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Got this as part of a swap with JK7Ray – Thanks! Used 3.2ish g in a 60mL gaiwan with 175 degree water.

This is one of the most intensely aromatic teas I’ve encountered. I was surprised by the aroma the first time around – smelled like cinnamon and fruit, maybe raisins, plums, or apples (that might be cuz of the cinnamon, so my mind went to apple pie). The aroma was incredibly vivid and intense – it seemed like some kind of fresh-baked pastry. I couldn’t wait to see what the tea tasted like. Unfortunately, I was a little bit disappointed, not because it tasted bad, but because the intensity of the flavor didn’t come close to the intensity of the aroma. I got sweet, tangy fruity flavors with the cinnamon barely apparent in the first couple steeps. After that, it had some malty sweetness accompanied by dry fruity notes. The leaves looked like black tea once brewed, but I’m not sure whether that was because they were highly oxidized or due to the fact it was made from a purple varietal.

I tried this tea with 185 degree water as well, but it just muddled the flavors a bit, burying the high notes. I should have tried with almost boiling water too, since it looked like a black tea, but I didn’t. It doesn’t seem to be available on What-cha’s site anymore, and I’m not sure I’d want to buy more of it if it was. Aroma was the best part of this tea by far. I smelled the wet leaves for quite a while. Certainly interesting and I’m glad I got to try it.