This was a gift from my mother last month, said she saw it whilst shopping online and thought of me. :)
The tin that it comes in is attractive and has a secure lid so it’s a gift that keeps on giving.
In raw form this tea is dark brown and finely chopped (for the most part) with a strong wooden and floral scent. I can also see some large pieces of stem/twig amongst the leaves, quite a bit in this batch to be honest.
Once steeped the tea is dark brown in colour with a rich malted and wooden aroma.
Flavour is thick with very rich malted highs and an undertone of flowers and perfume. Sweet yet dry and a little smoky. It’s a very deep black tea but it’s also somewhat lightened by the hint of flowers. A little longer in the steep and it becomes smokier and more roasted.
I’ve been trying to think of what it reminds me of in flavour and I just worked it out… a Darjeeling. It has the same sort of characteristics as a Darjeeling but in a perhaps slightly stronger version.
Overall it’s been a surprisingly tasty, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the highly stemmed tea but whatever it lacks in quality it doesn’t lack in taste.