Finally got around to trying this tea. I bought it a while ago but wanted to do a comparison tasting with the same type of tea from another vendor. Plus I wanted my husband around to give me his thoughts on the flavour.
Sniffing the lid of the tasting cups, we picked up on some unexpected flavours for a black tea.
Onto drinking them, the first cup (Jade Red sample from Life in Teacup) we tasted cherry, tomato, soft malt, barley, and a kind of leathery flavour (meant in a good way).
Then we drank from the other cup (Camellia Sinensis), here we tasted tomato, spices, raisin (minus sweetness) licorice, menthol sensation, soft malt, barley, and a kind of leathery flavour again. Sipping between both and thinking more about it, there is a wonderful heavy texture to both teas. In the aftertaste, much of the flavour remains and lingers for a good while.
This was a very unusual drinking experience. I have another Sun Moon Lake type from Life in Teacup, but it’s the small cultivar type, and they taste quite different!
Overall I love the flavours and the uniqueness it presents. However as much as I enjoy this tea, I wouldn’t drink it all the time, just as a nice treat. I would highly recommend trying this once, but it is an expensive tea so the smallest size possible is good. Make sure whoever you buy it from mentions T(aiwan)-18 cultivar or Jade Red, otherwise you may get the other type of Sun Moon Lake. (Personally I always buy small sizes, because I don’t know how much I’ll like the tea)
120ml comparison tasting cups, 2 tsp, 2 steeps
