This is probably the most floral black tea from outside Darjeeling that I have tried so far. The leaves in a preheated gaiwan smell of rosehips and orchids, while the wet leaves have a distinctively herbal, sweet, cooling and medicinal smell. I am tepted to say it’s like a mixture of sage and fresh fenugreek, but that’s not quite right. There is some tomato leaf smell though.
The taste is also fairly unusual. It has some malt notes, sure. However, the dominating feeling is that of tart fruitiness at the onset, followed by biting herbal notes and a smooth, creamy and floral finish. The aftertaste starts kind of astringent, but very quickly transforms into a little sickly sweetness, allowing the florals to take over and stay for a long time. The liquor also has a very good bitterness, something I lack in many black teas.
I am very satisfied with this tea. It is comparable in quality, price and taste profile to second flush Darjeelings that I have had.
Oh, now I know what the wet leaf smell reminds me of. It’s that of an unscented massage lotion/cream. Now, I don’t know which (combination of) ingredients in them is it that creates the characteristic scent though.
Flavors: Astringent, Biting, Bitter, Floral, Herbs, Medicinal, Orchid, Rosehips, Sage, Tart
