Interesting tea from one of my favorite companies. Whiteantlers sent me this sample a little bit ago, and funny enough, it was one I was meaning to try. I have the tendency to have too much black tea that I don’t drink enough of, so I didn’t purchase it initially because of that.
Trying it out, it’s very floral, malty and grassy for a black tea after flash style brewing. Even with less leaves, I usually don’t exceed 10 seconds when I steep it because this one can get bitter. Steep one and 5 are the mostly grassy for me a lot like a benifuki or a malty hojicha tea, but steeps 2-4 are the sweeter ones. The cherry blossom note is pretty prominent between steep two and three. The floral and almost oaky wood notes combine differently with vegetal ones like yams and squash, ending in a tannic and brown sugary sweet finish.
Like described, it packs a punch. I know it doesn’t have much caffeine, yet this tea can give me the sweats. The most I go with this one is to steep six, but I am having a hard time making it past steep 3 today. I personally would rate this one higher in terms of quality and taste, but it’s not a tea that I’d drink often.
Flavors: Cherry Blossom, Dark Bittersweet, Dry Grass, Malt, Oak, Sweet Potatoes, Tangy, Tannic, Vegetal, Yams
