I bought this looseleaf product with uncertainty, which was ultimately rewarded, because I really liked it! I was eager to explore tea from Nepal because a coworker was from that Himalayan country. This is a spiced black tea, and the label lists “CTC, black pepper, cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon, ginger flavors”. Although it is unclear if this is a highlight of components, or a comprehensive ingredient list. Did they forget a comma after the word ginger? Or, is it really just ginger flavor?
I brewed as directed: 1 tsp in 8 oz 200°F water for3 minutes. The aroma of the brew matches that of the dry leaf: cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and black pepper. The golden-brown tea has discernible flavors exactly matching the ingredients. It was cardamom-forward, with cinnamon and clove warming the mouth, perked up by ginger and black pepper. Underneath it all was a generic black tea, possibly an assamica varietal from the neighboring Indian district of Assam. As the tea cooled, the clove became more pronounced, and the black pepper could be felt tingling the back roof of my mouth. There was a lingering aftertaste of cinnamon and clove. One thing I appreciated is that the cinnamon did not overwhelm the blend. The label also mentioned a single re-steeping of 3 min., which also produced a deep amber liquor with less intense flavor and aroma. In the second infusion, cinnamon sang from the driver’s seat with cardamom accompanying in the rear, and everything else providing a soothing chorus from the metaphorical trunk. I recommend this tea without hesitation, and rate it as an 85. Of the five teas I bought from Nepali Tea Traders, this was my favorite!
Flavors: Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Tea
