Another recent Lupicia acquisition! I have to say this one seems more promising if only because the base tea does not include any CTC leaf. Yay whole leaf. Also, I am not sure if I realized this when I bought it (I certainly forgot if I did), but this is not just caramel but caramel and almond, so that’s potentially awesome. I don’t get a distinctly almondy scent from the dry leaf, more caramel and a definite nuttiness.
Steeped up, this tea smells like a very nutty black tea and has lost some of the caramel aroma. It reminds me a bit of the scent of a Mariage Fréres tea called Trois Noix. In the flavor, yeah, I can agree with others that this isn’t a super caramelly tea, but it is definitely very nutty. It’s not almonds like marzipan, it’s almonds like eating actual almonds. It is also perhaps caramelly in a way that unflavored black teas are caramelly, which is to say not super in your face caramel, but more the suggestion of caramel. The black base on this is smooth and not bitter or astringent, making it a pleasure to drink.
This is a decently tasty tea, and though I won’t restock it once I’m out, I won’t have much trouble drinking what I have of it either.
