Sample from gylxtea, 7g to 100ml at 205F, preheated. My sample says 2010 on it for some reason, but I think this is probably the same one?
Overall, I liked how complex it was, with some nice fruity sourness (turns a metallic kind of sour when overbrewed) and nicely contrasting bitter flavors, but I wasn’t a fan of the predominant cigarette smoke flavor that lingers throughout. It had good returning flavor (even sweetness towards the end) and savory tobacco body that coats the throat and tongue throughout its decent lifespan. The smoke flavors do die down somewhat eventually in the later steeps as well, but it never fades to the background.
I felt a little tremulous after, but not much tea drunk, probably just a decent amount of caffeine whoosh. Had a fun tingle on the tongue a minute or two after drinking that was very refreshing and slightly numbing. I think I would have liked this a lot if not for the cigarette taste.
Flavors: Ash, Bitter, Herbs, Peach, Pleasantly Sour, Smoke, Sweet, Tobacco
different ones, one is 2010, and another one is 2017