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Thanks, Derk (or maybe White Antlers via Derk), for such a generous sample of this tea! I remember considering it in my last What-Cha order, but went with a more affordable spring pick from Guranse instead. I steeped 4 g of leaf in a 355 ml mug at 190 for 5 and 8 minutes.

The dry aroma is of heady flowers, herbs, muscatel, and orange blossom. Right away, I realize that steeping it at 190F hasn’t entirely curbed its astringency. I get notes of herbs, muscatel, oats, plants, rose, wildflowers, lemon, orange blossom, chilli, and wood. Needless to say, there’s a lot going on and I’m having to guess at some of these flavours. (I never know whether to include only what I’m absolutely sure I taste or what I think the tea reminds me of.) The chilli, woody, and floral notes come out in the aftertaste. The second steep is more floral, with rose, peony, orange blossom, and wildflowers, and the green, herbaceous first flush characteristics are more prominent. There are also tannins and minerals.

This is a complex black tea that is worth revisiting. It certainly lives up to its floral moniker. It also shares that chilli note with What-Cha’s Guranse Spring Hand-Rolled Floral black tea, which is something I haven’t found in other Nepalese offerings.