I drink Yunnan black teas only occasionally and am far from an expert on the genre. I've had some very good ones and some dreadful ones. Let's see how this one stacks up.
The dry leaf consists of small, tight spirals, many of which are golden. The wet leaf is almost entirely whole leaves and buds with a fairly uniform cocoa-powder brown color. The long buds and long leaves suggest that it's produced from the Yunnan large leaf variety. Clearly, this is a tea that was picked and processed with considerable care. The liquor is a fairly deep brown, with a golden, green-tinged rim. The aroma is quite rich and deep, but with more of the characteristic softness of a Yunnan bud tea than the strong spiciness of a leaf-only grade. I noted some soft and deep fruitiness, some molasses, a hint of cocoa, and a toasty note. There is definitely some dimension and complexity to this aroma. In the mouth it's almost as smooth as a golden bud tea, but with a bit more body, grip, and richness of flavor. I especially like the full mouth feel it delivers. The liquor flavor intensifies notably as you transition into the swallow, showing strong Yunnan and cocoa flavors that persist quite some time in the aftertaste.
This is a very good Yunnan tea, which, at $10.95 for 4 oz., is a good deal for a tea of this quality. It's powerful enough for breakfast, yet smooth and interesting enough for the afternoon. A good choice for those who want a full-flavored Yunnan without the aggressiveness and/or peppery character that often accompany strong Yunnan blacks.
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