It looks like I will have more time to review teas for a while. My job was eliminated last Thursday. I am not going to rant, whine, or complain. This is the first time it has happened to me in a 40-year career, which makes me fortunate. The last thing I will say about it is if you know someone who is looking for a very experienced technical writer, online training developer, and jack of many computer trades, please let me know.
OK. Now to the fun stuff! I found this tea for a great price at our local Dean and Deluca store. Its round cardboard container intrigued me as it reminded me of the packaging for fireplace matches.
The very short and thin black tea leaves had a sweet malty smell. I brewed them for four minutes at 212 degrees as recommended on the container.
The steeped result was a dark molasses-colored liquid with a sweet aroma. The odor was almost like tea covered with healthy doses of milk and sugar, although I was drinking it straight.
The flavor of the tea was extremely pleasant with distinct sweet and malty accents. The specific black tea flavor was just a subscript to the other more clearly enunciated attributes. The entire cup went down exceptionally smoothly with no astringency detected by my palate.
I like this tea a lot! It is the perfect storm of flavor and smoothness. It will be a fantastic addition to my morning black tea rotation.
Flavors: Malt, Sweet
Sorry to hear about your job!
Thanks, Caile. I wonder if there are any open positions for a professional tea reviewer… :-)