Another from Holiday Inn Express, this one in my room. Packed in a paper envelope, it’s a blend of black tea fannings from Northeastern India (probably Assam) and Kenya.
At first the aroma is malty-woody, but as it cools a bit, it turns cranberry and some kind of muted red berry floral. The taste is robust, strong, and brisk. It’s definitely got a classic “black tea” backbone but with strong wood notes, red cherry and cranberry tang, malt, some bread dough in the background; also a papery taste from the teabag. Surprisingly, it finishes with a cooling effect in the mouth, less so in the body. Great tea plain to standup to a hearty breakfast and would probably make a bold iced tea.
Whew, I don’t think I’ll forget the punch from this one.
Flavors: Bread Dough, Brisk, Cherry, Cooling, Cranberry, Dark Wood, Drying, Flowers, Malt, Paper, Tangy, Tea, Woody