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I steeped a teapot full of this tea even though it was after dinner, and I probably should have cut off my caffeine intake at that point. But my mom requested black tea, so who am I to deny her request? She was surprised at how sweet this tea was compared to black tea bags. Cue long conversation in which I explain to her the differences between tea bags and loose leaf and why tea bag tea can be so bitter in comparison.

Anyway, this time around, there was still that mild malt flavor, but I also finally put a finger on the sweetness of the tea. It tastes just like honey. I’m not sure how I missed that before because it was so obvious this time. It’s definitely a mellower black tea, but that is probably a good thing since I drank it so late in the evening. There was some astringency, but it wasn’t too off-putting. I had a pretty lovely time with this tea tonight, and I’d consider repurchasing when I run low on straight black teas (which is going to take a while).

Edit: As the cup cooled down, the honey flavor definitely popped up and became even stronger. Perhaps this would be a good tea to cold brew? I’m putting it on the list.

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I’m a California girl temporarily located in Boston for school (brrr). I only recently got into teas because I’ve never really liked coffee (too bitter), but I have been a daily barley tea drinker since I was little.

Through some timid tastings and exploring, I so far like:
-Japanese green teas (genmaicha, hojicha, sencha, etc)
-Oolongs! (Most kinds except formosa and dan cong so far)
-Straight black teas
-English Breakfast teas
-Fruity teas (peach, apple, strawberry, other berries)

NOT a huge fan of rooibos, matcha, heavily artificial tasting teas, or anything gingery or peppery, but I’m trying to keep an open mind and taste everything that I can!

I’m trying to sample more straight teas and have been having pretty awesome discoveries so far. Thank goodness for sample sizes!

My tentative rating system:
90-100: Woohoo! I’m loving it, and I’m definitely restocking when I get the chance and/or crying when I’m out.

80-90: Yum! I’ll try to restock if it fits in my budget when I run out.

70-80: Probably would not buy again, but it was nice enough to finish the cup.

50-70: Would not choose this tea for myself if given the situation, but would not reject it if someone offered it to me and would gulp down politely.

50 or less: Nope. Don’t care to taste that tea again, sorry!

I’m always down to swap, so send me a message if anything in my cupboard is calling your name!

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