Joshua Smith select Send Message

Ah, such a great tea to wake up with. The first infusion is extremely dark, with the flavor completely dominated by malt. This is probably because I steeped it a bit longer than usual, and I was a bit generous with the amount of leaves that I used today. Regardless, it was a great way to wake up, and I know that this tea develops pleasantly, and eagerly await the more complex flavors of the later steeps.

The second infusion has developed nicely. The flavor is more subdued, and the honey flavors are starting to emerge, thus sweetening the tea. The malt is still the dominant flavor, but the undertones of honey help bring out the best of the malt, smoothing its rough edges. And this is why this tea is going on my “always have in stock” list.

The third infusion was much sweeter than the previous two, and seems to have started to develop the pepper flavor earlier than expected. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. Other than that, the flavors are pretty thoroughly muddled right now, but the next infusion should clear this up a bit.

The forth infusion is one of the best cups of black tea I’ve ever had. the perfect balance of malt and honey, with delightful accents of pepper to round of the flavor. I have to say, this tea developed really well this time, and it definitely topped its previous performance.

More to come later