I admit this is where my knowledge of Black Tea stops, Lao Chuan Hong is a supposed well know hongcha but I admit, reading the description we got, I cannot stop being curious about what I possibly await with this one.

This tea was part of the June 2024 Tea Club

Paul wrote: “Brewing Instructions- Boiling water, even for the very fresh raw Puer. Use gongfu style brewing if you can. If you’d like a softer experience, drop the temp to 85C - 95C, this will lessen the harsher notes of the tea. 90C-95C for the black tea will coax out different aromatics and favors, but will still prefer boiling.”

Wash (15s)

Smell is… just filled with Umami I can’t describe in any different way, like how Beef noodles would smell like, with a very light tint of cinamon.

1st Steep (15s, 95C): Yellow It tastes exactly how it smells like, Umami with cinnamon, very very tasty ! I love it ! Nougat, Cinnamon

2nd Steep (10s, 95C): Deeper Red this time color-wise Dough, Toasted Bread, Cinnamon. This is probably the best alternative to a “flavored tea” that could ever be. It’s not too sweet, it’s just perfect.

3rd Steep (10s, 90C): Mahogany red Now the Nougat is overpowering, for my greatest pleasure. Truly, this is the most enjoyable tea I’ve had in a whiiiiile, First time I genuinely cannot stop drinking !

4th Steep (15s, 85C): 85C is where it’s calmer, much calmer, yet oh so delicious. I think this is the best w2t I’ve ever had hahah.

  • Flavor Complexity: 30/30 - A very complex and full tea ! So Many different layers, Nougat, Umami, Cinnamon.
  • Brewing Forgiveness: 20/20 - This can be probably withstand any temperature change (which I’ve tested extensively, trust me !)
  • Quality Across Infusions: 20/20 - Layers and layers, different levels to how good this is, The hotter the water is the more we get that Umami note, then as the kettle cools down we get Cinnamon Toasted Bread to end in a sweet fruity melon taste, with no bitterness whatsoever, this is a chef d’oeuvre for sure.
  • Overall Enjoyment: 30/30 - This is the tea. I’ve never enjoyed a Black Tea ever like this, most of them can’t withstand boiling water on the long run, end up being bitter and then fall appart, some have artifical fruity notes, that overpower each other in a horrible mess. The few Black Teas I’ve successfully enjoyed weren’t part of the better ones, I seem to have consistenly rated them around the 50-60s/100. This is a whole other level though, and seeing how cheap it is on w2t’s website, I absolutely will be ordering more ! I don’t give my 100s easily, and this will be my proud 1st one.

Congrats Lao Chuan Hong !!!

100/100 - yaro