Since I have already reviewed three Georgian black teas offered by What-Cha, I may as well go ahead and post a review of a fourth. This was the tea I unwound with after work today. What-Cha described it as having a somewhat different character compared to the other Georgian black teas offered. I have to say that I found that description to be accurate.
I prepared this tea Western style. I steeped 3 grams of loose tea leaves in approximately 8 ounces of 194 F water for 5 minutes. Again, I did not attempt additional infusions.
Prior to infusion, I noted that a whiff of the dry tea leaves did not reveal aromas of dried fruit, mild spice, or nuts. Like the other teas, there was a pronounced malty scent, but it was more of a dark malt scent. There was also a subtle dried leaf scent coupled with a mellow woody aroma. After infusion, I picked up strong aromas of malt, cream, wood, and toast. Again, there was a slightly leafy quality on the nose. In the mouth, a rich malt note took center stage, balanced by notes of cream, wood, toast, orange, and raisin. The finish was rich and smooth. It was heavy on the malt and cream, though there was enough of a raisin presence to provide some balance.
While the other Georgian black teas were consistent in their demonstration of light malt and golden raisin notes, this tea was full of cream, dark malt, and darker raisin flavors. The persistent maltiness coupled with the tea’s leafy and woody characteristics reminded me more than a bit of some of the high-end Assams I have consumed in recent years. Though I did not enjoy this one quite as much as What-Cha’s other Georgian black teas, I think fans of maltier black teas would be pleased with it.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Cream, Malt, Orange, Raisins, Toast, Wood
