Yunnans Side-by-Side

One of the fun aspects of golden yunnan tea is the leaves -- they're really beautiful, long, and twisted. The twisted nature of them gives them body and keeps the bag of tea full and round (no sinking into the bottom for these teas). They feel great in the hand, with a distinctly youthful texture. They look delicate and soft, but they're very durable and springy. Here's a side-by-side comparison to give you a sense of the leaf:


click the photo to see a larger, more detailed image

From left to right, these teas are Floating Leaves' Yunnan Gold, IPOT's Royal Yunnan, TeaSource's Golden Downey Tip. You can read my review of these teas in two of my past blogs: Golden Downey Tip and Golden Yunnans.

I don't have a high-powered camera, so it's hard to see two important things. First, the color varies just slightly, darker to lighter from left to right (Floating Leaves to Teasource). The color definitely reflects the taste, with the darkest the most chocolately of the bunch. Second, there is a dust that is left behind by the two darker teas. This dust is most pronounced in the Floating Leaves' tea; it is a golden-brown color and comes across almost as a cocoa powder (when you open the bag the scent of cocoa dominates).

CW