Third sample from Good Life Tea!
This tea smells wonderful, both dry and brewed. It has a sweet, almost floral scent, with a hint of vanilla.
The initial sip was very bitter and reminded me of fennel. After that first bite, it’s very smooth on the tongue, and the licorice taste slowly gives way to the floral-vanilla that was in the aroma. It ends with a slight (but not unpleasant) astringency, which leaves a nice, crisp feeling. If it weren’t for the initial bitterness, this would be a tea I would want to drink unsweetened.
Adding white granulated sugar changes everything.
After I added the sugar, the bitterness was completely gone. The first note is smooth and sweet, gradually building up to a nice creamy flavor before melting away into the floral vanilla with a slight citrus-y tang at the end. The astringency is gone.. Much better than the unsweetened version.
If I hadn’t tried this tea with sugar, I wouldn’t have liked it.. but now I think it’s one of my favorites. Definitely recommended.
(2nd steep update)
Steep time: 4 mins, Temp: 212 F
There’s barely any bitterness in this steep. Very smooth, but it’s lost the majority of the flavor the first steep had. Adding a bit of sugar brings out more of the vanilla flavor, but it’s still a little weak (which is actually perfect for me, since I don’t like to be overwhelmed by my tea).
Flavors: Citrus, Cream, Fennel, Floral, Vanilla
