Republic of Tea - Golden Yunnan

For hardcore tea connoisseurs such as myself, Republic of Tea is not the ideal choice. Although I do drink it often at work (teabags—loose leaf tea is a pain in the ass to deal with in the break room), I don't typically drink it at home. I still don't, honestly, but this deserves special mention simply because it was my introduction to what is now my favorite black tea.

That's right, Golden Yunnan. This is a tea that catches most habitual black tea drinkers unaware upon the first sip, as most people are only familiar with Indian black teas, which tend to have a very strong taste and can go bitter easily if oversteeped. Even Darjeeling, which is considered to have a milder, more delicate taste, is pretty friggin' strong compared to most Chinese teas. But Yunnan teas are some of the very best. Yunnan province has some of the oldest tea bushes in the world and provides a number of the finest teas you can get.



My first experience was heavenly. I bought this canister on a whim when I saw it in the clearance section (though it still cost more than most of the other Republic of Tea varieties). I took it home, and the honeymoon lasted about a week. It only ended because I ran out of tea, of course.

Basically, Golden Yunnan tea doesn't become bitter or astringent if you oversteep it, and I certainly did a few times. It has an unoffensive and complex flavor, and while I've read that it often has a slightly peppery taste to it, I've never gotten that. Maybe the crops from the last couple of years have been subpar or something. I have gotten a somewhat tangy, lively cup of tea, however, and Republic of Tea may be a little overpriced and overhyped, but it's still good tea. Just as a side note, this tea is also known as "Golden Needle Tea," and we all know how coveted Silver Needles white tea is... As a rule, if a tea has the word "needle" in its name anywhere, it's a pretty badass tea.

Now I have two very large canisters from Adagio: one of their Yunnan Jig, which is similar to what the Republic's Golden Yunnan is, and one of actual Golden Yunnan, which is made up entirely of the golden tips of the tea buds. Obviously that one fetches a premium over the former. The Jig has a stronger flavor more in line with that of stronger Chinese blacks, while the Golden is milder but more complex. They're still very similar, and it took me a while to really figure out the difference between them, but once I did I set the Jig aside for entertaining guests (or drinking first thing in the morning if I don't feel like Darjeeling).

So in conclusion, thank you, Republic of Tea, for introducing me to a tea I should never have gone without.