On my way to Chicago for the Chicago Tea Festival. It’s Friday, and I have two missions. 1. Get safely to my Aunt’s house. 2. Visit Casting Whimsy. They close at five, so with that in mind, I began my day quite early. Upon my arrival at the shop, I was surprised to find a drive-thru board and window. Ah! But just kidding. It is not in use, but they did make the sign very whimsical. The shop is awesome. If you are a geek of any sort, you will enjoy this place. Now onto the tea.
Dry Appearance: The leaf is broken. CTC but not as sad as one would see in a tea bag. These are pretty pieces. Mostly darkish brown with highly of orangish brown. Twisted.
Dry Aroma: Slightly sweet and fruity.
Wet Appearance: Open leaf. All uniform in chocolate brown color.
Wet Aroma: I will come back to this. The second steep seems to have removed all of the aroma.. ?
Flavor: Woody. Planks of cedar. But also some sawdust. Bits of dark forest fruits.
Mouthfeel: Slightly astringent with soothing softness. That sounds weird, but it is astringent enough to wake you up but not punch you in the face.