The dry leaf smells mostly of dried fruit, specifically figs. It actually smells a lot like Fig Newtons. I know some people don’t, but I really love fruity black teas. With the strawberry this reminds me of my favorite tea, Strawberry Slender Pu-erh by Teavana. If it tastes similar then I’m buying a ton of it!
The leaves have opened large and the fruit has melted into pockets of puree littered throughout the basket. The aroma is lovely, a slight bit of menthol which fits nicely here. I steeped this a few minutes too long because someone came to my desk before I could take it out. Hopefully this won’t negatively affect the flavor. It smells strong. The flavor is good unsweetened but I love honey and cream in my black teas so I’ll add those here. This is fruity and a little bit tangy. I can taste the strawberries.
Second Steep
6 ounces + 212 degrees + 8 minutes
I wonder what types of black teas are in this blend. I think soon I may do a taste comparison between the basic types of black tea available so that I can differentiate between them and find my favorites. Right now, I couldn’t tell you the difference between two types of black teas. I don’t know what each tastes like on its own.
This second steeping has a nice color to it and still smells a little fruity though I’m guessing it may not taste as fruity as the first go ‘round. I may have put a touch too much honey. It’s very sweet but still very good. I would say that this is definitely worth the time for a second steep. I should mention that the cream I added didn’t really want to mix with the tea in either cup. It didn’t necessarily curdle or get lumpy, but there is some ingredient that must be a little acidic because it didn’t turn out as creamy as I thought it would. Not pleasing to the eye maybe, but certainly still tasty.
Flavors: Dried Fruit, Fig, Fruity, Menthol, Strawberry, Tangy
