For some reason I was just really set on ordering this tea! I don’t know if it was the name or what, but I had to have it. And it was really inexpensive, so that’s always a good motivator! The leaves are quite beautiful – they’re long and thin. There are large twisted leaves that are almost black, and then there are also silver tips which are smaller and thinner. I didn’t get much of a dry scent from this tea, just a vague sweetness and a bit of hay perhaps.
The brewed aroma, however, was very present! Definite dark, tart dried fruit notes, perhaps raisin or prune with some tart cherry. I also get a strong molasses scent – but it’s closer to black strap molasses, you know, the really strong stuff. Yum, the first thing I taste is molasses too, mixed with a bit of burnt sugar. It’s definitely a milder molasses, and super delicious! I also get the lovely dark, tart dried fruit note from the aroma. This tea just seems to be a lot of my favorite flavors from dark oolongs, all mixed together! As the sip progresses, I start to get a slightly creamy toasted nut flavor that really lightens it up. And behind it all, there’s that mellow autumn leafiness that I’ve found in every oxidized oolong I’ve had so far.
Really, a very lovely tea! My only comment is that as this tea cools, the molasses and fruit flavors start to wane in favor of the autumn leaf, and a little bitterness creeps up. So be sure to drink it hot. :)
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Burnt Sugar, Dried Fruit, Molasses, Oats, Roasted Nuts
