Description
Rose Congue “Golden Water” Black Tea
The tradition of scenting black tea with rose petals and/or rose oil has a centuries-old history in China. The resulting “Rose Congou” black tea became established in the 19th century in England, alongside other Chinese black tea specialties like Earl Grey, as a key part of early European tea culture.
Our Imperial Rose Congou Black Tea is a “golden tippy” black tea from Yunnan, scented with the precious essential oil of the Damask rose. When brewed, the seductive fragrance of the dry leaves translates into a rich, full-bodied flavor dominated by high floral notes. The lingering aftertaste on the palate is intensely sweet, making you crave another cup just by the end of each brew.
Processing (1) – The Basis Black Tea
The base tea used to make this special tea is a black tea from Yunnan. Yunnan black tea, also known as Dian Hong Cha, has a characteristic malty-chocolate aroma, accompanied by floral top notes and earthy base notes. Its taste is sweet and spicy with caramel nuances. These aromatic and flavorful qualities make it the top choice for a Rose Congou base tea.
The first step in processing black tea involves a withering phase. During this phase, rest periods alternate with phases of manually tossing the tea leaves on the withering tray or trough. This process involves rubbing the leaves against each other, breaking up the leave surface. As a result, tea juices emerge at the break points, inducing significant and highly flavor-relevant oxidation processes already during withering.
Upon the withering phase follows the rolling of the tea leaves. This process serves to shape the leaves and breaking up the cell walls while preserving their structural integrity. This allows the juices to distribute evenly within the leaf, promoting uniform flavor development. During the subsequent oxidation phase, the leaves change color and develop their typical aroma. Finally, to ensure long-term storage, the leaves are dried. In Yunnan, this typically involves a roasting process, adding a slightly smoky note to the tea’s spicy-sweet character.
Processing (2) – The Rose Oil
Unlike jasmine or magnolia blossoms, rose petals themselves add little flavor or aroma to the tea leaves. Therefore, their addition mainly serves purposes of visual appeal, while it’s the essential oil extracted from them that gives Rose Congou its distinctive flavor and aroma. Our Imperial Rose Congou is scented with genuine essential oil from the Damask rose, which grows in the desert of South Xinjiang and is one of the most fragrant and valuable rose varieties in the world. Depending on their size, 5,000-10,000 rose petals are needed to produce a single gram of rose oil.
Processing (3) – The Scenting
The scenting of the tea leaves takes place after their initial processing as black tea in Yunnan with Damask rose oil from South Xinjiang. Due to the highly aromatic properties of the rose oil used, it takes only little of it to create a harmonious and lasting olfactory and gustatory composition.
Preparation
First, steep 3-5g of tea leaves per 100ml in a suitable vessel (teapot, gaiwan) with boiling hot water (100°C). For a light taste, steep for 1-2 minutes, with the potential for 2-3 additional infusions. For a more intense flavor, steep for 3-4 minutes for the first infusion. After this, a second infusion with slightly longer steeping still comes close to the first!
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oskar –
First time I’ve tried a tea with rose, courtesy of Thomas. I didnt even know it exist!
When I open the package, an intense rose aroma pervades everything, without any trace of tea aroma, surely if I smelled it before, I wouldn’t buy it. Too much rose. But…
However, when the tea is infused, things change, the rose aroma moderates and integrates pleasantly with the notes of black tea.
In the mouth it almost disappears, leaving that pleasant floral bitterness that these types of aromatizations usually provide and certainly a rose background that has become quite pleasant along with the nuances of a typical black tea.
So after a skeptical start, I must come to the conclusion that I like this tea quite a lot. Although I still prefer Magnolia oolong (which I think is excellent).
I have used 2.5 grams for 80ml at 95ºC and three very good infusions come out.
4,5 stars to me