Being new to the world of tea reviewing, I decided to start off with this one. Why? I felt like drinking some today and figured this one was as good as any with which to start. It’s not bad. In fact, I rather like it. That being said, I can also understand why teas of this type are something of a niche product here in the U.S. where the style is somewhat rarer than the more approachable English and Irish breakfast teas.
For my first glass, I decided to avoid additions of cream, milk, or sugar and steeped the tea for approximately 5 minutes. On its own, the tea presents a rather odd aroma. I perceived scents of caramel, molasses, moss, and wood. In the mouth, the tea is heavy and almost chewy with powerful notes of wood, nuts, caramel malt, molasses, moss, and toast. The aftertaste is similarly powerful, but unlike the body which presents a mixture of earthiness and sweetness, the aftertaste is biting and astringent.
Knowing that this style is not meant to be consumed without an addition of milk or cream, I decided to prepare another glass at the same temperature with the same steep time, but of course with a small amount of milk added. I tend to prefer my tea without additives, but the milk did seem to tame some of the rough edges here. The caramel and molasses sweetness was enhanced on the nose, and in the mouth, the flavors became smoother, more rounded, and more nuanced with less of an astringent finish.
As mentioned above, I rather like this, but I tend to have something of a sentimental attachment to Old World brands. This definitely is not a tea that is truly approachable on its own. It has a heaviness, earthiness, and astringency that is definitely going to put off fans of milder and/or more balanced blends. Still, I think I could get used to having this with or in place of breakfast most mornings.
Flavors: Astringent, Caramel, Heavy, Malt, Molasses, Moss, Nutty, Toasty, Wood
