This is a pleasant drink. Despite there being several notes to pick up on, it really has a pretty straightforward profile. It is very mellow and savory, but it does have a few other things going on to make the experience pleasant – a little nuttiness, a little sweetness, some astringency that makes the whole experience somewhat dynamic in your mouth.
It’s a good workhorse, no-nonsense, morning tipple. If you enjoy a quality bagged black tea blend, then this will probably be up your alley.
Speaking of which, I haven’t tried this Western style yet, but it would be a good candidate. Frankly, Western style with a splash of milk would work very well. I’ll give it a go and report back if things don’t go as planned.
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Dry leaf: milk chocolate, raspberry-chocolate, roasted peanuts. In preheated vessel – stronger nut aroma, some bittersweet green oolongy notes
Smell: savory, almost soupy, aroma (think vegetable soup with a sweet tomato base); milk chocolate, roasted peanut, peanut shell; savory bittersweet herb (bay leaf), black pepper
Taste:
Arrival – very mellow: bittersweet leaf, astringent – like a bagged black tea blend
Development – some peanut nuttiness arrives, mellow flavors, astringency continues; some savory vegetable soup notes
Finish – milk chocolate, chocolate-covered peanut notes arrive
Aftertaste – short-lived; light nuttiness and bittersweet leaf notes
