Seeing as how this had such a high rating on Steepster, I had to buy some despite the cost. And, tasting this, I hate to say this would probably be my regular go-to black tea if it weren’t so expensive!
First off it looks so darn pretty—all that shiny fuzzy gold—so I’m already intrigued. After brewing it has an aroma that’s both rich and delicate at the same time. It has a distinct cocoa note that I also get in the taste but there’s a really light sweetness I can’t really place. It’s not as heavy as a honey sweetness but more like something else… Ooo darn I can’t think of the word :( It’s really bold without being too heavy and intense, like the assams that I always try but never seem to like.
Later on the next few steeps the cocoa flavor becomes less intense and then both the sweetness and a new, more earthy flavor comes out. It kind of reminds me of the earthy flavor that is associated with mushrooms but this tastes nothing like mushrooms. Hard to explain but I like it.
I managed to get 5 steeps out of this and on the fifth I was afraid it would be bitter so I added a tiny pinch of brown sugar (instead of just rock sugar because I felt the brown sugar would bring out some of that sweetness in the tea better) and oh my that was yummy. I’m also starting to taste some spices after so many steeps. I wonder if I can get one more…
Overall incredibly yummy tea and I would drink this every day if I had more money :((
