Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao)

Customer Reviews

Delicious

Review by Sj

Rating

A beautiful deep amber colour, smells of toast and a wood fire. The flavour is superb, roasty, chocolatey and delicate. (Posted on 2/9/13)

A hug in a cup.

Review by Sian

Rating

This is my first tea sample, having received the subscription as a Christmas present, and I can honestly say I love it. It is like a hug in a cup. I have tasted teas with cocoa and chocolate notes previously and not particularly enjoyed them but I find the balance in Big Red Robe works well for my taste buds. Not sure if the beautiful china tea pot I treated myself to as a present affected the taste but I'm sure it didn't do any harm. I'm looking forward to the arrival of my next sample.

Sian (Posted on 12/29/12)

A perfect tea for autumn!

Review by Gabriel

Rating

This is currently my favourite tea. It does what it says on the tin, drinking this tea for me is like putting on a beautifully comforting 'big red robe', it is a very reassuring, 'in a comfy armchair by a fire' kind of tea. It is a perfect tea for this time of year (autumn), very warm and smokey, its colour and aroma reminds me of the deep browns and golds of the leaves as they turn and start to fall from the trees. A truly beautiful tea! (Posted on 10/23/12)

Hug in a mug

Review by Pom

Rating

I love the cocoa notes - I've had tea containing actual chocolate that was less chocolatey. Perfect comfort drinking for this miserable summer weather (Posted on 7/12/12)

The Perfect Oolong?

Review by Rob

Rating

Admittedly this is the most expensive oolong I've tried in Canton's range but it's hard to imagine how there could be a better one. The full-bodied, malty flavour reminds me of avocado and oak and the warming amber/red nectar warms me just by looking at it.

For me this tea embodies all the best notes of oolong as a tea and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who's tried oolong previously. For those new to the range I would suggest something a little greener - the Jade Oolong here is more accessible; but ultimately less rewarding. (Posted on 7/10/12)

Spicy fruit

Review by David

Rating

This tea is aptly named - it does wrap round you like a big red robe, all cosy and snug, giving a warm feeling that suffuses down to your fingertips. The taste is spicy fruit with walnuts, raisins and Christmas pudding. My wife is getting fed up with me making mmm - delicious! noises while I'm drinking it. I would get her out of her sniffy habit of drinking only green teas, but it would mean less oolong for me. This tea you can be greedy and selfish about, with justification!. (Posted on 12/6/11)

Interesting and complex

Review by Povilas

Rating

I would say it is more afternoon tea than breakfast. It is plenty of nice cocoa notes and some mando/melon aroma also. rich and fruity, chocolate and roasted bean notes. I love it! For this tea you should just sit and focus on it. And you will get great reward! Medition big time! (Posted on 11/14/11)

nectar

Review by David

Rating

Ah, the nectar that is Big Red Robe. My humble breakfast has become a feast. Thanks again. David (Posted on 9/7/11)

Delicious

Review by Millie Baker

Rating

This Oolong is rich, dark, and almost chocolatey, but not overpowering. I could drink this all day. (Posted on 6/9/11)

A roasty cup

Review by Geoff at Teaviews

Rating

"It was a roasty cup but with an added apple note that made for an additional dazzle.I’ve liked the Da Hong Paos I’ve tried but never loved them. This made me see why some of these can go for $20,000 an ounce. If only for a split second."

For the full review:
http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/02/review-canton-tea-co-big-red-robe-oolong-3/ (Posted on 1/6/11)

exceptionally delicate taste, light mouthfeel, and lasting flavour.

Review by Spencer E

Rating

To brew this tea, I used about a tablespoon of leaves and four cups of boiling water. Steeped in a glass teapot, it was easy to see the leaves as they released a burnt orange liquor. Upon initially steeping this tea, the first thing I noticed was the incredibly light mouthfeel. After the first cup, the flavour continued to linger in my mouth. This oolong has a much lighter taste than other oolongs I have tried. It’s a delicate taste, and very good.

The taste itself…in the first few sips of a cup, one can really taste the leaf, but the flavour seems to fade as one finishes a cup. Perhaps the initial flavour, light as it is, coats the taste buds in one’s mouth so that subsequent sips merely slide through the mouth.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this tea. The flavour was a bit too light for me, but it was still enjoyable to drink. This was very reminiscent of the oolong served in Chinese restaurants with Dim Sum.

I’ve decided that I will give teas that I review an approximate rating, on a scale of 0-100, based on my personal enjoyment of this tea (not it’s comparison in specific areas to other teas). Canton Tea Co’s Big Red Robe oolong receives a 92/100 for its exceptionally delicate taste, light mouthfeel, and lasting flavour.

EDIT: I later tried resteeping these same leaves. This was a major disappointment, as I got barely half of the original body and flavour. This lack of “stamina” in the leaves significantly decreased my rating of this tea (now an 85/100).

See more reviews of Canton Tea products at: http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/ (Posted on 6/16/10)