Byzantium

Easy favorite. I wanted to get this one with Ursa, which was a cocoa bean laoshan blend with some dried berries, but I wanted this one because I love dramatic history of luxurious places. Byzantium gets often ignored by history classes despite continuing Rome’s legacy and served as a major influence over Christianity, trade, and the futures of Eastern Europe. The makers of the tea definitely have an idea of that vibe with the picks of flowers. It would have been cool to have purple with the yellow flowers to really hammer Byzantine aesthetic, but the tea looks exactly like the picture you see above.

I’ve done this tumbler style, and western, and western is the way to go. The flavors are smooth and incredible, but gets mistaken as a generically good black tea in a tumbler. Western style draws out and balances out the nuances. The teas picked are on the more chocolaty/milky side for black teas. I think there’s some Laoshan in this too, but I think the blend has changed from years to years. There’s some god buds, but not too many. The clover is especially prominent, and the immortelle has a bit of a taste between chamomile and chrysanthemum. My mom wondered if it was an Earl Grey when she drank it blind. The aftertaste is a little bit different and more subtle, yet there’s enough sweetness to make the tea a little bit more distinct. Malt, graham cracker and honey are good descriptors too, yet the clover is distinct enough for me.

It heavily weakens after steep two. Graham cracker and black tea with light malt are the main players. Tannin and vague florals are all that remains after a while.

I’m pretty happy with this one. If it were more flexible in a tumbler, it would be an easy breakfast and work tea. Since I have to pay attention, I’ll have to wake up earlier, or reserve it for lunch or the weekends. It’ll do the job of getting me up well, though I’m missing some of the other teas I’ve sipped down for breakfast.