Its funny how our tastes can change over the years. I initially got into teas via flavored ones. I then moved on to pure teas, realizing that a really good tea was a delight all of its own. And for some reason, this fall I am drawn back to flavored ones.
The description of this tea sounded intriguing, but the presence of Lapsang Souchong made me nervous. I am not a fan of smoked anything. Mildly smoked pork is ok, but anything else is pretty gross. I have another smoky tea that I can’t stand and has never been used beyond the first cup.
But this was my first August Uncommon pourchase and I had an introduction 20% off code I wanted to make good use of. I have also not consumed sugar in any form for almost 7 years and I rarely make use of alternative sweeteners (months can go between uses). My options were limited. So i bought it anyway, telling myself you never know for sure until you try. And I’m glad I did.
The smoky flavor is mild, barely a hint, which helps a lot. There is a slight taste and smell of toffee. Nothing strong or overpowering, but it is there and its quite pleasant. None of the various flavors overpower or dominate over any of the others. This can actually be a failing in others where the flavors drown out the tea base itself. I feel Golden Arrow has a very nice balance that is so rare to find.
I also have to give kudos to August Uncommon in that they allow one to search based upon criteria such as sugar free. I very much appreciate not having to guess on which teas may or may not be safe for my consumption. (T2 diabetic. Just because sugar won’t kill me today doesn’t mean it won’t kill me in 20 years. Seriously, go on, have a little arsenic. You won’t fall over dead today, so obvious it must be safe.)
Flavors: Smoke, Toffee
