Wild Black Yunnan ~ DavidsTea

It’s hard for me to resist trying a tea with a name like “Wild Black Yunnan“. I know how unlikely it is that DavidsTea’s Wild Black Yunnan is actually as rare as a lot of Yunnan teas I can get from more specialized vendors. Nevertheless Wild Black Yunnan is advertised as having been harvested from wild-grown trees (which are therefore organic), and in my mind the wilder the better.

In aroma, Wild Black Yunnan is fairly similar to a lot of Tippy Yunnans, flush with a great deal of malt. The spent leaves have almost no aroma except for a tiny bit of cedar, which is odd. In coloration, this warm copper liquor feels a lot tamer than i would have expected from a wild-grown tea. However, in flavor I can totally see Wild Black Yunnan having been wild grown. It’s duller with a harsher aftertaste than a Royal Gold, but malty and gooey with a nutty note. In texture, Wild Black Yunnan is definitely Tippy, but less than i would have thought from the loose leaf. Additionally, it’s a low grit, which is rare for a Yunnan of this color. The loose leaf actually smells as if it’s more powdery than it actually is–a little disappointing. Wild Black teas definitely have unique character, and Wild Black Yunnan is no exception.

1. Aroma – 93
2. Taste – 93
3. Texture – 93
4. Spunk – 93
5. Price – 92
6. Availability – 90
7. Appearance – 92

Mean score – 92%

Ugh. I would still recommend it for Yunnan Black lovers, though maybe not for avid Royal Gold drinkers. *sigh* So far DavidsTea is 0/2 on my blog. ;|

Oh, and if you get a chance check out the Macro image of the spent leaf below. It’s kind of difficult to believe this was actually shot out of the box on an iPhone. 0.0;;