Upon first tasting, I thought Jing Tea’s Big Red Robe Supreme was rather similar to Wednesday’s Da Hong Pao. It isn’t. Its leaves are larger, longer, and lighter in color, and the dry leaf smells fresher, more immediately chocolatey–more alive.
I’m still wearing water wings when it comes to Wuyi oolong, but so far I like Da Hong Pao less than other varieties of yancha. Where Jing’s Tie Luo Han really excited me, their Red Robe only satisfied me. Of course, satisfaction is nothing to complain about, and I found this DHP more flavorful than Wednesday’s.
Using the same basic parameters, the first flash infusion showed supple chocolate and cream–almost like mousse–with a slight dan cong floral perimeter. The second flash was still chocolatey, pleasantly astringent, and more flowery, with a marine-honey aroma. In the third, the tulip tree blossom flavor became very much like the one I tasted in Jing’s own Phoenix Honey Orchid Dan Cong, perfumey with a touch of bergamot. Here the fair pitcher smelled intensely of lemon iced tea mix. The tea itself had a distinct aroma that was clearly somewhere in my memory, but I couldn’t put a name to it, unfortunately. It’s not often that I can’t get a smell off the tip of my tongue.
Continuing on with five more infusions, the bittersweet florals and honey fragrance gave way to a cooling, enjoyable, but fairly nondescript flavor. Overall, this tea was a notch or two more interesting than the Da Hong Pao from earlier in the week, but not as memorable or focused as the Tie Luo Han.
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[...] So far we’ve had three of our oolong teas reviewed here, Iron Arhat, Phoenix Honey Orchid and Big Red Robe Supreme. The reviews are snappy and to the point and nicely written. He seemed to like the Iron Arhat the [...]