks to nannuoshan for giving me the opportunity to sample this one.

This was an interesting and subtle Yancha. Later steeps reminded me of a perfume I have with mineral tones, hints of bergamot with its citrus, spicy floral tones, spice and hints of aromatic wood. I prepared it gongfu style (2g/100ml) in a yixing pot but I think next time I would choose a gaiwan to better appreciate it. The dry leaf smelled very fresh and grainy. They were very large and thick and were loosely twisted and ranged in colour from dried up moss yellow green to dark grey toned chocolate.

My first steep was 60 seconds. The resulting broth smelled floral, a green cool floral like lilies or some orchids, with hints of hay cocoa and cream. This steep had a rather interesting mix of flavours with a mix of floral notes, wheatgrass, and plum with cream and cocoa underneath at first. As it cooled the tea added a hint of cinnamon, cherry and a very faint bit of mango to the flavour. The tea created a cooling sensation in the mouth.

The second steep (also 60s) was sweeter with more fruit and a bit of honey underneath. The floral notes were also stronger and mixed with the mineral notes to create a flavour that was slightly herbal. The spice and cream remained whereas the cocoa weakened significantly. I found a bit of peach in the aftertaste.

By the third steep (90s) the herbaceous floral blended with the fruit in a way that was subtle and quite perfumy. The cream was missing and hints of citrus appeared. The tea was spicy on the tongue and the peach once again appeared on the aftertaste.

This flavour profile continued into lasted steeps (90, 120, 180s) with the tea maintaining a mineral, floral, citrus, spice profile. The later steeps yielded a bit of aromatic wood and vegetal notes as well.

The flavour was never intense and I found the mineral notes to be quite intense at times with this tea, but I enjoyed the blend of fruit, floral, and mineral notes in this tea. Thank you very much Nannuoshan for the opportunity to try this tea.

http://instagram.com/p/zOJUgpmKwa/

Lately I’ve taken to brewing this tea before bed. I have become less meticulous about my steeping parameters; this tea is forgiving and delicious no matter how I brew it. Tonight I’m noticing a lot of cucumber, cream, and melon with a thick mouthfeel and honey floral undercurrents. There’s a wonderfully full, juicy quality to it as well. Notes of hay and fresh bread help to balance it all out. I think this is quickly becoming my go-to white tea.

Method:
2tsp/7oz
(Nearly) boiling
First steep: 2min
Second steep: 3min

The dry leaf is adorable. The tiny, tender leaves are covered with a downy silver hair that coats the inside of the sample pouch. I held a few my hand and admired them before putting them in the infuser. I did not follow the brewing directions online, opting to use my preferred method for first tastings of straight tea. There is enough in the sample that I will be able to experiment with brewing parameters a little.

Method:
~1.5tsp/10oz
Pre-boiling
First steep: 2min
Second steep: 2min 30sec
Third steep: 3min
Fourth steep: 4min

The liquid is a very pale, clear yellow. It smells of apricot, hay, and fresh flowers. I wait several minutes until it’s just cool enough to drink. My first impression is that it tastes very, very fresh. It has a natural sweetness and it tastes very “clean”. Faintly floral, like honeysuckle flowers, with a somewhat fruity undertone. There is a long, deliciously creamy finish. Soft and lovely. It’s a taste that lingers in the mouth.

The second steep yields stronger notes of fruit. There’s a sweet lychee flavor, followed by hay, flowers, white peach, and cream. Long finish is underscored with a light tartness. I’m in love with the delicate, sweet peach notes in this infusion; it took me a moment to pick them out. It’s DEFINITELY white peach, not yellow peach.

Third steep is thick, juicy, and malty—malty?! It’s still has a strong, fresh, fruity taste, but the creamy notes have become much stronger. Almost milky or custard-like. I was surprised by how much flavor was in this cup. So, I opted for a fourth. It contained many of the same flavors, but they were a little less intense. Ah, well!

Thanks for the sample nannuoshan! I can tell this is a high quality white tea. I’m super excited to try the Dian Yin Zhen to see how it compares.

You know I am a sucker for oxidized Oolongs but I love floral ones as well. This one is a floral type which comes from one of the highest mountain of Taïwan and is incredibly soft, light and pure. Yes, pure is the word which is coming first to me as I am sipping this lovely tea.

The dry leaf smells fresh herbs.

After 5 minutes into a boiling water the leaf is not totally deployed It retains some secrets until the 2nd infusion.

The colour of the liquor is from a very pale yellow.

This the taste of crystal Yes…I know but if crystal can be liquid and drinkable it would have the taste of this Li Shan, sure. Pure so pure, so refreshing and light, it is incredible.I adore it. None bitterness nor acidity.Lilac and touches of peach are the most evident notes to my palate.

1000 thanks Gabriele for this sample, it would almost make me change to jump in the low oxidized Oolong world. But I am on the dark side of the Oolong-y tales and I’ll remain even if this tea would probably have its place in my cupboard- and a very good place.
Howw much do you sale it Gabriele ? it is not on your website :(

Pics are available here : https://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/li-shan-nannuoshan/

Thank you to Gabriele and nannuoshan for this sample!

I left it to my husband to pick our tea for the night and this was the one he enjoyed the most when he opened each to smell. He’s been wanting to try this type of tea for a while now, ever since he had a conversation with a friend at work about monkey-picked oolong. I didn’t know at the time that monkey-picked oolong is another name for Tie Guan Yin, not until I started asking around here on Steepster. I was happy that nannuoshan had this tea to sample and even happier still that my husband picked this one from the batch without even realizing what it was. I really hope he likes it.

The leaves are brown and came tumbling out of the bag in clusters to hit the inside of my gaiwan with a bright, tinkling sound. Each is a different shape – no two seem alike. Some look like tiny parcels, others like flower bulb shoots. A few have opened more fully, as if they’re stretching upward toward the blue. The color is dark – black and tan and a bit of green.

After rinsing the leaves, this incredible aroma floats out of the cup. I could be wrong about this, but it seems like the perfect cup to wake up to in the morning. The fragrance is roasted and almost sweet. For some reason, I think of oolong as a darker tea (like a step down from black tea), but I must be wrong because this is very light in color. The flavor is outstanding – it tastes just as it smells. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is. It may be bread. It may be brown sugar. My husband even said he tasted something like roses.

We steeped this four times and finally decided it was time for bed. Not wanting to waste any remaining flavor, I put the leaves in the fridge with two cups of water for a cold brew and left it for almost a full 24 hours. The color is very pale, almost golden. I expected it to be lighter since I’ve already steeped it a few times, but it’s even paler than I thought. The leaves have unrolled, but instead of being silky like I expected they look as crunchy as a piece of fresh kale. Lightly sweetened, this is very enjoyable and certainly isn’t lacking in flavor.

I’m enjoying each of my samples from nannuoshan better than the last – this one is my favorite so far!

Infusions
4 ounces water + 212 degrees + 60 sec each
16 ounces water + iced + approx. 24 hours

This tea tastes very much like a brighter lighter cousin of a Xiang luo Keemun I have. It has bright winey fruit tones on top, which come off as plum and blackcurrant in early steeps, mixed with the upper tones of malt underneath this is bitter cocoa, Ovaltine, barley like grainy notes, that open up to the light and bright floral notes I find in Keemun which are kind of a cross between a lemony green floral and spicy carnation. There are also nice touches of spice and burnt butter toffee notes especially in the first steep. The tea is very light in body but is given texture by the sharp upper notes and a bit of astringency which emphasise the light bubbly note of the tea. The tea has a moderate tone of caffeine which contribute to the tea making me feel alert and refreshed.

The dry leaves are very thin twisted needles that are dark brown with thin lines of gold and copper. The leaf smells of bright citrus and grainy notes.

I steeped 1.5tsp (2g) in a 150ml gaiwan. Altogether I steeped it 5 times ( 45, 45, 60, 90, and 180s) at 90°C. The first three steeps were significantly consistent in flavour profile and texture after which the flavour faded significantly.

I really enjoy the sense of well being this tea leaves me with as well as the bright, sunny nature of this teas flavour profile. I definitely wouldn’t mind revisiting this tea in the future. Thanks very much Nannuoshan for sharing it with me!

http://instagram.com/p/zLyLRUGK24/
http://instagram.com/p/zLyey2GK3N/

I once had a seller tell me that this was a man’s tea in China, just like Lapsang Souchong ( generally the low t no smoke iteration) is a woman’s tea. I’m not sure why specifically, maybe it has to do with the scent of cinnamon from baked goods after all that is why many women’s perfumes have heavy doses of vanilla and spice, or maybe it has to do with the heat it can create in your mouth? I took this with a grain of salt as I am a woman and I tend to like this style of tea and currently have a few in my cupboard, and was more than happy to select this tea as a sample during Nannuoshan’s offering.

This particular style off oolong is one of the Wuyishan yancha ( rock teas) which are bar type Oolong’s famous as a group for having mineral notes and often floral, fruity, cream, and cocoa notes. The cream in these teas is often distinct and often creates the sensations in my throat that I get when I have dairy vs the taste of cream I get in rolled Oolong’s.

Rou gui is also known as cinnamon or cassia rock tea and often exhibits distinct cinnamon like scents and at times in the taste and spiciness of the tea itself.

This tea from Nannuoshan is from a 2013 harvest because of that most of the flavour and scent notes from its roasting have dissipated leaving a tea that smelled distinctly floral when I first opened the bag, and then settled into a fruity vegetal fragrance. The leaves are large and relatively wide and range in colour from cocoa brown with a tinge of burgundy to an off black.

http://instagram.com/p/zAdCoamK9X/

This picture shows Nannuoshan’s tea in comparison to the teas I have from other companies.

I steeped 2g of tea in 100ml yixing pot at around 90°C for this sampling.

My first steep was 45s as I usually find 60s to be too intense for me when I steep dark Oolong’s.

The colour of the broth is a slightly peach toned golden brown. The initial scent is quite fruity with notes of peach and a hint of lychee deepening to notes of bittersweet chocolate, cherry, a hint of roasted grain, vanilla, cinnamon and a very faint hint of nutmeg.

The tea tastes of stewed peaches and cherry with cream, a roasted char note, mineral notes and a green vegetal note which is a cross between cut grass, hay and roasted vegetables. There is a hint of clover and spice in the initial taste. At first the tea leaves a tingling on the roof and back of my mouth. This feeling of spice intensifies in the aftertaste which is mostly of cream, spice and fruit notes with a bitter cocoa undertone. The spice is cooling at first and then becomes peppery and warming.

I resteeped the tea another 6 times (45, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 300s)

The heady fruit tones dissipated by the 4 the steep with mineral, floral, spice and grainy tones moving forward in the profile. The floral notes ranged from sakura, to rose and Osmanthus. I also tasted notes of honey and a bit of musk in later steeps. The spice at times is mixed with a hint of bitterness that can emphasise the mineral notes in the tea.

This tea seems to lie somewhere in between the flavour profiles of the rou gui’s I have samples, being neither as floral or as fruity as the others. It does have a nice balance of flavours and creates a strong spicy sensation in the mouth which I find pleasant. It is not as resilient as some I have sampled but the first 4 steeps were really flavourful and memorable.

Thank you so much Nannuoshan to the sample. I always appreciate the chance to try another offering of one of my favourite styles of tea.

Thank you to Gabriele and nannuoshan for this sample!

Of all the teas I requested, the black teas are the ones I’m most looking forward to trying. Black teas are my favorite and I’m sure these will be no exception. I may try one of the two in a teapot, just for something different, but this one I’ll make tonight in the gaiwan.

The leaves are short in length and most have a crook in the end though some are bent nearly in half and look like a hastily-scribbled letter “U”. There are a few pieces of leaf that haven’t been twisted but look more broken and a fine beige powder along the inside of the bag. The color is black but with the slightest tint of dark green.

A quick rinse first according to Gabriele’s instructions and then on to the first infusion. The color of the tea liquid is a beautiful burnt orange with an added luster that makes it shine in the kitchen light. The liquid almost seems thicker than it should be, and the aroma reminds me of cooked turnip greens (though not excessively so). I think I must be unaccustomed to drinking straight teas (either that or I’m doing something wrong here), but this one too seems bitter to me. My husband says it’s not really bitter, just strong, but I’m going to try cutting down the time on the next steep to see if that helps.

I steeped this a total of six times. The third, fourth, and fifth infusions were the best in my opinion; the tea was no longer bitter and started to take on a fruity note. By the sixth infusion, the tea was starting to become weak so I ended it there. Overall, this was an enjoyable tea. I would be interested to try this in a teapot with some cream and honey to see how it tastes that way.

Infusions
5 ounces water + 195 degrees + 45 sec, 35 sec, 35 sec, 45 sec, 60 sec, 75 sec

I enjoyed the rest of my sample of this tea today in my new gaiwan and cup from Nannuoshan! I love the buttery grilled taste of this tea and it was so beautiful to enjoy in my new teaware, which is also amazing! I think I did pretty well not burning my fingers with a true gaiwan! Yay! All my previous gaiwans were “easy” gaiwans. I was waiting until one “spoke” to me and this one did! Here are some pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16812263281/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16625805978/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16812262832/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16191014604/

Thanks so much to nannuoshan for all the samples! This is my last one and I can honestly say that all of them were of excellent quality and delicious. I will be picking up some tea in the future.

The dry leaf of this tea looks like a silver needle crossed with a golden needle yunnan black. It is sea foam green color and smells fresh, with some potato and mint notes.

I followed the recommended gong fu parameters, but was able to enjoy a couple more infusions than were listed. The liquor is like a creamy yellow/taupe color, but clear and lightly viscous. The first sip tastes sweet with a juicy texture. There are definite potato notes and a delicious grilled taste with maybe some sweet pipe tobacco. This is amazing! It’s like velvet in my mouth.

Wow, this tea is so different than other white teas. Usually, white tea has hay or cucumber notes, but the grilled taste in this one is just fabulous! The uniqueness of this one makes it stand out to me, and it has definitely earned a place on my “buy” list.

Pics of the leaf and liquor:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16363591558/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16550165422/

This is my second sample of the day from Gabriele and nannuoshan. Thank you!

My brother came over for dinner tonight and while I was cooking I let him pick a tea from my bag of remaining samples. He narrowed it down to this green tea, a white tea, and an oolong. We opened each to have a look and take in the scent, hoping it would help him in his decision. My brother loves fruity teas so when I opened the first pouch (which was the white tea) this is what he says — “It smells like Lipton.” I followed with the oolong and green teas which he said smelled like “stronger Lipton”. It made me laugh out loud, but I completely get it – each of them smells simply of tea. I’m no tea connoisseur but after learning about so many different teas here on Steepster I’m finally able to pick out a few distinct notes and really start learning the characteristics and myriad flavors of each type of tea. It’s been so much fun, but I’ve only barely scratched the surface. There’s still so much to learn and experience.

This tea reminds me so much of spring with its blue skies, pink and white blossoms, and cool green grass under bare feet. The tea leaves themselves are the color of moss and look just like fresh-cut blades of grass. They are pressed flat as if they’ve been stuck between two pages of an old book. The smell is fresh and green – it’s quite refreshing. I steeped half of my sample for a full minute in the gaiwan then poured the liquid into three cups. It’s very light in color and smells of grass and toasted rice. I’m pleasantly surprised by the taste. It is delicate but also very flavorful, much like its aroma.

I steeped this twice more, with both cups tasting much the same as the first. It started to become a little bitter and just a touch astringent, so it was probably best that I stopped at three.

Of the two I’ve tried so far from nannuoshan, this one I like the best.

Infusions
4 ounces water + 175 degrees + 60 sec, 65 sec, 90 sec

Thank you to Gabriele and nannuoshan for this sample. It’s such a generous one!

Gabriele sent eight teas to sample over the course of the next week and I am starting the day off with this one. Packed with the teas and all of my beautiful teaware was a typed note filled with personalized steeping recommendations for each of the teas I requested. For this particular one, it was recommended that I use the entire package in my gaiwan. This will be my first time ever to use a gaiwan so I have to admit that I’ve been nervous about it all morning. I’m so worried that my inexperience will somehow negatively influence the taste of this beautiful tea. I did watch a couple of videos earlier today and Gabriele directed me to some photos on Facebook that took me through the process. It seems so involved but also so much more of an experience.

The dry leaves of this tea are almost too pretty to take any further. They are long and lovely and smell so sweet! Most are dark like fresh-tilled earth; some are white and fuzzy with a coat like a Jack Russell terrier. Still others are bordering on shades of nude or wheat. They twist and curl at the ends like unmade corkscrews.

I told a friend last night that we had bought a gaiwan and he jokingly asked if that was the method where you just pour tea all over everything. I wasn’t sure what he meant but now I think I understand. I poured water over the leaves and immediately tipped the first infusion out over all of the pieces to warm them. I made a terrible mess, of course, but the tea tray seems to be well prepared for such a thing. The leaves are starting to unfurl and now have more of a savory aroma, something like spinach or turnip greens.

For my first true steep, I could not seem to get the water in fast enough to empty the gaiwan. By the time the water filled the vessel, the timer in my head was already at six seconds and I was rushing to get it into the pitcher before the bitterness set in. The color of the tea liquid is reminiscent of the flesh of a yellow peach. The sweetness has returned in both flavor and fragrance, but there is a trace of bitterness there which I know is my doing. I can also taste an underlying fruitiness, but the specific fruit is set on evading me. I’ve slowly been adding caffeine back into my diet (but only in the form of tea) and I can feel the effects here. It’s almost that feeling of having one cocktail too many, a wooziness in the head.

I completed five infusions total with each one gentler than the last. It was amazing to see the tea start as thin twists and over time open into full leaves. Toward the end, the leaves still carried their vegetal aroma. The liquid was also bitter through each steep, but not excessively so. Once I become accustomed to using the gaiwan I would like to try this one again. I think there is so much there that I was unable to tap into.

Infusions
4 ounces water + 212 degrees + 6 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 15 sec

Thanks for the sample, nannuoshan! This is the third black tea I tried. The dry leaf is dark brown to black in color, thin, and twisty. It smells like malt. I followed the recommended gong fu parameters to brew this tea, but I was able to enjoy a couple more infusions than were listed. The brewed liquor is a nice reddish-brown.

I taste a tiny bit of cocoa, but the flavor seems more potato in nature. I also get a bit of a tang. It is smooth and lightly viscous. Overall, it is clear that each of the three black teas I tried are different enough that one might enjoy all three at different times.

Pics of the leaf and liquor:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16354321967/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16353948049/

Thanks for the sample, nannuoshan! This is the second of the three black teas I tried. The dry leaf consists of very curly, thin, dark brown leaves with some lighter brown sprinkled in. I used the recommended gong fu parameters to brew this tea and I was able to enjoy more than 3 infusions. The aroma is malty and smoky. The liquor is lightly viscous and reddish-brown in color,

With the first sip, there was an explosion of flavor. It was like a bunch of flavors were bouncing around in my mouth. There’s chocolate, vanilla, caramel, a bit of smoke, and even a bit of fruit, like dried cherry. The flavor is rich, like fudge. Nannuoshan’s website states this is a higher grade keemun (which are known as “Qimen”) and based on the flavors I tasted in this tea, I can tell this is of excellent quality. This is really a fantastic tea!

Pics of the leaf and liquor:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16341830268/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16528472902/

Thanks for the sample, nannuoshan! This is the first of the three black tea samples I tried. Gabriele wrote in his note that it seems like I like black tea because I requested three, and he’s right! I do love black tea!

This one sounded like a good one to try first. The dry leaf consists of about half-inch long, thin, twisty black leaves and smells like malt. Here’s a pic:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16504814202/

I followed the recommended gong fu steeping parameters, which are not that different than how I usually gong fu brew black teas. The steeped leaves smell like malt and cocoa. The liquor is reddish-brown in color and smells like cocoa and honey. It is medium viscosity, not overly thick or thin, and smooth and clear.

The first infusion is smooth and tastes like cocoa, honey, and nuts. Yum! In the second infusion, the liquor is more red in color, like a cherry wood, and the flavors continue with cocoa, honey, and some malt creeping in. I found more even more honey notes in the third infusion, at least in the aroma, with light malt and cocoa.

The recommended 3 infusions are perfect as the flavors start to diminish after that.

Of the three black teas I tried, this one is my favorite. The cocoa and honey flavor lingered in my mind. I’m excited that I still have enough leaf for another session! Maybe I’ll wait to have it in the new gaiwan I ordered!

It has an intense smell even from the first seconds of infusion.
I like the fine taste of fresh green tea, that reminds me scents of fruit and a little bit of nuts. When I drink it, it seems to me that it is fresh-picked.
It is very good, I would dare to say that It is a tea appropriated to meditation.

As the Long Jing and all the other teas that I consume, I use to infuse it 3 times as in the gong fu cha method:
1°) 85° – 1min
2°) 83° – 2min
3°) 83° – 3min
I can only say that it was definitely not bitter in each one infusion but it was always more tempting and palatable.
Thank you Nannuoshan!

It is a fine and tasty tea. The smell is full, very unique. I like the taste because it is not bitter, It is full of flavours, with an aftertaste of chestnut, dry fruit and fresh green tea that entices to drink it.
I have infused it 3 times with the gong fu cha method.
1°) 85° – 1min
2°) 83° – 1min
3°) 83° – 1.30min
In each infusion there was a good taste of fresh and delicate tea. In the last infusion there was a little presence of bitter taste, but it was not strong so i enjoyed it.
Personally I like this tea very much, it is one of my favorites teas with Yin Zhen and Taiping Houkui.
Another time Thank you Nannuoshan!

Thanks a bunch to nannuoshan for this sample! The dry leaf is a nice mixture of green and gold. I only had enough sample for one session…about 6g. I rinsed the leaf twice at 5 seconds each and then steeped it for 5 seconds. Because of my gooseneck kettle, I was barely able to finish pouring the water over it at 5 seconds! You have to be quick!

The wet leaf smells like dried fruits! The liquor is a pretty amber color. There were some other reviews about this one hitting strong after 5 seconds, so I went more gradually than usual and had three or so 5-second steeps, and then I started to add time with a 15-second steep and then a 25-second steep and so on.

From the beginning, it tastes like dried fruits and apricot. There’s a hint of sheng bitterness, but the short infusions prevent it from overpowering the flavor. At the 25-second steep, I noticed it was getting sweeter and that it was having a calming effect on me. It just kept going and going, getting sweeter and sweeter. I lost count of how many infusions I enjoyed. I was going to stop a number of times, but the developing sweetness kept calling to me, making me steep it “just one more time”, which actually became several times! The spent leaves are whole leaves and they look so fresh, like they were picked yesterday.

With longer steeps, initially there was more bitterness. I think it would be worth it to let this one age for a couple more years to mellow it out, especially since that dried fruit flavor is so delicious! I may pick some up with that in mind!

Pics of the session:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/15911361573/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16344088350/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16344088310/

The dry leaves are fairly short and twisted in the “loosely rolled” style. Dark brown to green with slightly reddish stems. Thick, sweet aroma of date, cocoa, and leather.

The first step brew up a nice yellow-orange color. Wow, this one has some serious flavor! Ginseng, vanilla, clean leather, fall leaves, dates, guava, floral hyacinth finish. Thick, spicy tropical fruit aroma in the cha hai.

The second steep gives stonger fruit flavors with notes of lychee, moscato, and grahm cracker. Slight green tartness. Viscous, syrupy mouthfeel.

Later infusion become dryer in taste, like fall leaves, white wine, and incense. A mild, steadying qi becomes apparent.

The spent leaves are uniformly dark green and are somewhat broken, accounting for the small size.

An excellent tea, complex and delicious.

I’ve been interested in trying some aged white teas, so I was really excited about getting to sample this from one Nannuoshan.

The dry leaves on this one are fluffy and light brown with many silver tips. Aroma is sweet and musky with notes tulsi, vanilla, sourdough bread, and old book. It’s hard to place yet very feels very familiar .

The first infusion brews up a nice medium yellow color. Like the aroma the aroma, it tastes of tulsi, vanilla, sourdough, and has a light citrus flavor like pink grapefruit. A smooth and mellow cup with a dried flower sort of aroma.

Later steeps have more sweetness and a thick, syrupy mouthfeel as well as raisin, ginseng, and fragrant wood notes. Good stamina, putting up with ten infusions.

The spent leaves vary from deep brown to light brown-green. They are fairly small with lots of buds and a rubbery, flesh-like texture appearance.

I really enjoyed this one! Thick, complex flavor and good stamina

Thanks for the sample, nannuoshan! I think this is my first Da Hong Pao, although I’ve had roasted oolongs before. The dry leaf includes medium sized leaves that are dark, wide, and twisted. It smells like twigs, maybe some charcoal, and burnt popcorn (in a good way!)

The tea liquor is a pretty peach color, smooth, lightly viscous, and tastes like a roasted oolong with a hint of peach. The roasted flavor glides over the top, but it’s not too strong. In the second infusion, there’s a really nice juicy texture coming through. Mmmm! The third infusion is similar to the second and the subtle peach notes in the aroma are very pleasing. I followed the recommended gong fu steeping parameters for the first 3 infusions, but continued infusing it a few more times. In later steepings, I noticed that nice touch of mint that I sometimes taste in roasted oolongs. Overall, this is a warming and comforting tea, good for a cold winter night.

Pics of the leaf and liquor:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16319393209/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/16503942511/