Yunnan Noir

Tea: Yunnan Noir
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $13.00 / 5 oz.
Source: Yunnan, China
Vendor Description: Yunnan is a region in China known for growing large-leaf tea. High mountains covered by mist, clean water and rich soil form ideal growing conditions and contribute to the unique flavor of Yunnan black tea. Our Yunnan Noir is a hand-rolled version of this famous variety, with tightly rolled leaves into a "black snail" shape. The aroma is sweet with hints of honey and fruit. To the palate it is red wine-like with notes of fruit and cocoa and reveals an intense depth of character with each beguiling sip.

Leaf: The leaf is small and tightly rolled. The colors blend into a mixture of black and gold leaf. The rolling is not uniform, but very much reminds me of the rolling for an oolong. The leaves produce a rich black aroma that reminds me of yunnan gold. (Being from the same area that is not surprising)

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 5 min, 208F

1st Infusion: The large leaf opened up quite nicely. It resulted in a rich red/brown coffee colored infusion. If I had to describe this tea in a word that it is Dark. The aroma is rich and deep, but very subdued. The rich black flavor is paired with an uncharacteristic light bitterness. There is a light sense of astringency paired with the very smooth flavor of this tea.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea produces a lot of flavor out of the 5g I used for the tea. Cutting this down to less than half would most likely still produce a wonderful cup of tea. Given the price this is hardly an expensive tea at all. Given the rich flavor and lack of bitterness in a 5 minute steep this would be an excellent beginner's tea.