This is a sample from cookies. I’m always willing to try more samples from AliExpress, it feels like such a gamble since you never know what the quality will be like, but the prices are usually really low. These leaves are jet black and fairly large, and they have that fragile look about them. Dry scent is surprisingly smoky, I had to make sure this was the right tea since I thought it was a lapsang at first.
The smoke has lessened a lot in the tea itself, thankfully. This is definitely a very earthy and woody tea, in fact the first thought that popped into my head when tasting it was, “Ost wouldn’t like this, it tastes like wood.” Teehee. There’s also a fair amount of smoke along with a strong mineral taste. So overall, very earthy with a lot of dark complementary notes. Sort of forest floor-y!
Flavors: Earth, Mineral, Smoke, Wood