I have had this tea before from another company, so when I bought it, I was looking for a similar tea. This one is similar. I used to brew for about 3 minutes and strain. The instructions for this tea said to brew for 5 minutes, which I figured would be way too long and that I would get a bitter tea. I was wrong. The tea is almost sweet, naturally. It has a very clean, straight forward black tea flavor with just a hint of sweetness, as I said. I was expecting the same tea I had before, but what I got was better. I'm glad I switched companies.

This tea has a greenish-brown color and a lightly smoky aroma. The flavor is remarkably smooth with a very slight sweetness. There is almost no dryness and no change in the aftertaste from the taste of the tea itself. The smokiness was not evident for me until after I had consumed about a third of the cup, and even then it was very light. It has an earthy flavor, not as bright and round as an Assam and not as crisp and dark as a Keemun. It takes cream and sugar well and is a rather nice and satisfying cup. I would probably tend to have this tea with a meal or in the afternoon at the desk. It is not as bold a tea as one might want for that first morning cup. Though not incredibly complex, the flavor is quite nice and approachable. I imagine this being a good “accessory” tea, a tea whose flavor is not necessarily meant to be the primary focus of the moment but which would still make a nice, tasty and satisfying treat during a get-together. This is a tea I would serve to a group of guests at a book club meeting or evening poker game, for example, but probably not my first pick for a tasting event or more formal afternoon tea time. All in all this is a very nice tea, worth consideration as a staple for frequent tea drinkers.

Hmmm, quite an interesting and pleasant tea. This is my first venture into Yunnan teas, with that said, this has the light aroma of a Lapsang Souchong, the palatable clarity of a Ceylon and the aftertaste of a finer bitter chocolate…not overpowering. This Tippy Yunnan is quite tasty; and yet it reminds me of a lighter Formosa Oolong…a little floral but less sweet…not malty at all. For my tastes, this is better as an afternoon tea. I would recommend this tea to try and for the experience. Look for the samples, that way it’s easy to try without spending a fortune.