Milo

I hate reviewing teas I don’t like, especially when they’re so boring I can’t even detect anything noteworthy. After all, someone (or some people) worked hard to grow that tea and bring it the market. So I won’t say this is a boring tea but rather a supertaster’s tea. Yes, that’s it. Unfortunately, I am not a supertaster. I ended up turning this one into hojicha.

Initial water temperature: 160°F
Leaf-water ratio: 3g:5oz
Steep time: 1 min, 30 sec

Leaf appearance: Moss green with a splintered texture typical of deeper-steamed senchas.
Dry aroma: Sweet and salty roasted seaweed. Absolutely delicious. I should probably pull my nose out of the bag now.
Infusion: A little cloudy. Greenish-yellow reminiscent of lemongrass.
Mouthfeel: Thin with light astringency.
Aroma: Roasted seaweed and brussel sprouts. (This is a good thing.) Light grassiness.
Taste: A mild but very well balanced fusion of sweet and savory.

Notes: That last part says it all: mild but balanced. Sometimes that’s a nice place to be. This tea is a good reminder of that.

Initial water temperature: 200°F
Leaf-water ratio: 5g:8oz
Steep time: 3 min

Dry aroma: Dried apricots. Cocoa.
Infusion: Almost clear. Mahogany red.
Mouthfeel: Full with a very mild, pleasant astringency
Aroma: Faint hints of fruit compote, oranges, cinnamon, and allspice.
Taste: Mildly sweet. A very tiny bit of savoriness.

Notes: Not a bad tea by any stretch, but not very exciting either. Tastes remarkably similar to this year’s (2012) Charleston, South Carolina First Flush (which isn’t exactly a compliment, this year’s FF was pretty unbalanced) but with a little more complexity and sweetness. If you’re an insatiably curious black tea fanatic, it’s worth a try.

Dry aroma: Hay. A faint whiff of peat.
Infusion: Clear. Straw yellow.
Aroma: Very faint notes of ham and evergreen.
Taste: Moderately tart and astringent.

Notes: There are no surprises at higher temperatures (70-75°C), just more astringency. Not my cup.