بانيانغ كونغو

I wasn't expecting much beyond a standard black tea, but the complexity here genuinely surprised me—malty up front with a faint stone-fruit sweetness underneath. The long twisted leaves hold up to a second steep too, which is rare at this price.

Those long twisted leaves unfurl beautifully in the gaiwan, and the second steep comes out malty and smooth with almost no bitterness. Northern Fujian really knows how to make a proper Congou.

Steeped a spoonful for about three minutes and got a smooth cup with a malty sweetness and almost no bitterness. The twisted leaves unfurled nicely on the second steep, still plenty of flavor left.