Several posts ago I shared some information about Dian Hong Ji Ya tea.

Dry leaves…

This black tea is not just elegant in taste, but also has a noteworthy appearance consisting of young leaves as well as golden buds in the shape of needles. Let’s talk about those buds for a minute – there were a lot of those golden buds on the umber and brunette leaves.  The leaves mainly consisted of one bud one leaf. Such a quality can only be achieved by handpicking and manual processing. The leaves had a beautiful multifaceted fragrance – first a malty aroma which is not hard for me to miss (not my favorite) but there were also some subtle notes of something chocolaty and sweet, but yet floral at the same time.  Yummy huh…  smell – o – vision!

Brewing…

I used a rounded tablespoon or about 3 – 4 grams of tea with 12 ounces of water at a temperature at boiling -212 degrees Fahrenheit.  The brewing time for the first steep was three minutes and for my second steep, I let it go for about four and a half minutes. Longer steeps of 3 + minutes will give more body to the cup. These leaves can be steeped multiple times.

In my cup…

The golden leaves created a golden-brown brew. The liquor did not have the usual reddish hue of black tea at all. The tea smelled just as the brewed leaves did: a tad malty, sweet, and chocolaty. There was also a tiny floral hint to it as well. It tasted light, floral, and sweet with a chocolate finish. The malty notes were only present in the aroma – good for me!

Second Steeping
The second brew was more mellow than the first, and sweeter. The chocolate and floral notes were again present.

For my tastes, this tea was a treat and just up my alley.  Remember I am a lover of black teas, and this did not disappoint. The flavor was smooth with a delicate sweetness, due to the high percentage of those golden buds. The cup had a gentle, floral aroma, but a strong, crisp flavor.  Interestingly, in the brewed tea there were more floral notes in the aroma, and a lot less malty notes than the aroma of the dried leaf suggested. In the end, the beautiful mix of brown and golden tips were more than just a pleasure to the eye. A really satisfying mouthfeel – smooth, soft, and well rounded, that did not suffer from the bitterness/astringency that some other black teas can have. A 5 +!

Rating Scale

All teas will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 for dislike and 5 as love:

1. Dislike (I didn’t like the tea and would not repurchase)
2. Passable (I didn’t dislike the tea, but I didn’t think it was very good)
3. Average (I didn’t find it good or bad and would drink it again)
4. Good (I liked it but it and may repurchase)
5. Love (I enjoyed it lot and would repurchase)

Next…Eisai, a Buddhist Monk