Organic Red Snail Black Tea

Sipdown! (25)

I know I have some of this from Courtney on the way, so I figured I would sip down my one lonely little sample packet of it this morning.

I’m really enjoying this one. It’s quite earthy-tasting, but it also has a lovely dark and rich molasses flavor to it that I find very comforting. Alongside it are some dark dried fruits, a combination of tart cherries and syrupy raisins. I also taste a soft woodiness, and a bit of hay and honey near the end of the sip. There’s also a slight nectarous sweetness that’s not quite floral, and perhaps reminds me a bit of apricot?

I know Courtney found this a bit smoky, which is why she didn’t enjoy it as much, and I can see a hint of smoke here among the earthy and mineral notes.

A very lovely and understated tea, with a nice mix of sweet fruity notes with darker earth and wood. It has a lovely malty, bready flavor and nice body, and in a lot of ways reminds me of an Assam. I wouldn’t call it a standout, but it’s perfectly pleasant to sip on and the comforting flavors warm me from the inside out. ❤

I figured the trick out for this one — the longer the steep, the better the tea. It’s still not really a special tea for me, but I will be able to enjoy the remaining amount I have. And I hope Cameron enjoys what I sent her way.

Also, Dammann Frères was waiting on the front porch this morning!

This is a relatively new addition to Teavivre black teas that did not impress neither the members of the Steepster community nor the reviewers on the Teavivre site. And I can see why: this is a smooth, understated tea without any single flavor or aroma jumping forward and grabbing your attention. The main taste components are malt, cherry, hay and gentle sweetness. It has a mild sweet and flowery aroma and does not re-steep well.

However, I think that this tea is good in its own right: I sometimes want a simple pleasant and smooth tea that is sweet and soothing. It is well-balanced and while not super-complex is good as a drink to sip while working or as a desert tea.

Many thanks to Teavivre for this sample. It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to try a new Teavivre tea.

When I opened the small sample package, I was greeted with small, tightly curled, dark brown leaves. The aroma was faint but slightly sweet.

I steeped the leaves at approximately 203 degrees for eight minutes as instructed by the package. The brewed liquor was a vivid reddish-gold. The aroma was slightly sweet and malty, but again faint.

The flavor of this tea was like malty hay with a perceptible “edge” to it. The edge was not quite astringent but it did bite into a sweet characteristic of the taste that subsisted underneath.

All in all, the flavor was amiable. The aftertaste was not obnoxious and lingered only briefly.

Personally, I prefer more robust flavors in black tea. However, this selection should be fine for those who do not need to pump up the volume.

This tea has the aroma of molasses and the dry leaves are curled to resemble small snails. It is malty and sweet with a honey wheat flavor to it. It is not bad, but not for me.