Black Frost

I’ve only had one other Nilgiri and I honestly wasn’t a fan. There was an edge to it that made me think of thick, rough plant leaves – you know, the kind you’d find in a cheapy bouquet – and I just couldn’t get over that. It’s one of those tastes for me (like rooibos) that no matter how little of it there is in something, that’s all my mind can focus on. And I smell a little bit of that raw leafness in this cup. Uh oh.

Yeah, I taste it, too. There’s a floral hint that sweetens the tea a little and it is definitely bolder and richer than the previous Nilgiri I have had (Tao of Tea’s Neela) but all I can focus on is that leaf that somehow got into my cup. I keep thinking, “This must be what it is like to eat a tea-flavored rose bush leaf.” Because yeah, that’s what I get. There’s also a hint of sharpness at the end that makes me think of a Darjeeling but only in a not-so-positive way.

I tried to tweak this a bit with sugar and half & half since the company’s tasting notes say that it can take it but, meh. Nothing I did really seemed to help – half & half made the raw leaf bit calm down but seemed to accentuate the bitterness. Sugar didn’t really do anything until I put in more than I wanted – then it was just sweet. And raw. And leafy.

I just don’t think Nilgiris and I are ever going to get along.

I think my tasting is off kilter today. Last night I burnt my tongue really bad on some Beef Pho. It was still very tasty…but I can tell my taste buds are still in a state of repair. As of right now, the tea tastes like light black tea mixed with tree bark. Oddly enough, it’s not awful…just kind of odd. There is a sweet note but the level of astringency is pretty killer. It’s bad when you take a sip of tea and immediately have to follow it with a drink of water to re-hydrate your mouth. The flavor isn’t the worse I’ve ever tasted, but it is far from the best. The astringency and thinness of the tea are the big downers.

Ok, after reading the other tasting notes on Black Frost, perhaps my taste buds aren’t too far off on this tea. If you are a Darjeeling fan you might like the flavor profile here.

Another Bethany tea. I remember picking this one for my wishlist for her, because I have never had tea from the Nilgiri region before. I have no clue what to expect, but I’m expecting something akin to Ceylon, since that’s relatively close.

It’s got a nice golden colour and a very grassy aroma, almost like a newly mowed lawn. A spicier than that, though. Underneath it I’m picking up a sweet note, almost caramel-like, and all in all, it’s reminding me more of Darjeeling than it does of Ceylon. Or both maybe. Like a middle thing between Darjeeling and Ceylon. I’m not really sure, I change my mind every time I sniff it.

It’s very vegetal in flavour and very sweet in an almost sour-like way. Like citrus-fruit, without actually having even a hint of a citrus flavour. It tastes kind of green the same way that a Darjeeling can taste green and it definitely doesn’t remind me of Ceylon in flavour at all. It’s almost like… like it’s not quite ripe yet.

I’m not sure it’s something I would seek out as a type all that eagerly again, but it’s definitely drinkable.

I need to spend more time with this one before I do a review, but it’s good. Black Frost is more robust than most Nilgiris that I have tried – the others were truly spicy, which I don’t like much. Seeing that in reviews of this drove me away at first. But I got a 1oz sample this time, and it’s not very spicy. There is a hint of the vegetality of other Nilgiris, maybe a little floweriness. Otherwise, it’s like a very slightly more subdued Ceylon. The dry leaves smell really nice, a full but brisk aroma.

I’m still tweaking parameters on the actual brew. So far it’s had a good but not particularly strong flavor. It definitely has less on the low end than The Simple Leaf’s Assams, but is quite enjoyable and is not too weak for milk.

The dry leaves smell a bit like a keemun but not as strong as some I’ve smelled. There is another grassy barely there floral tinge to the leaves as well. Once brewed the tea loses that heavy strange keemun fragrance and I smell floral notes amid a sea of malty goodness with barely there notes of resin. It is one of the better tea fragrances I’ve experienced. The wet leaves unfold into whole green and brown leaves that are slightly more ovoid shaped than other wet tea leaves I’ve seen and the liquor is reddish brown. It is a much lighter tea than many I’ve had lately. The taste is sharp and bright with the slightest hint of floral but all the other notes disappear. Still, it is a nice tea.

This is a decent tea in search, I think, of an identity. I think it will make a good basic black for iced tea. As a morning brew, it does the trick adequately but is not audacious or bold. It’s like the shy kid at school who hangs back a bit so it won’t get bullied. Black Frost most certainly has got some fresh-mown grass mentality, It’s a Nilgiri but does not speak to me of high elevations—more of gently rolling slopes. It’s most certainly a black tea which smells and tastes as if it’s been travelling with a group of green teas on the same bus.

The aftertaste is naturally sweet in a gentle, mellow way. Overall, it’s not a spectacular tea that boldly asserts itself but I think it might be an overall “good chum” of a tea—a regular pal who can be trusted and respected. I’ll drink more and possibly revise the review.

Thanks for this one, too, MandyB! This has a grassy, earthy type nose – Mixed with the Black Tea scent. It has a slim to none sweet/sour/bitter taste to it – just a little. That might sound weird or even gross but it isn’t. Pair that with a small woodsy taste and the Black Tea Taste and that is what I taste. Interesting yet contradiction of tastes but still enjoyable.

Got this in a swap, thanks Bethany!

Aroma is ever so slightly smokey though that does not come through in the taste. It is very clean and smooth, no astringency so far. This almost reminds me of a Darjeeling, but it doesn’t quite reach being exactly like one. Has a little bit of sweetness and I have to say I quite like it. After my earlier horrible cup of tea, this more than makes up for it.

Very simple black tea. Has a more grassy flavor than most. Not super exciting, but gets me my caffeine.