I’m astonished that such an excellent tea has only one review. I intended to write about it back in January, but my kettle broke down midway through the session and I discovered this makes a wonderful cold brew. This time, with a new, working kettle, I steeped the six remaining grams of my 10 g sample at 200F for 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The dry aroma is a glorious mix of caramel, malt, and citrus. The first steep has notes of caramel, malt, citrus, and plums. The second adds some sour woodiness, especially as it cools, although this doesn’t detract from the flavour. In the third and fourth steeps, I get some mild spices, kind of like a plum cake; brandy also comes to mind. The tea is a little soapy and a bit astringent if kept in the mouth for a long time.
The next few steeps retain the same profile, although the grapefruit and citrus undertones are more prominent. As the session progresses, it becomes more like a black tea, though the delightful plum notes persist. The last couple steeps have notes of faint plums, malt, earth, and tannins.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable tea that I’m sad has been out of stock for a while. Its over-the-top caramel and fruity flavours make it a decadent treat. I’ve also loved the black Dan Congs I’ve had from Yunnan Sourcing and Camellia Sinensis, and I’m beginning to consider this one of my favourite tea types.
Flavors: Brandy, Caramel, Citrus, Earth, Grapefruit, Malt, Pleasantly Sour, Plum, Smooth, Spices, Tannin, Wood
