Hmmm, a Tie Guan Yin Black Tea? That sounds pretty different, sign this owl up! This tea is experimental and processed in smaller batches, made by a second generation tea master. This black tea is from Sanne Tea, online seller of farm to cup Taiwanese Teas.
My sample is from September 2014. I like the information listed on the sample, especially the oxidation and roasting level.
Dry Leaf
Tie Guan Yin Black tea’s leaf looks like matte black ribbons with the odd brown or gold tip. The leaf has a sweet honey scent.
Steeping Instructions
I didn’t completely follow the steeping instructions on the sample. I did use boiling water and did a quick rinse. What I did differently was I leafed harder, 5 grams with a 120ml easy gaiwan, instead of 4 grams for 180ml.
After the rinse, the leaf produced a really strong scent of sweet fruit punch, tannin grape and baked crust.
Tasting of Sanne Tea’s Tie Guan Yin Black Tea
First and Second Infusion:
Sanne Tea’s Tie Guan Yin Black tea steeps up lighter than I thought it would. The tea is a light ruddy gold orange with a fruity scent.
I was caught off guard – I was expecting a strong, roasty tea but this was light flavored, like a light roasted oolong. The first sips is thick honey sweet. The texture is fluffy yet clean in taste. Tie Guan Yin Black tea has notes of buttered bread pudding, caramel with a bit of mystery as there’s so much going on. The aftertaste is a fleeting toasty floral. What did I just drink? This is a black? A Tie Guan Yin oolong? A part of me wished I leafed harder. Leaf harder faster stronger!
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Infusion: Sanne Tea’s Tie Guan Yin Black tea has gotten more crisp in taste. The flavor is milky smooth, bright caramel with a toasty floral finish. Some sips I get a clover note. The aftertaste is still short lived, but has a tasty floral buttercup bread echo. It’s like I’m drinking an Asian bakery milk bread, toasted with a bit of whipped butter and exotic floral jam spread on it. Wirh a micro green salad on the side. A high end afternoon tea.
Sixth and Seventh Infusion: Unfortunately, there’s not many infusions with this black tea. The flavor has dropped drastically, with the tea already tasting on the light side. The flavor is a nice caramel sweetness, with a little bread and floral notes. I steeped Tie Guan Yin black tea for 2 and 8 minutes. Even with these longer steeps and boiling water there is not a lick of dryness and easy to drink. That said, I think this tea would be excellent extended brewing travel tumbler or western steep style tea, but you’ll lose a lot of the complexities.
Oddly I would like some dryness in this tea as I want the fragrance to live forever in my face like some other oolongs I’ve had. However, after that thought I am brought back to reality that this is a black tea.
Comments
Sanne Tea‘s Tie Guan Yin Black Tea is an interesting one. I walked in thinking this was going to be strong, roasty floral black like other Taiwanese blacks but ended up with a complex light tasting tea that breaks what you think is a black or oolong.
I recommend Tie Guan Yin Black Tea for someone wanting to try something a little different. It would make an excellent black tea for tea drinkers who prefer lighter teas or a light evening tea for tea drinkers who prefer rich teas.
(tea provided for review)
