70

Sample cube 8/18

Admittedly I haven’t had much experience with Darjeelings in the past, so I don’t have much to compare this to. The dry sachet had a very woodsy aroma with a hint of something coffee-like. The tea brews out to a deep red-orange color. First steep was, for some reason, quite bitter in spite of being fragrant. Not just astringent, not one of the other natural flavors in tea that might be mistaken for bitterness, but literally bitter. Second steep, however, was much smoother, with no bitterness, a light muscatel note, a hint of woodsy smokiness, and a crisp, slightly astringent profile that definitely says black tea, but is not as in-your-face as some other English-styled black tea blends can be. I’m rating this based on the second infusion since I may have let the first sit for a little too long.

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Science writer and a cat that learned to type.

I grew up in a tea-loving family, and tea has always been a part of daily life. I’m still astounded by the amount of tea and teaware back home every time I visit! While I’m most familiar with straight Chinese teas, I’m growing to explore and appreciate other types of tea, including blended and flavored ones. A good blend can reflect the thought and creativity that was put into making it, instead of being too sweet or busy in a way that gives the “genre” a bad rap.

Likes:
-most black teas (even lapsang)
-most oolongs, especially Fujian teas, baozhong and dancong
-houjicha
-straight white teas
-citrus
-almond/amaretto
-coconut
-vanilla

Variable (some are great, some not so):
-most green teas
-tie guan yin
-flavored white teas
-assam
-rooibos
-melon
-mint
-grape

Ratings:
90-100: definite repurchase if possible, recommended
80-90: enjoyed, possible repurchase
70-80: fair to good
60-70: fair with some shortcomings
50-60: there’s still a chance I’d take this if it were free
under 50: absolutely not

Location

Southern California

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