Thank you, Cait, for the sample. I’m liking this tea.
The dry tea was alarming because it reeked of maraschino cherries. I loved that odor when I was 8 years old and prone to stealing one or two of these cherries from a jar my parents kept in the refrigerator. I suspect that they had had them around since prohibition. The problem with my petty thievery was that all 5 of my siblings were also drawn to the maraschino cherries, also stole a few, and hence our family suffered through Maraschino-Gate after my parents commenced a Select Committee to nab the magpie amongst their offspring. But I digress.
To this day, I find the odor a bit alarming because it is redolent of child-hood busts and childhood disappointments.
Through the alchemy of boiled water, the maraschino cherry odor disappeared and now I am drinking something that is certainly a vanilla caramel. It is sweet and rich and of course it’s a dessert tea (I take my dessert teas at all times of the day). I don’t know if I will buy this, but the tea does make me want to investigate more black caramel teas. Good cup! I’m ready for seconds.
Maraschino-gate. I giggle, I giggle. Hehehehe.
I’m so glad that this tea has found a good (if nostalgically fraught) home!