Well, I wanted something with flavor, and boy did I get it with this one! I am certain I have overleafed here. I have got to find that kitchen scale. I used about 3-4 heaping teaspoons for 8-10 ounces, but in my defense, the leaves are very, very big and this didn’t feel particularly heavy. It is a very nice tea, with notes of plum and a little bit of spice. It’s definitely bitter, but I doubt that would come through if I’d just used a little less leaf.
When I opened the sample packet, I thought it was the most glorious and unique black tea I had ever smelled. It really is quite different from what I’m used to, and I’m not quite sure how to describe the aroma. It’s my first black tea from Taiwan. I will see how it develops over a couple more steeps, as I noticed LiberTEAs mentioned that she liked the second steep even better than the first.
Steep 2: The flavor still packs a punch, even on the second steep when I doubled the water to tea ratio. I think this could have gone easily for three sessions, and I’ve dumped it all in the one, which…is a little sad because I’m unlikely to buy more of this unless it goes on sale. I would definitely get this again. I realized that the wet cooled leaves smell strongly of honey — just like when you first open a jar of honey. I want to say orange blossom honey, but really my sniffer is probably not good enough to differentiate between honeys. This much caffeine a few hours before going to bed was a terrible idea, but I will not waste this tea.
Edit: This has a very strong aftertaste that I don’t really love, but I don’t want to blame it on the tea when I’ve used far, far too much leaf. It’s a really interesting and complex tea, but it’s…kinda…a little bit too sweet plus a little bit too bitter and it just overwhelms me a little. The honey is a bit cloying, something I haven’t experienced with pure tea until now. Not sure I would buy this, but I’m glad I got the sample.
Flavors: Bitter, Honey, Peppercorn, Plum, Spices, Sweet
