Dry: Pretty blend of loose black tea and what appears to be broken pieces of star anise. There are also orange bits that I am guessing are tea-stained coconut from the ingredient list. I don’t see any cocoa or white chocolate nibs in the blend, but can taste it once brewed. Dry leaf smells sweet with a hint of spice and cocoa.
Steeped: This brews into a slightly cloudy gold-brown liquor with a very slight film. The aroma is that same sweet-spice and chocolate from the dry leaf that is really quite appealing and makes me think of the cooler months ahead.
Taste: At first, I thought this was rather bland with nothing really standing out. As it cooled a little though, the Ceylon tea is quite lovely. The star anise is a flavor I never really appreciated in cooking, but it is nice in this tea. The cocoa adds a warm sweet note to what is already pleasant to begin with. I wasn’t getting much in the way of coconut, but it didn’t seem like it was missing it either. This was noticeably weaker in the second steep, I don’t think it would hold up to three without losing considerable strength.
I didn’t think I’d like this tea because I hate anything remotely licorice, but it turns out I actually like Ceylon Star for what it is worth. Not my favorite tea ever, but certain worth giving it a go for a sweet and relaxing experience.
