[spring 2024 harvest]
This black tea is very well balanced, but less sweet than similar teas. It is also not very bitter, but it has a distinct bite in the aftertaste.
Dry leaves smell of leather, caramel, and wet soil. On the other hand, wet leaf aroma reminds me of cherries, wood, chocolate, fur, malt, fennel, and celery at times.
The mouthfeel is thick and creamy. The liqour feels light in the mouth though. There is very mild astringency as well as a cool tingling sensation.
First infusion is vegetal and smooth with umami, woody and spicy flavours, such as those of miso and pumpkin. Second steep is sweeter and cooling. There are notes of bread, citrus zest, mint, butter, and licorice. Later on, the tea also showcases more flowery, malty and bitter sides. Further flavours I detect are like beer, chocolate, and orange blossoms.
The aftertaste is cooling, biting, and perfumy with an additional flavour of maple syrup.
All in all, it is a particulaly complex and engaging black tea that I can really recommend.
Flavors: Astringent, Beer, Biting, Bitter, Bread, Butter, Caramel, Celery, Cherry, Chocolate, Citrus Zest, Cooling, Fennel, Fur, Leather, Licorice, Malt, Maple Syrup, Mint, Orange Blossom, Perfume, Pumpkin, Spicy, Thick, Umami, Wet Earth, Wood
