Review: Yunnan Ancient Tree Black Tea

日本語 (Japanese Version)

Hello. I’m about to have some tea.

Details

Name: Yunnan Ancient Tree Black Tea

Seller: South Avenue

Variety: Black Tea

Origin: Yunnan, China

Year: 2014

Season: Spring

5g steeped for 1 minute in a gaiwan (203 °F/95 °C)

Tasting Notes

Top: Aromatic wood, cocoa, resin

Middle: Raisin

Last: Cocoa

Leaves

Reddish brown with a tinge of black, the leaves are not so large. They are finely twisted. The aroma is rich and woody.

Impressions

First, an explanation of the tasting notes. The “Top,” “Middle,” and “Last” are terms borrowed from describing the fragrance of perfume. Top refers to the aroma experienced before drinking the tea, Middle is the taste of the tea in the mouth, and Last is the note that lingers after swallowing.

This is a black tea from South Avenue, a specialty jasmine tea shop in Nishi-Ogikubo, Tokyo. Normally I would only steep it for short periods up to 30 seconds, but I received instructions from the shop staff to steep for a whole minute.

I sensed aromas like Assam tea, shou puerh-esque Chinese herbs, and a resin-like smokiness. In terms of taste, it was astringent and quite sour, but with a round and smooth body. Its robust yet mellow quality may be because it’s an ancient tree tea. I liked that, because of its sourness, it’s refreshing despite the strong aroma. It leaves a smoky, bittersweet aftertaste that gives me the vague impression of cocoa. My second steeping was infused for one minute like the first. I can sense smokiness and the sourness has become slightly more gentle.

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ポン太 (Ponta)

IG: @grandguignol