I've bought this tea for the past two years (20,21) and really liked it. Ordered about 2 kilo's total. Tried the 22 and it doesn't have the taste of the previous years which were very similar. Looks like I'll skip the 22. Stu

I loved it, great aroma ideal for the afternoon.

If YS only could carry one Laoshan black, I would vote this one. The Imperial is also good but much more pale and elusive than the Classic. I have enjoyed both, and also think they work well blended. As others have said, this has a 'cocoa' or chocolate tone to it that is very attractive when discovered. I have not been successful at summoning that chocolate nuance at will, but enjoy chasing it. Would love to read someone else's steeping guidelines for gaining the maximum chocolate "hit" every time!! Aside from that taste, the body of the taste is very nice and has a way of creating a recording in the palate that "demands" a return. It is haunting. However, I must say this one is not the kind of tea I pick up for a daily-drinker, as I crave a really deep stronger cup much of the time. But I have missed not having this a few times per week, and will remedy that now that the 2022 edition is in stock

I can't believe I haven't written a review for this tea yet. It's my all-time favourite tea out of many I love. When I was a girl, my father and uncle used to talk about their experiences with tea when living overseas. My father had not been enamoured of the tea he had dutifully drunk in Scotland, which is where I first developed a love of tea. My uncle had fallen in love with Chinese teas when they lived in the city now known as Qingdao, and would wax poetic about how skilled the tea masters were – why, they could even coax the flavour of chocolate out of nothing by tea leaves. When I saw the description of this tea, and saw how close to Qingdao Shandong is, I thought that this might be that tea my uncle had loved so, and ordered it. I now have no doubt that it must be. I have a hard time getting myself to drink other teas, and could and do drink this morning and night. I love that it has such a strong aroma and taste of dark chocolate, without the downsides, and it needs no calorie laden additions. I've gone through over 2.5 kilos of it since I found it, and am about to order my next kilo bag. The only downside is that I do not find that it has the lasting power that pu'erh teas do, and that I either have to add more tea to the pot after the fourth steep, which adds new dimensions to the brew, or start a new pot. OTOH, considering what other people are paying for coffee, I'm good with my teas!

Really nice tea. I had assumed the chocolate notes would be almost too subtle to notice, but it does indeed have a strong chocolate aroma and aftertaste