My Overall Impression (Score of 88 %)

Man, I’ve been on the road running for the best company on earth.  When you travel, the best things that can keep you in check are reminders of home.  For me, one of the most important is that cup of tea in the morning.  It’s calming, relaxing, helps me center my day and most important…just to be able to focus on something simple.  A great cup of tea does all of that and more (yes, I know the caffeine boost is wonderful as well).

These last few weeks, I been traveling with a variety of brews, but I kept reaching for Yi Mei Ren Wu Liang Mountain from Yunnan Sourcing.  Why?  It’s a great strong brewing cup of tea that does not disappoint.  I love its structure and depth.  From the first sip, you know this is not a watered-down cup of tea.  I love its smoky malt, hints of cocoa and great acidity.  This just screams food with depth to pair with.  Plus, it’s sexy to look at with its exceptionally long leaves during brewing.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

• “What is this deep structured malt filled cup with an essence of Cocoa Puffs tempting me to play with it?”

The Price

The price on 6/21/24 is $6.5 per 50 grams.

Broken down:

• 50 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 16 brews
• 16 brews from package = app. 41 cents per brew

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 32 cups or approximately 21 cents per cup.  This is a terrific value for this level of quality.

Aromas

• Opening the package shows chocolatey malt (reminds me of beer malts), deep toast, smoky burnt ends, roasted meats, charcoal, tobacco, vanilla, and thyme.
• It shows hints of hazelnuts, tar, and spice cake.
• Once brewed, I love the chocolate/cocoa malt tones that are mixed with floral notes and hazelnuts.
• It just indicates depth throughout.

Flavors

• On the first sip, you instantly feel the depth of this brew. It’s well-structured and has great flavors of toasted malts, smoked meats, mole, and cocoa powder.
• Other flavors of toast, grilled meats with hints of citrus on the end linger.
• These flavors linger over the entire profile and hang out with you for a long time on your palate.
• There is a dusty powder texture to its mouthfeel that adds to its strength.
• It shows good acidity with a dryness on the palate.
• Definitely full bodied with great tannins that add to the profile.

Scores

• Aromas (4.4/5)
• Flavors (8.7/10)
• Overall impression (4.5/5)
  • Total score = 88 percent (17.6/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• I know I’ve referenced this before but the Chocolate oranges at Christmas need to be paired with this. The other option would be the chocolate oranges from Trader Joes.
• After my multiple years in Texas, I love Mole from its great flavor profile to depth. I know this brew will match wonderfully with this.
• Roasted Lamb tagine or Grilled Lamb chops or a smoked lamb leg….ok this just needs lamb to be served with this brew.
• For an appetizer, I would love to make some burnt ends (either lamb or pork) with a really good dry rub and limited sauce would be wonderful with this tea. Limit the sauces to limit the sugars and let the depth of meat flavor shine with the brew.
• Can someone make me a Shepards’ pie but smoke the beef prior to assembling the pie? I would love to try this.