My Butiki order arrived yesterday, so I took that as permission to bring out a couple of untrieds from a previous order. I hoard Butiki teas. They’re just so good.
Anyway, the smell of this one dry is just amazing, like a banana nut muffin, or banana bread. The smell of the walnut reminds me of my favourite restuarant’s maple walnut ice cream sundae! I followed the recommended parameters for my first cup — 2 tsp in boiling water for three minutes. Brewed, the scent is much the same as dry, although with a little more of the base coming through.
To taste, this isn’t quite what I was expecting. I can taste a lot of slightly smoky keemun, and a walnut flavour (like walnut skin) which blends with the base tea to the point that they’re hard to distinguish. The banana is very, very subtle. It comes out mostly in the aftertaste at first, and a little more as the cup cools. It’s a very natural banana flavour, though — like banana chips rather than candy.
I would like to be able to taste a bit more banana, and so I think I’ll try a bit of sugar in my next cup. For a first impression, though; not bad! It’s not my favourite of the Butiki’s I’ve tried so far, but it’s certainly a tasty cup.
