D-VN-035
Vietnamese Dark Tea
Trà Shan Tuyết Lên Men
Ancient tree post-fermented, from Ha Giang, Vietnam.
Dark tea (post-fermented)
Vietnamese Dark Tea is strongest on body, smoothness and finish length. Typical tasting words: dried fig, camphor, mineral, honey, apricot. Harvested from century-old Shan Tuyet trees in Ha Giang's northern mountains, heavily influenced by traditional Yunnan tea styles. Harvested largely by the H'mong and Dao peoples, prized domestically and increasingly sought across Asia.
Also known as Ha Giang Puerh Style, Shan Tuyet Dark Tea and Vietnamese Fermented Tea.
The profile
Taste, 0 to 5
Flavour families, 0 to 5
Facts
- Origin
- Ha Giang, Vietnam
- Plant
- Camellia sinensis var. assamica
- Harvest
- spring and autumn
- Elevation
- high
- Oxidation
- 10 to 50%
- Roast
- unroasted
- Leaf
- compressed
- Price band
- mid-range
- Availability
- specialist
- Ageing
- made for ageing
- Forgiving to brew
- 4 of 5
- L-theanine
- moderate
Made by: pan-firing, then sun-drying, then steaming, then compression, then natural ageing.
Caffeine
A cup of Vietnamese Dark Tea carries a typical estimate of 50 mg of caffeine, within a range of 30 to 65 mg depending on leaf amount, water temperature and steeping time. Figures are estimates for a 240 ml cup. Better earlier in the day if you are sensitive to caffeine. The caffeine planner turns this into a daily total.
How to brew it
| Method | Leaf | Water | Steeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western, 250 ml | 3 g | 92 to 98 °C | 2 min, 3 min, 4 min |
| Gongfu, 100 ml | 5.5 g | 95 to 100 °C | Rinse, then 10 s, 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, 45 s, 60 s |
| Cold brew, 250 ml | 2.5 g | Fridge | 8 to 12 hours |
Up to 8 infusions. Scale for your own pot with the brew calculator.
Drinking it
- morning
- afternoon
- meditation
- midday
- social
Pairs with dim_sum, poultry and pastry. Milk: no. Iced: yes. Sweetener: no. Good for beginners: no.
Tasting words explained
Similar teas
- D-LA-034Laos Dark Tea
shares body and finish length - D-CN-002Sheng Pu-erh (Aged 15+ years)
shares body and smoothness - B-CN-018Wild Tree Yunnan Black
shares body and smoothness - D-CN-016Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake
shares body and smoothness - D-CN-008Menghai Pu-erh
shares body and finish length - W-CN-003Shou Mei
shares body and smoothness
More: all dark tea (post-fermented) teas, or filter the whole drawer.