Several posts ago, I shared with you some basic information about Panyang Congou.
The dry leaves…. Medium length, dark chocolate brown, wiry leaves, that had a slightly roasty, smoky aroma. The leaves were pretty, with the wiry pieces, fairly finely broken…and there was this very faint aroma that suggested some chocolate and fruit????
Brewing… For me- my typical black tea brew- leaves steeped for five minutes at 212 degrees. The resultant liquor was a bright golden orange, with an aroma that was slightly fruity, sweet and faintly smoky.
In my cup… Roasty, toasty taste with just a little hint of smoke, unsweetened cocoa and a hint of fruitiness. Presents a bold palate and brisk flavors – a great balance of toasty and slightly sweet flavors, with a hearty, coating full mouth feel. All of this combined with just a hint of bitterness with a very long finish. Besides it’s woody flavor, it has notes of cocoa and it lingers on the tongue in the best possible way
Final thoughts
The flavor is just potent enough not to be lost alongside any foods, but is still very complex and nuanced. It has a moderately astringent body, giving it a sort of dry feeling, but this fades into leaving a tingling sensation on the tongue. Just a good basic black tea for a decent price. I love historic teas especially ones common in the 18th century and imports like this one from the British East India co into the American colonies tell me what people really drank and why they enjoyed them so much. This is a traditional classic tea of great historical importance. This is a Great Big Number 5
All teas will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 for dislike and 5 as love:
- Dislike (I didn’t like the tea and would not repurchase)
- Passable (I didn’t dislike the tea, but I didn’t think it was very good)
- Average (I didn’t find it good or bad and would drink it again)
- Good (I liked it but it and may repurchase)
- Love (I enjoyed it lot and would repurchas
Next… Gimme a break – I’m skipping Q and going right to Rooibus.
The ABC's of Tea 