Opens up a bit thin, a light neon pink-ish orange. I didn’t bother breaking up the compressed chunk I got as a sample from my teafriend, though, so it did take a while to loosen up.
Once it’s gotten underway, however, Brown Sugar brews up dark, thick, and oily, with a slick balm feeling. It’s got a bit of sweet upfront flavor and has an interesting hint of molasses aftertaste that is what it’s named for, I’m guessing, but (un)surprisingly, the shou earthiness is the dominant flavor. It very lightly coats the throat over time and leaves a refreshing, cooling sensation by the middle steeps that I can feel in my ears.
My sample seems to have cleared overall, no real funk after the first steep and the long rinse. It does seem to lack depth despite the heavy taste profile, but it’s not unpleasant for it. A good mindless tea as it’s not very bitter and won’t amplify terribly much if you forget about it for a while while brewing. The flavor profile is also pretty upfront and hard to miss, so you can sip or chug without much thought and not miss much.
Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Earth, Molasses
