I’ve been drinking some of the samples that I bought through the group purchase arranged by Liquid Proust. I got greedy and ordered samples of all of their teas, so it will take a while to review them all.
This one pushed all of my buttons. From the first steep, the tea had a powerful nose, strong taste and long finish. Best of all, each was different, making for a really interesting, complex tea.
The first few steeps had a nose of spicy straw, and a deep rich, fruity finish that went on forever. Oh yes, and a really strong cha qi. The taste was a mix of the two, that I swear reminds me of raisin oatmeal cookies, probably because of the cinnamon and molasses flavors. The finish was so long that it resonates with the taste, each sip adding a layer of richness.
The rea isn’t at all bitter, although there is an astringency that showed up in the end and 3rd steeps. I"m currently on the 5th steep and the deep richness is fading, leaving the straw and spice to dominate the flavor, which is still very strong. The nose, taste, and finish are all still very strong.
I have the feeling I may have to buy more of this.
