Last October, during my European trip, I got to visit Trieste, an Italian town that holds a special place in my heart. I had not been there in 5 years and I didn’t know what to expect. I had certainly not anticipated that I would find great tea. You see, Trieste is renowned for its coffee and historical art deco coffee houses. Coffee culture is so ingrained in everyday life that there is a unique coffee jargon, which is completely different from the rest of Italy. Anyway, back to tea. I discovered a tea shop, Tea Time, tucked away in an alley, a real hidden gem. Patrizia, the owner, helped me select two black teas, Yunnan Flying Dragon and Golden Monkey (Jin Hou) from Fujian. I also got two beautiful tea cups (pictured).

Yunnan Flying Dragon is also known as Bi Luo Chun black or Golden Bi Luo. “Golden Bi Luo is a high-grade black tea made in Yunnan Province in the style of Jiangsu Province’s Green Bi Luo Chun. The name means “snail spring” — “spring” because this tea is harvested in the spring and “snail” because the two leaves and down-covered tips are carefully rolled into tight spirals that slowly unfurl to release more flavor during steeping. The spirals are formed in a heated wok, using three different hand movements.” (Tony Gebely, World of Tea). Yunnan black tea is also known as Dianhong cha and is usually made from Camellia Sinensis var. assamica, whose leaves and leaf buds are larger that those of the Camellia Sinensis var. sinensis.

Tea Name: Yunnan Flying Dragon
Origin: Yunnan, China
Ingredients: organic black tea
Harvest: 2016
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Leaves/Water Ratio: 5 gr to 5 oz / 150 ml filtered water
Water Temperature: 195 F / 90 C
Steep Time: 1 minute, multiple steeps (5-6)

EYE
dry leaves: dark tightly rolled pellets with golden fuzzy tips
wet leaves: dark brown with rusty and crimson hues
liquor: vibrant coppery red

NOSE
dry leaves: notes of milk chocolate and dried herbs
wet leaves: notes of dates, cacao, slight medicinal notes
liquor: notes of dates, chocolate, apricots

PALATE
Liquor: sweet, malty with a hint of cacao nibs

MOUTH FEEL: medium-bodied and flavorful, lingering sweetness

FOOD PAIRING: milk chocolate, dates and stone fruit

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I really enjoyed this tea. After brewing it gong fu for 3-4 steeps, I cold-brewed the leaves overnight, which drew out intense fruity notes of peach.

Disclaimer: I purchased all products with my own money and I was not asked to review them. This is my honest opinion. I am not affiliated with vendor or manufacturer.