Copper Knot Hongcha

I had this iced, today, because we were in the mall and made the mistake of giving this absurdly over-priced company our business. I guess it beats going to Star$ for Tazo tea-bags.

They were out of the black dragon pearls so I had to settle for the hongcha. As with almost all to-go iced tea, it was over-watered down. Their shop is so loud I had no hope of shouting to her not to put all that much ice in it, I just didn’t want it to be too hot to drink.

A perfectly fine cuppa. I’m just fuming about what we spent on 6oz of chai.

I just don’t know about this tea. I was expecting alot from these leaves and came up empty-handed (not an uncommon event with Teavana teas).

I’ve never had anything from the Yunnan province, but this stuff tastes distinctively Assam to me. It’s alright, but not $9 alright. They describe the flavor as complex, but it just seems kind of one note, in my opinion. You can pick up some of Teavana’s Himalayan Majestic for a few cents cheaper and get much more bang for your buck.

This is a good tea. It gives it to you straight. Not a bunch of astringency, not overwhelming flowers or spice or unbalanced flavor. It’s a stand-up tea with just the tiniest hint of pepper, and it’s very yummy. It’s still unmistakably a Chinese tea, but it’s a Ceylon drinker’s Chinese tea.

I find a great many Chinese black teas too weak for milk, or just feel that their flavor is balanced in an unfavorable way. Not so with Copper Knot Hongcha. Very smooth. Being a Teavana tea it is overpriced, but it’s still one of my favorite Chinese blacks.

I’ll be up all night transcribing music and charting songs. This tea will be my study buddy! It’s a highly underestimated tea. I find it sitting in my cupboard all unassuming, minding it’s own business. I always forget that it’s actually a pretty good tea. The only thing is, it doesn’t have any real defining characteristics (other than the shape of the leaves). It could be any chinese “red” tea you’ve ever had. Honey and malt. Nonetheless, it’s good tea and good company. Back to work go I.

So far, has to be my favorite traditional black tea. It has the lighter smoky tones of the golden monkey, but darker and stronger, I find. It can get a tad bitter if oversteeped but not undrinkably so.

This was another tea which I received for my birthday. The flavor is very smoky, but the smell is that of a Keemun. The leaves had a golden hue to them, similar to high quality Assam. The first time I brewed the tea, I remember thinking it wasn’t strong enough. However, the second time, I remember loving the flavor strength. It seemed to variate between a nice, smoky, muscatel flavor, and a fruity, mild Assam. As the flavor seemed to change with every cup, I realized that I really liked this tea. The best time which this tea serves me is in the morning. That’s when I need a strong breakfast tea. However, though this tea is strong, it is quite smooth. The leaves are also of a great quality. I think I’ll order this one again, just like some of the other Birthday teas I’ve gotten this year.

I decided to try this while my future wife and I were out. Overall I didn’t think it was too bad. As I sipped it more on the way home I realized how much it tasted like the Yunnan black tea that I got at the local Asian supermarket…..except there for .75 cents an ounce. It’s good but I’d rather save the four dollars an ounce for something else.

I actually won this tea from Teavana’s Twitter contest. The first time i tried this tea i steeped it to long and did not care for the flavor. The Second time i had it, i stop it at 3 minutes, MUCH MUCH better.

I visited the great folks at my local Teavana retail outlet today at lunch. Due to the large amount of referrals I have provided them, they were generous enough to give me a free cup of this little number.

I am a big black tea fan, and this one does not dissapoint. Very similar to Black Dragon Pearls, but with a little extra wang to it. Good stuff.

The leaves come out of the tin looking like those dehydrated worms that you feed fish with. But they unfurl into pretty whole leaves! And the color of the tea is so nice, a medium dark golden brown. It smells, well, like wet leaves.

I like the taste, woodsy, mushroomy, a hint of sweetness, a little nutty, yet very delicate. The flavor comes out more as it cools. I like this one. I don’t think it has a whole lot of caffeine in it because I fell asleep on the couch after having two cups this afternoon. So I think this is something I can have late into the day as well and not be up all night. It would be good after a long after dinner stroll on a cold evening.