The dry leaves smell fruity. This is good – one of the first Ceylons I had tasted strongly of raspberry and, while I am not a huge raspberry fan, that tea pretty much set the standard for ‘good’ Ceylon in my world. Something beyond a plain ‘tea’ taste. This one isn’t quite raspberry smelling – the scent is a little bolder and thicker than your average raspberry. I can’t place it but I like it. The leaves are pretty, too. Long and wiry twists each at least an inch long.
The cup smells a bit darker than the dry leaves. Nothing excessive. There’s a bit of brown sugar smell, or something similar. The taste is sweet and mild with a hint of dryness at the end that might develop more with a longer steep (if you’re in to that sort of thing). The main flavor is tea but it’s got some fruity or honeyed hints about it. I can’t specifically pick out what type of sweetness is in there, but it is close – I feel like it is teasing me.
I haven’t had a ton of straight Ceylons (4 or 5 maybe) but I’d have to say that this one would rank #2 in that grouping. Not quite the dripping with raspberry but not flat and fully default tea either. Overall though, I’m just not all that into Ceylons. I think I want to try this with milk as Samovar suggests. So rating subject to change.
2.8g/8oz
