This is a good mass-market introduction to smoked tea. It’s got some rather artificial smoke notes in the beginning, and a woodsy intermediate that goes to a dry tannic finish. Nothing too complicated or nuanced here. It’s the training wheels on your smoked tea bicycle.
Smoked teas in general are rather divisive. I am a fan but my partner says they smell of barbecue sauce. It is rather off-putting to some, which I definitely understand. For me, this was the gateway tea to more sophisticated smoked blends. I have heard Twinings reformulated this blend in the orange box into something awful in a new black box. I won’t bother trying the new blend since I have some upleasant Palais de Thes to get through and thus have enough upcoming tea tragedies.
Flavors: Pine, Smoke, Tannin
