Backlog:
I have tried both the premium grade and the competition grade of this tea. This particular tasting note is for the Competition grade.
Lovely cinnamon spice notes. Just beneath the cinnamon flavor I notice notes of cacao. A note of difference between the two grades. This competition grade has a stronger essence of cinnamon while the premium grade has a stronger cacao note.
Other than that, they are both very similar. With its’ cinnamon-y dimension, it is quite a lovely, autumnal tea. Smooth, rich, flavorful, sweet. Everything you want from a Sun Moon Lake type tea – it’s quite lovely. I highly recommend trying both grades to see which you like best. I think that for winter, I would probably prefer the premium grade, but for the autumnal months, I quite like the cinnamon-y notes of the competition grade.
Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/09/16/taiwan-sun-moon-lake-ruby-black-tea-competition-grade-from-cameron-tea/