This morning I felt like having some nice black tea and the choice came down to Mountain Nectar – one of my favourites – that I’ve only had twice thus far. Despite that, the unique profile and unparalleled complexity stuck in my mind.
Dry leaves exude an aroma that’s a blend of cookies, fruits (apricot) and flowers (black locust). In a preheated teapot, this changes to fermented fruits, stewed fresh tomatoes and mango. Yet again, the smell of wet leaves is very different, but beautiful. It has notes of massage lotion, eucalyptus, carrot cake, and forest.
The taste profile is mildly sweet and fruity, with a nutty spiciness, some inexplicable herbaceous quality, and woody finish. Few of the flavours I detected are nutmeg, butter, brown sugar, orange, tomato vine, and marjoram. Second infusion also has notes of roasted hazelnuts and toffee. When brewed more aggressively, the tea displays more of a malty quality too. Aftertaste starts with a quinine-like bitterness, but evolves into an enduring sweetness soon. Further flavours that emerge in the aftertaste include likes of licorice root, burnt food, and spinach.
The texture of the liquor is extremely soft, velvety, and creamy, with a medium body. After swallowing, I get a drying sensation in the throat rather than the mouth and a sandpaper-like mouthfeel.
Flavors: Alcohol, Apricot, Bitter, Brown Sugar, Burnt Food, Butter, Cake, Carrot, Cookie, Drying, Eucalyptus, Flowers, Forest Floor, Fruit Tree Flowers, Fruity, Hazelnut, Herbaceous, Herbs, Licorice, Malt, Mango, Menthol, Nutmeg, Nutty, Orange, Plant Stems, Spices, Spinach, Stewed Fruits, Toffee, Wood
