Thank you for a generous sample of this, Cavocorax! I am so happy to be able to sample the famous Damn Fine Teas!
I had this on a Saturday morning, when I was still in the woods, while sitting on the porch and listening to birds chirping. I decided to also have it this morning and right now I am sipping on the very last drops of the second steep of this.
I remember the time when black tea used to be just… black tea. Terroirs? Harvests? Blends? Single origins? Whaddya mean, my friend? Those times are long gone ;)
The first time I had it I recognized it as a kind of black tea I am usually less drawn to. It’s bold, noticingly astringent (although not unpleasantly so), even a tad bitter. But then, at the same time, it also appears to be mild, a little sweet and refreshing. The balance here is amazing because you can just go on saying “this tea is x but it’s also y” about most any quality of it. You’d think it makes it careful kind of boring? No way! This tea is taking some names with its bold uniqueness, it certainly takes mine. You just want to keep on drinking it even though it might not be entirely your thing, like in my case. It’s just DAMN GOOD.
The only complaint I would have is that this tea seems not to be able to go well beyond two steeps. And even with the second one you gotta make sure you add at least 2 minutes on the top of 4 minutes you wait for the first infusion. Also, the second steep comes out much more mild and docile anyway. Which is not a bad thing for a fan of sweeter blacks like myself.
Thank you so much for this sample, Cavocorax! I still have enough left for about 2 servings. Yum!
