Introduction: Black Spiral is a malty, gold leaf black tea from one of the main tea growing regions of China.
Hunan
Hunan is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence, its name means "south of the lake"). Among well known attractions in Hunan are Changsha as a historical city, Dongting lake and Yueyang tower in Yueyang, Mt. Hengshan and Taohua-yuan nature reserve in Changde. It is also well known for its spicy food.
Black Spiral Varietal
Representing some of the smoothest black teas from Hunan, Black Spiral is notable for its prominent gold tips. Only certain tea plant varietals have the characteristic to transition into the gold color during leaf processing. Golden colored leaves generally provide more honey texture to the brew.
Season
Although the best season for drinking the Black Spiral is during summer, it is a very hardy tea and keeps well over the months.
Brewing Suggestions
Chinese black teas can range dramatically in flavor and aroma but generally produce very full bodied, strong infusions. A water temperature of 180 to 200 F is sufficient to bring the rich character of the leaf. Some recommend water at a full, rolling boil, but in our opinion boiling reduces the oxygen content in good water and gives the tea a "flatter" taste as opposed to a more "lively" taste from slightly cooler water. The full leaf of this tea is larger than other broken leaf or small leaf black teas and requires a slightly longer steeping time. We recommend steeping 1 to 2 teaspoons per 8 ounce cup of water (depending on the size and bulk of the leaf) for 4 to 5 minutes. A minute or so longer if you wish to add milk (a longer steeping time is needed to acquire enough astringency to balance the milk).
