The scent of this is awesome! It smells like a soft leather chair. Actually, what it really smells like is the awesome barn that houses the vegetables for the local organic farm. They always have herbs drying from the rafters and I always try to place the scent. And, apparently, it smells like oolong tea :)
I gave the leaves a quick rinse first.
Once brewed the leaves were pretty – a lovely dark red-brown, like tobacco or something.
There’s an interesting scent (smoked cherry?) to the liquor. Also: dusty books and some kind of sweet almost salted caramel scent.
The flavor is slightly bitter in a good way. There is mild astringency, but I like it. The flavor isn’t much special compared to the scent (the scent is amazing though). It has the most amazing body – it’s so thick.
There is an after-taste of something toasted. Toasty and slightly bitter.
ETA: I did a second infusion. I did this one at 190 degrees for only 3 minutes. I think I was too harsh on it, following Adagio’s directions.
I’m getting a woodsy strawberry scent off this – the scent overall is fainter than the first infusion. I’m not picking up much else other than that vague fruitiness and smokiness.
The taste is rather floral – also a little biscuity. It’s nothing striking though.
