Ying De Hong英德红茶

Ying De Hong is a guangdong-red black tea from Ying De, Guangdong, China. Brew it at 90°C with 5g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 9 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.

Tasting notes

Ying De Hong is the quiet cousin of Dian Hong, and the comparison is unavoidable because the cultivar is literally transplanted Yunnan large-leaf — Yingde No. 9, certified in 1986. What Guangdong terroir does to it is interesting. Where Dian Hong runs honey-and-pepper, this one slides toward maple syrup and dried longan, with a creamier, almost milky mouthfeel that coats rather than bites. Same malty backbone, softer delivery. The liquor pours a deep mahogany and holds that velvet texture through four or five steeps before thinning out. Astringency is genuinely absent — this is one of the most forgiving red teas to brew, which is also its weakness: there is not much drama, not much to chase. Good as a morning tea when you want depth without effort. Tight little leaves need a slightly longer first steep to unfurl; after that, standard red-tea timings work cleanly.

Flavor profile

A creamy, velvety red tea with pronounced honey-floral aromatics and a maple-syrup sweetness. The large-leaf Yunnan parentage gives it a malty backbone, while Guangdong terroir adds longan fruit notes and a clean, lingering finish with zero astringency.

Terroir

Subtropical, hilly terrain (100-400m), rich red soil

Cultivar: Yingde No. 9 (Yunnan large-leaf hybrid, certified 1986)

Brewing

1. Steep 1: 10 seconds
2. Steep 2: 10 seconds
3. Steep 3: 15 seconds
4. Steep 4: 15 seconds
5. Steep 5: 20 seconds
6. Steep 6: 25 seconds
7. Steep 7: 30 seconds
8. Steep 8: 40 seconds
9. Steep 9: 50 seconds

The tight, heavy leaves need a moment to open — first steep can run slightly longer. Maintains flavor well across many infusions.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• rolled
• fully oxidized
• dried

Sources

• https://thechineseteashop.com/products/ying-de-hong-9-black-tea
• https://www.teasenz.com/yingde-black-tea
• https://www.teahong.com/product/ying-hong-nine/
• https://www.teavivre.com/ying-de-hong-cha-yinghong-9-black-tea.html
• https://www.teatrekker.com/product/ying-de-9/