I also got a sample of this for free from Tea by the Sea, and I’m excited about it. I always feel really special when I get free samples. First off, the packaging is ADORABLE. I guess that’s kind of a petty place to start, but when I opened the package, I noticed immediately how well marketed and how cute the packaging was. I hope the company continues this trend, because I smiled.
I’m drinking the tea now, and it’s a solid tea. I’m not much of a Ceylon tea fan, honestly, as I find it to be a bit too astringent for me. This tea I enjoy, but it’s not a tea I would pick up on my own (I’m thrilled about the other sample, though, which I will be reviewing and is much more up my black tea ally). This tea has the qualities of a Ceylon tea for sure. It is thin and sharp and also a bit sweet with a definite, and I can’t think of a better word for it, black tea taste. I would describe this as a significantly elevated Lipton bagged tea.
The tea in the package was a dark leaf, loosely rolled, and even though the leaves looked small to me, when it brewed, the leaves expanded significantly. It looked really pretty while it brewed. The color of the brewed tea is best described to me as auburn. It was a red-tinted brown, and it looked like a dark orange when it brewed.
Overall, I like this tea. I would certainly drink it again (very willingly) although I wouldn’t pick it out for myself.
