Made this English style with milk, and very strong on the leafing. It’s very smoky but also slightly floral in the aftertaste. Has a nice brisk bite of bitterness too. It’s the consummate breakfast tea, really— the kind of tea that you’d drink whilst preparing yourself for a busy or potentially stressful day. It’s reassuring and bracing and no-nonsense.
Favorite tea types: Black, pu’erh, oolong, kombucha, genmaicha, floral greens, matcha, yaupon, mate, rooibos, and honeybush.
Favorite flavor notes: Roasted, fermented, earthy, floral, nutty, bread-y, umami; dessert-inspired flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and maple.
Picky about, but not opposed to: chai, spice/ spicy, fruit flavors, and herbal tisanes.
Flat-out dislike: White tea, most unflavored green teas, hibiscus, plain peppermint.
90-100: Perfection and heaven and magic, all in one cup.
70-89: Good.
50-69: Meh.
49 and below: Blerg.
United States
