Grandpa Special (savustettu keltainen tee)
Martyna S.
Great, as always. I love this taste
Martyna
This is one of the best ones I’ve ever tried, love the smoky taste mixed with delicacy. I bought small package when I was in Helsinki, now I’m out with the pack. You definitely have a fan in Kraków, Poland! ❤️
Loris
This tea is very different from any other tea I had before, this partially comes down to the wet fermented yellow tea base that is distinct from other tea categories but also to the intense smoking.
The initial aroma of the dry leaves was very smokey like smoked fish (but no fishy notes) with a hint of dark chocolate and spices hiding behind the smoke. Brewing the leaves toned down the chocolate and spicy notes slightly.
As a disclaimer: I have not tried smokey tea before and generally dislike intense smoke, if you do like smokey tea or smoke in general this is probably a great tea!
The mouthfeel is thin but very hydrating. I did four infusions with the same leaves afterwards the smoke was too intense for me and ended the session. The smoked aroma persisted over every steep and had some very slight hints of sweetness in the strong smoke.
When ordering the tea I expected a lighter smoke aroma, the smokey notes was the strongest fragrance I ever had coming off a tea and made Dancongs and Yancha pale in comparison (intensity of fragrance). The tea also tasted like smoked food. Even multiple hours after the session I could smell the smoke on my arms from handling the tea.
On the fourth infusion I started tasting slight notes of the tealeaves at their end of their lives (that distinct taste tealeaves have when their main flavours have been extracted already) but the smoke persisted strongly. If I liked strong smokey notes I probably would love this tea, but as is I do not think I will brew it again. If Teemaa ever releases a less smokey version I would be curious to try it as the tea had interesting notes but the smokiness was extremely intense.
If you consider buying this tea be aware of the intense smokey notes, they have the intensity of a bonfire/campfire with the fragrance being a touch more refined.
As this is a very unique tea that tastes and smells (albeit very smokey) unlike any other tea I have tried before, it is still a fun experience, but maybe try to have it at the teemaa tea house before committing to 30g
Maria S.
Maybe I got a wrong batch or my expectation was too high, but I was really disappointed with this tea :( The smoke aroma is waaaay too intense and covers everything else. I was brewing it thoroughly, but no taste or aroma of yellow tea appeared, only smoke. The mouthfeel and aftertaste is also smoke. You might like this tea if you love intensely smoked teas, like Labsang Sushong, but probably not if you're after yellow tea.
Anna S.
amazing tea. from a dry leaf a strong aroma of smoke and smoked prunes. When poured, it gives a bright, rich taste and the smell changes to the aroma of juniper incense. brewed in straits, honestly withstood three straits.