Ahhh time to relax for a bit after lots of kitchen time. Randomly chosen Upton tea turned out to be a Lumbini Ceylon! I know that I tried a Lumbini Ceylon from Capital Tea Limited, and I remember it being mellow and smooth. We’ll see if this one is similar! The leaves are very thin and small but not at all broken, and they’re very dark with a few silvery-golden tips mixed in. Dry scent is somewhat malty and savory.
I didn’t get a good grasp of the steeped aroma, because I was distracted and now the cup is warm as opposed to hot, so most of the aroma has dissipated. Still tastes good though! It’s thick and a touch meaty and there’s an intensity that borders on bitterness but doesn’t quite get there. Near the end a little bit of Assam-ish molasses/raisin flavor rears its head, as does a touch of astringency. I think there’s possibly some bittersweet cocoa flavor here, but it’s always so hard for me to tell when there’s no sweetness. Pretty good, but not too special.
Flavors: Cocoa, Dark Bittersweet, Malt, Meat, Molasses, Raisins, Thick