Most of other notes already covered the basics. I have had black teas processed closely to how this one was and they have not been as good. The other dark Jin Xuans I’ve had are usually to “ripe”, thick, or sweet nevermind I enjoy naturally sweet teas with some texture. I love that this has very little astringency and bitterness. In terms of notes, I got the honey mostly followed by the honeysuckle, caramel, and orange. It was actually very similar to What-Cha’s Vietnam Red Buffalo, but the mouth feel was a touch heavier and more malty making it more obvious that this was a black tea.
Out of all the black samples from Golden Tea Leaf, I would drink this one the most often. Like Amanda said, this tea was also very forgiving making it a better option for leaving the leaves in the brewing apparatus, namely a tumbler. You might be able to Gong Fu it, but Western is easier. A part of me actually liked this more than the Gold Red Tea (though I liked the complexity more of the Gold Red), and I definitely preferred it to the Sun Moon Lake since I like lighter black teas. I do drink Yunnan Gold Buds often, after all.
Not a bad black tea to try if you are trying to expand your hong cha horizon, and definitely good for those who like forgiving and softer black teas.
