Dian Hong

Tea: Dian Hong
Vendor: Swan Sisters
Price: $8.00 / oz
Source: Yunnan, China
Harvest Date: Spring 2008
Vendor Description:
Yunnan Imperial known in Chinese as Dianhong, is from Fengqing county, Yunnan in Southern China. It is made from the same variety of tea plant as found in Darjeeling (A tea growing town/region in the Northern Indian state of West Bengal) and grown directly across the Himalayas. This tea is China's answer to those who love robust black teas. Yunnan imperial is high in tannins with a malty flavor and deep amber color which holds up well to milk. Production, almost exclusively for export, started in the 1960's when the officials of Yunnan where looking for revenue for the poor rural areas.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is black and gold in color. The leaves are long and twisted with a rich and sweet aroma. The aroma reminds me somewhat of coffee.

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

1st Infusion: The tea has a rich black tea aroma to it. The aroma is thick and heavy with a strong sense of intensity. The tea itself is a rich dark red-brown hue. The flavor is smooth and rich. It is full bodied and is definitively a Yunnan black tea. It finishes off with a long lasting aftertaste.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 208F, 1:30

2nd Infusion: The second infusion still shows the rich black aroma. The flavor is bold and strong, but has developed a light sense of bitterness and a medium astringency. The flavor is snappy and sharp.

Rating: 5/10

Conclusion: This is is very characteristically a Yunnan black tea. The leaf has an appropriate color as so, with golden leaf mixed with the rich black colored leaf. There isn't much that unique about this tea though, at least not enough to warrant the price. It's definitely a good stop if you're looking for a black tea outside of the Darjeeling/Assam/Ceylon ranks.