Thank you Tea at Sea, both for the sample and for the perfect excuse to put off doing my taxes (tea has a higher priority). This is the last of my samples and IMHO the best.
The dry leaf is dark green and rolled like an oolong. The leaves took a while to unwrap, so I almost gave the tea a longer steep, but 3 minutes is my standard time and I like to have that as my basis for comparison to other teas.
The aroma was earthy with hints of stone fruit and not overly strong. The taste was dominated by the stone fruit flavor, reminding me a bit of a 2nd flush Darjeeling. The flavor was quite strong, with very little astringency and no bitterness at all. This is a style I like. The finish was mostly just an echo of the fruit but went on for a very long time.
My one complaint is in the packaging. Tea at Sea went overboard with the cutesy package: a re-sealable foil package with the name of the tea on a separate tag tied to the package. But when you cut open the package, the label is removed, so I had to write the names of the teas on the package with a pen. They didn’t really think this one through. I just hope the larger packages that they sell are more practical.
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
Mine was tied loose enough that I was able to unknot it and thread it through one hole rather than two. My first instinct was to cut it too. I still have to try the oolong and black. Most people seem to have enjoyed them best so I look forward to trying them.
Mine was tied loose enough that I was able to unknot it and thread it through one hole rather than two. My first instinct was to cut it too. I still have to try the oolong and black. Most people seem to have enjoyed them best so I look forward to trying them.