Jin Jun Mei Souchong - Black Tea

Not really a gongfu tea, though it works alright as such. I think it should primarily be brewed english style because the virtues of the tea is embodied in a very deep cup with shimmering flavors on the rim and after the gulp. "Chocolaty" more in the sense of South American Valrhona darks rather than Hersheys milk chocolate that is present in the more tippy brews of the southern chinese dark teas. It is processed as a lapsang, but it isnt a Lapsang flavor. I didnt get the traditional musky grape/longan flavors, and what smoke is there is very much integrated into the deep taste. Is it a good value? No. Only the people who truly want an elite black tea with lots of low notes should purchase this tea. ChineseTeaArt sells lots of very high quality black teas, like Sichuan Gong Fu Hong Cha, which sells for less than it probably should, and shoppers should try some of the other bargains.