Dry: Lovely short black-grey Keemun leaves. Smells mild and earthy.
Steeped: Smells pleasant and fairly strong, like a nice breakfast tea should. Clear medium brown liquor. No detectible smoky, cocoa, or bitter notes at all. The first time I brewed it, I was getting an almost wet dirt fragrance that I wasn’t all that fond of, but maybe I had the water temp funky or something because it hasn’t happened in subsequent brews from the same tin and I’ve already had probably 2oz since its arrival. :)
Taste: This is probably my current favorite English Breakfast and I will likely keep it in the pantry as a morning go-to. It is smooth and mild with a full and pleasant mouthfeel. It pairs well with milk and sugar, or in my case this morning, milk and honey. There aren’t a complex number of interesting flavors in this, nor is it bland and boring. Just a basic lovely Keemun that pairs well with toast or my current favorite of an over-easy egg on a warm tortilla with melty pepper jack cheese. Yum!
