When I smelled this tea, I thought it would be the best tea I ever tasted. Smelled exactly like a slice of lemon merengue cake. Unfortunately, the scent did not transfer through to the flavor of the tea when brewed. I tried several different temperatures and quantities when brewing a cup and nothing seemed to help bring out that lost lemon merengue flavor. It tastes like an astringent black tea with moderate lemon flavor – or perhaps more appropriately, a candied lemon peel flavor, as another reviewer noted., combined with subtle notes of vanilla and caramel. The tea does get bitter very quickly, even when brewed at the recommended temp or below the recommended temp (I tried 175 F as well). Really, I think the astringency of the black tea overpowers the intended flavor profile of the tea. Definitely a disappointment for me. I definitely expect more from a company like THE O DOR which is capable of producing some very nice flavored black teas. I will probably use the rest of this tea for making sweetened ice tea since I don’t see myself wanting to drink it otherwise.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Lemon Zest, Vanilla
