Despite the shorter steep time, this makes a very dark cup of tea! The smell of the dry leaf reminds me very much of SpecialTeas’ almond cookie (another one of my favorites). While the scent is beautiful and very yummy, the taste is not as strong on the almond/cookie flavor. My tongue detects more of the tea base than the additional flavors. The flavor does not have the same doughy/bakery flavor that SpecialTeas’ blend has. It is a good cup, but I prefer my teas to be heavier on the flavor and lighter on the base. Thank you, Stacy!