Name: Yunnan Gold (Dian Hong)
Brand: Narien
Type: Black tea
Form: Loose leaf
Cost: $3.00 for a sample, $15 for three ounces, quantity discounts available.
Review: I fully admit to a bias toward Yunnan Golds. I love their refreshing, spicy characteristics, as well as their gorgeous deep red/gold color. I also appreciate that each Yunnan Gold can have some very different characteristics: Some are warmly spicy, others have mushroomy-notes, others have a hint of chocolate. Yum.
Narien’s Yunnan Gold surprised me when I opened the package: While I am used to the spicy notes of most Yunnan Golds, the spiciness of Narien’s version was downright peppery. This isn’t a bad thing, of course (I like peppery), but boy, this stuff is strong!
The dry leaf is a dark chocolate brown, with plenty of gold tips scattered about. I infused the tea in Bacon, my Yixing pot reserved for Yunnan Golds, and greatly admired the deep red/gold of the resulting liquor. The nose on the infused tea was peppery and spicy.
The tea remained remarkably peppery on the palate, although there were also some smooth chocolate notes as well. The tea is medium bodied and quite smooth, with only a bit of astringency at the finish.
I am pleased to add this tea to my collection of Yunnan Golds.
Tips: This is a spicy tea that might compete with some foods. Try it without food, first, and then see what you might want to pair it with. I tried it with a few pieces of an almond/dark chocolate bar, and found it to be a delicious match.
Affiliate links in this post?: Yes.
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