First tea of the day! This sample came from Blodeuyn. I’ve tried the regular version of Premium Taiwanese Assam, so I was interested to try this one as well. The leaves seem a bit less extreme to me, but they’re still in the creepy tree branch family. Dry scent is caramelized brown sugar, molasses, and dried fruit. I steeped the whole sample (about 2 teaspoons?) for 4 minutes at 200 degrees.
Once steeped, the tea smells of strong dark caramel and apricots with a touch of something mildly vegetal (green beans?). The taste is similar. It’s rich and malty with strong dark caramelized sugar notes along with molasses. I can also taste dried apricots and raisins/prunes. That light vegetal note is still there, adding a savoriness to balance the rich sugar and fruit. It reminds me of slow-cooked green beans. Overall, very deep and delicious with layers of flavor.
Flavors: Apricot, Brown Sugar, Burnt Sugar, Caramel, Dried Fruit, Green Beans, Malt, Molasses, Raisins