Mener

From the EU TTB – Round 3

This morning’s pick from the box. I’m on a roll with Chinese blacks at the moment, so why not continue the theme…

I used 1 tsp of leaf, and gave it 3.5 minutes in boiling water. No additions. This one reminds me quite strongly of Butiki’s Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black. It has the same stone fruit/honey notes that I loved so much, although I would say that the flavour is a little more muted here. That might be my fault, though. Possibly some experimentation with leaf quantity and/or brew time required.

Anyway, the initial sip is gloriously sweet and malty. It’s such a smooth tea, with absolutely no bitterness or astringency, and in a way it’s almost juicy. That works well with the gentle apricot note I’m picking up, and with the light honeyed sweetness that rounds off the sip. I love teas like this, and I’m pleased that my appreciation of straight blacks seems to be developing over time. There’s no need for flavoured tea when there’s plain tea this good in the world!