This is a very interesting tea with many layers. The dry leaf smells like seaweed! Brewed, it still has that seaweed scent, but mixed with roasted grains, sesame and buckwheat. The taste is a kind of dark grass or faint seaweed paired with that roasted flavor. The end of the sip is mostly an astringent note that somehow turns into a wood flavor, similar to rooibos, but much more robust. I love rooibos and its woody flavor, but when it’s paired with a roasted note, I’m not really a fan. This cup is drinkable, but a bit too dark and roasty for me.
If you’re a fan of green/roasted oolongs, I’d be happy to trade the rest of the tea!