Elmwood InnFine Teas Ying Ming Yunnan Black Tea, 16-Ounce Pouches

I like Yunnan teas, but they have become very expensive. I was attracted to this offering because of price. It is decent tea and better than what one should expect for the price, but it does not have that strong Yunnan taste. Very worth the money for an everyday cup. It will disappoint the connoisseurs.

This is my favorite tea and has been for a while. I have a subscription for it and get a pound through Amazon every two months.It comes in a resealable, airtight, opaque bag and I don't notice any sticks, bugs or impurities in the tea.I read another review that said if you steep it too long it has an off taste. That applies to all teas; they get bitter if you steep too long. Some people thinking steeping longer makes it stronger, which is wrong. If you want it stronger just use more tea. I steep this for about 3 minutes and stir it once during that. It has a dark color, is complex and aromatic, with great flavor. I've tried several others I've found on Amazon, but this is still the best in my opinion. With the subscription, I get it for a little over $20 for a pound, so you can't beat the price. I'm very happy with this.

I am a fan of Yunnan tea, which in fine whole leaf form can certainly be one of the world's great black teas. Have had many grades, some quite expensive, over the years. It can be a lighter, more fruity and flowery alternative to my other favorite China Black tea, Keemun. And there are certainly variations in good Yunnans. Some even have a pleasant slight peppery note. This Elmwood Inn example is kind of disappointing. It makes a drinkable cup, but the flavor is somewhat off. I like tea strong and rich and generally steep for 3 to 4 minutes. A fine Yunnan can certainly stand up to a long steeping. But with this, any more than than 3 minutes and the result is this off, sweet but vaguely odd herbal or even solvent like taste. If you like a lighter shorter steep I guess you might find it alright. The cost is not very high for a whole leaf tea but there seems to be a reason for that. A good Yunnan can be thirty or forty dollars a pound and higher. But I doubt if I will order this again.

Dark brown/red color, slightly toasty caramel aroma. Nicely wet in the mouth, good astringency without ever becoming over bitter (even when brewed strong like I do...3.5 tablespoons to .75 liters of boiling water for 5 minutes). Missing the complexity of more rare Yunnan teas but often in the morning all I want is a strong silent type by my side. I have been trying to find a bargain every day tea on Amazon and so far this is the only one I will buy this one again.

One thing experienced tea drinkers know is how expensive a god Yunnan tea can be. They'd also tell you that a good Yunnan is one of the finer cups of tea you could have. I am no tea expert, but appreciate a good cup as much as the next tea-ist. I dont really make comments to the hints or notes of aspect of different teas. I do however categorize some of my favorite teas as earthy and smooth. That there is the best way to describe this tea. I am a lover of Pu-Erh tea since it really never seems to take on that astringency or bitterness that comes with over steeping. You will never find this much of a fine loose tea for this cost. Get it, drink it, be happy.

I found this tea not to my liking, even though I've enjoyed Ying Ming Yunnan from two other sources. When I called Elmwood Inn Fine Teas with my comments, I was very graciously offered a full replacement of my choosing. I asked to sample two other of their Yunnan varieties, and received the samples within just 2 days, all the way from Kentucky to Hawaii! I phoned in my choice, and anticipate many pleasant mornings with Yunnan Imperial from Elmwood Inn Fine Teas. Yes, Fine Teas and Excellent Customer Service.

This is good tea... but not great tea. Just ok. I'm a bit of a black tea snob though and for the price you get an ok amount of it. I probably will not buy it again.

It's hard to find good Yunnan tea. This is excellent, consistently good from package to package.