No. 3 – Classic Chinese Black Tea from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

classicChineseTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Tea Description:

Joseph Wesley’s Black Tea No. 3 is an organically-certified tea from the famed Long Jing cultivars of China’s Zhejiang Province. This tea is hand-harvested from the mountains of Zhu Jia Jian island in the Putuo district of the Zhoushan archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Bold and straightforward, this delightful tea can be enjoyed throughout the day and will pair with any of your favorite adjuncts (milk and sugar / spice and honey).

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This No. 3 – Classic Chinese Black Tea from Joseph Wesley Black Tea is the third tea that I’ve tried from this company … and all three have done nothing but astound me!  I am so very impressed by this company.

The large, chocolate-y brown leaves smell lightly earthy with a hint of sweetness.  The liquid these lovely leaves produce is a deep brown color that smells rich and rewarding, like that first cup of tea that you look forward to in the morning.

The flavor is equally as rewarding, with its rich chocolate-y notes and sweet caramel-y undertone.  There are notes of malt and this has that flavorful, chewy kind of taste that evokes thoughts of freshly baked bread.  It is deeply satisfying.

There are notes of earth within the sip, as well as a fruit-like flavor that reminds me of a sweet plum.  Every once in a while, if I slurp my sip, I pick up on a hint of flower in the distance.  But mostly what I taste is the sweeter notes of cacao and honeyed caramel.

This is one of those teas that you want to have on hand so that you can enjoy it frequently.  It’s so good.

No. 6 – Bai Lin Congfu Black Tea from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Bai Lin CongfuTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Tea Description:

Made strictly from the early, fresh, tender, and young buds of the Da-Bai tea cultivar, Joseph Wesley’s Black Tea No. 6 showcases the sweet, smooth and slightly toasty characteristics of China’s famous Bai Lin Congfu black tea. This tea is sweet in taste and beautiful in construction with a delicate array of golden-orange buds and a distinct fuzz showcasing the skill used in the complicated hand-crafting of this tea. With notes of caramel and cream, Joseph Wesley’s Black Tea No. 6 is an enduring way to reenergize in the morning, afternoon, or before a night out on the town.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Mmmmmmmmm!   Yes, this tea:  No. 6 – Bai Lin Congfu Black Tea from Joseph Wesley Black Tea warrants nine m’s.  It’s that good.

The dry leaf is beautiful.  The leaves are dark brown with lots of golden tips.  The aroma of the dry leaf is earthy, and the fragrance of the brewed tea is also what I would describe as earthy.  There is relatively little here in the fragrance that hints at the flavors that will be experienced with the first sip.

It is incredibly smooth.  No bitterness whatsoever.  Just smooth from start to finish, and it finishes with a slight dryness that intensifies slightly in the aftertaste.  And it’s sweet, and the thought that comes to mind when I think of the sweetness is a warm, silky caramel.  So smooth and rich and sweet.  It almost tastes like I’m drinking something that I shouldn’t be drinking because it tastes that good, you know?  Kind of like licking the mixer blades after you’ve made a chocolate cake, you know you shouldn’t eat that raw cake batter, but, it tastes so good that you just can’t stop.

There are hints of sweet fruit in the distant, with notes of wood, leather and earth that are a little less distant, with a haze of smoke that sort of films over these flavors just a little bit.  Further obscuring these notes are the incredibly decadent sweetness of the cup.  As the tea begins to cool, I pick up on some creamy notes as mentioned in the above description.

A truly remarkable tea.  Put simply … I think I died and went to tea heaven.  If you like black tea – you’ll love this.  And if you love black tea, I caution you:  you may become obsessed with this one.