Tealyra (formerly Tealux)

Alright, I am finally back with another review. I took a break from the oolongs I have been working on to polish off a sample pouch of this Darjeeling. I have made it no secret that I am a huge fan of the teas from Margaret’s Hope Estate, so I had very high expectations for this tea. Unfortunately, this tea did not meet those expectations, but it was not a total waste. I found it to be a perfectly pleasant, serviceable Darjeeling.

I prepared this tea Western style. The first couple of times I prepared this tea, I only used a single teaspoon of leaf material and it tasted horribly flat and thin with virtually no aroma whatsoever. I began upping the amount of leaf I was using from there and found that 4 grams worked best for me. If you do not like stronger, heavier flavors, you can cut back on the amount of leaf used a little bit. Either way, a heaped teaspoon should do the trick. Anyway, I steeped 4 grams of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. Since I normally do not conduct additional infusions with Darjeelings, I did not do so here.

Prior to infusion, I did not pick up much of an aroma from the dry tea leaves. After infusion, I picked up delicate aromas of wood, straw, smoke, toast, nutmeg, and Muscatel. Given the name of this tea, I was expecting more of a recognizably grapey character. In the mouth, delicate notes of wood, straw, rose, toast, butter, malt, lemon, nutmeg, and smoke were underscored by minerals and a hint of Muscatel. The finish was buttery with mild malt, grape, and flower impressions.

As mentioned earlier, I was expecting more, so this tea was kind of a disappointment. I seem to not be the only person who feels this way either, as a cursory glance of previous reviews (when this vendor was still called Tealux) does not reveal warm feelings towards this tea. Still, there are worse Darjeelings out there, and I found that I could get decent results out of this one by playing around with the brewing parameters a bit. In the end, it didn’t blow me away, but I could still find some positive qualities in it. The name, however, still puzzles me. Why was it necessary to highlight such a minor component of this tea’s aroma and flavor profiles? I don’t get it.

Sipdown

Thank you eastkyteaguy for this sample!

I’ve finally been drinking down more samples in the past month than I’ve had in the past year. I had a note on the bag to let this one sit for a while since it had a strong charcoal flavor to it. I realized after having this tea that it’s the type of tea that needs to sit around for a few years, not months, to lose some of those strong flavors. Although the mineral notes were fine, I had to quick rinse after the first initial steep to help rid the tea of those stronger charcoal notes, but even then it was brewing strong.

Overall, I think this tea would smooth out nicely over time, but it’s a bit much in its current stage.

A little while back I was on a earl/lady grey and jasmine teas kick. I finished off the last of my EG from Tealyra and decided to reorder, along with the ‘lighter’ Lady Grey.

I’m not sure if it was because their batch of flavoring was bad this time or if it was a heavier hand, but this tea and my order ‘grey’ teas that I ordered at the same time were very very heavy on the bergamot, and thus very artificial tasting. Needless to say, I was not very happy.

This Lady does seem a little more tempered when made into an iced tea, but still very aromatic. Like the old ladies where you can smell their perfume a half block away. Other than the scent, it’s not a bad tasting tea, but maybe I should save this for when I have a cold and can’t smell much. Even now though, my nose is slightly stuffed with allergies and this is overwhelming.

This is the second time I’ve made this tea. The first time I made it, I followed the supplier’s instructions and used approximately 1 tsp of tea (8 balls) for 8 oz — this was a bit too weak for my liking. This time, I used approximately 3 tsp (24 balls) for 16 oz — a slight increase, but enough to make it much better. I’d recommend using this amount if you prefer tea which is slightly stronger.

When fully brewed, the tea has a rich, dark brown color. The tea leaves unfurl from the ball shape as they steep, becoming elongated and thin. The tea itself has a cocoa or malty chocolate flavor, with a slight earthy flavor in the background. It is good but tastes a bit tired. I am sure I will enjoy the rest of the batch I purchased and might eventually buy some again — it was slightly cheaper than other black dragon pearl teas I have purchased but the quality isn’t too diminished with that cheaper price. Overall, a decent, mellow tea, but still seems to be missing something to make it one that I’d drink regularly.

This is a review I have been dreading. To be honest, I had a lot of difficulty working with this tea. Unfortunately, I was never able to get to a point where I was happy with my brewing method and my approach to reviewing it. The only impression I can confidently offer is that this struck me as kind of an odd tea.

I prepared this tea several different ways, but as mentioned above, never got to a point where I was satisfied with my results. For the purposes of this review, I will simply detail the results of the brewing method that worked best for me. I steeped 1 rather heaping teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. I did not attempt any additional infusions.

Prior to infusion, the dry tea leaves emitted mild lemony, herbal aromas with a hint of nuttiness. After infusion, the golden tea liquor emitted intriguing, yet very subtle aromas of grilled lemon, Muscat grape, malt, toast, almond, and oddly enough, peanut brittle. In the mouth, I initially detected notes of grilled lemon, almond, toast, malt, cream, and honey roasted peanuts. I was disappointed because I was really hoping the aroma of peanut brittle would ensure the delivery of a comparable flavor, but unfortunately, it did not. Further inspection revealed more distant notes of lemongrass and nutmeg, but that was all I was able to find.

Compared to the other first flush Darjeelings I have tried over the course of the last year, this one was an odd bird. It was very awkward and came off as being too timid, yet it had a few redeeming qualities. I actually enjoyed its lemony character. The pronounced nuttiness was kind of appealing too. I just wish it were a little more complex, a little more robust, and that it displayed a crisper, clearer Muscat presence. I would cautiously recommend that others try it. I, however, would not be surprised if it divides opinion or confounds on some level.

I finished the last of this tea this morning, so my journey through Tealyra’s Japanese black teas has reached its conclusion. Each tea was different. They all had different strengths and weaknesses in my eyes. The Wakoucha was smooth and approachable, but also a little too timid and simplistic. The Makurazaki displayed a lovely fruity, syrupy character, but also had a habit of turning astringent quickly and was a little over-the-top. This one had a nicely balanced set of aromas and flavors, yet had a habit of developing a biting astringency on the back end. I liked all three on one level or another, but to be honest, none of them were the type of black tea I would want to drink regularly.

I prepared this tea Western style. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 3 minutes. As with the others, I did not attempt additional infusions. I found that with this tea I had to not only measure the amount of leaf used very precisely, but also time the infusion very precisely. If I failed to do either of these things, it would turn woody and unpleasantly astringent.

Prior to infusion, the dry tea leaves emitted mellow aromas of malt, toast, wood, and plums. After infusion, the dark amber tea liquor emitted aromas of malt, toast, pine, cedar, and plums. In the mouth, I picked up a mix of toast, cream, malt, pine, cedar, cocoa, caramel, and plum notes. The tea gradually became drier and somewhat more astringent as it moved from the entry to the swallow.

Compared to the other two Japanese black teas from Tealyra that I have consumed recently, this tea was more balanced than the Makurazaki and both more aromatic and more flavorful than the Wakoucha. Still, it lacked the sweetness that I found so appealing about the Makurazaki, and like the Makurazaki, it turned astringent fairly quickly. Much like that tea, I found this one to be highly enjoyable overall, yet I did not see it being the type of tea I would want to consume regularly. I’m glad I had the opportunity to try it, but for me, this would grade out as a solid B and nothing more. It was a type of tea that I found easy to appreciate, but difficult to love.

Sample from Evol. So i’m for sure “off mint” at the moment. However… i’d like to try this one again in the future when i’m back on speaking terms with mint. Because the aroma of this one and the base tastes seems like i’d enjoy it.

Got this one to try in my last TeaLyra order. The description sounded exactly like something I’ve been craving lately, and the tea did not disappoint. I usually prefer the stronger black teas, with rich flavor and malt. This tea, is very well balance, it is low in bitterness, Very aromatic and flavorful. The aroma is Rich! I smell honey, caramelized sugar, malt, and stone fruit like peaches and cherry. I had this tea with some tart dried cherries and it was just delicious. It has floral notes to it which come more pronounced with later steepings. But in general it is a delicious, aromatic brew. I’ve been drinking it all day today and even now (steeping 5-6?) I’m still getting a lovely nose from the cup sitting on my desk and its makes me smile, Ahhh Yuuum. I am really enjoying this one and it will definitely be one of the favorites on the list.

So here we go with another Japanese black tea from Tealyra. I dug this one out of my stash a couple days ago in order to compare it to the Wakoucha. The two could not have been more different. The Wakoucha was thin, smooth, and delicately malt. This tea was sweet, fruity, honeyed, and syrupy with a more pronounced astringency.

I prepared this one Western style. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 3 minutes. I did not attempt any additional infusions. In two earlier sessions, I tried steeping this tea for 5 minutes, and while the longer infusion amplified the tea’s fruitier, more syrupy qualities to a ridiculous degree, it also brought out the tea’s natural astringency in a big way. I would recommend sticking with the 3 minute infusion if you’re only going to steep it once.

Prior to infusion, the mostly jet black, broken leaves produced noticeable aromas of ripe plums and honey underscored by hints of malt and spice. After infusion, the dark amber tea liquor emitted almost unbelievable aromas of honey, plums, toast, malt, and cinnamon. In the mouth, the tea produced a flourish of honey, cinnamon, plums, apricot, and cocoa before introducing milder notes of cream, toast, and malt. The finish was astringent and somewhat woody, though lingering impressions of cinnamon, honey, malt, and plums were easy to note.

This was a very aromatic and flavorful tea with an abundance of body and texture in the mouth. The astringency was a little off-putting at first, but I doubt it would be troubling for anyone accustomed to BOP grade black teas or any sort of traditional black tea blend. Though this may not qualify as the highest grade Japanese black tea in the world, it did make for an extremely pleasant drinking experience. I would say give this one a shot if you happen to be looking for a unique black tea with a lot of flavor.

My goodness, I’m in love with this tea! I like it so much I don’t want to share with anyone;)
So yes, when you open the sealed packet there is a strong strawberry aroma. It is sweet, and creamy, full of buttery goodness. It smells like strawberry frosting or cake, but with floral notes. It is Rich and Delicious. I find the cream and berry to compliment each other, and while being strong they give the tea an interesting character. I also have to say that I do not like flavored teas, and that this one is different, its not your perfumed Teavana mix. Its more delicate, more tasteful and classy. Steeped, its much more mellow, it looses the overpowering aroma yet retains the notes of cream, berries, buttercream, honeysuckle, gardenia. The taste is fresh and not overly complicated. It leaves a bit of a mineral tingling, and a mouthwatering feel. Most likely because I’m now craving Strawberry Cake lol ;)
It is definitely a “desert” brew, but if you like rich, aromatic and vivid experience I would definitely recommend this one.

My senses of taste and smell are finally returning, but kind of come and go at this point. It’s a good thing this infection seems to be resolving itself. I was starting to get concerned. Now that I am able to resume at least semi-regular tea reviewing duties, I decided to make this Japanese black tea my first target. I had actually started this one before I got sick, but never got around to conducting a review session with it.

I prepared this tea Western style. I did not have enough energy for anything more involved. I steeped a fairly heaping teaspoon of loose leaf material in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. I did not conduct any additional infusions.

Prior to infusion, the dry leaf material emitted toasty, malty, slightly nutty aromas. After infusion, the peachy golden tea liquor provided mild, soothing aromas of toast, malt, almonds, straw, plums, and white grape. In the mouth, I detected simple, unobtrusive notes of white grape skin, toast, straw, toasted rice, malt, plums, and almonds with faint underpinnings of cocoa and cinnamon.

This was a very light, simple tea. It’s kind of hard for me to find much else to say about it. Even though there wasn’t much to this one, it was very easy to drink and was very soothing on my sore throat. I’ll give it a few points just for that.

sample from evol ving ness this one was a resounding NOPE for me…i dunno what it was about the tea but between the aroma and the taste, i could drink it… oh well, can’t win ‘em all and i’ll happily shre what i have left with folks since lots of others seem to have enjoyed them!

Here’s another sipdown. To this point, this has probably been the most interesting black tea I’ve tried this month. It has taken me nearly a full week to reach a consensus on this one, but I ultimately found it to be a worthy tea.

I prepared this one Western style. For this session, I steeped approximately 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. I did not conduct any additional infusions this time, though I have tried it in the past. I avoided it here because I found that a single five minute infusion worked best for me. It seemed to bring out some of the tea’s more unique characteristics. I must say, however, that I never got around to gongfuing this one and I regret that. It would be interesting to see how this tea would react to such a treatment.

Prior to infusion, the dry tea leaves produced an interesting malty, woodsy bouquet. After infusion, the dark copper tea liquor produced intense aromas of wood, cream, malt, molasses, cocoa, and menthol. In the mouth, I clearly detected notes of cocoa, cream, malt, molasses, toast, wood, honey, dates, peppermint, and wintergreen backed by notes of chestnut and walnut which became noticeable on the finish.

Prior to trying this tea, I knew absolutely nothing about this cultivar and had no clue what to expect. After trying it for the first time, I determined that it had to be some sort of Taiwanese Assam because it was so reminiscent of some of the wild Assamicas that come out of southern China and Vietnam. Lo and behold, I was kind of right. This cultivar was at least partially developed from the wild-growing Taiwanese Assamica plants that have produced some of the most acclaimed black teas in recent years. That being said, this tea was not your typical Assam-type black tea. If you approach this tea expecting it to be similar to a typical Assam, you may end up disappointed. Compared to a typical Assam tea, this was much more herbal and much more intense all around. It was a very enjoyable, if rather quirky tea, but it was also not the sort of black tea I would see myself reaching for on a regular basis.

Sample from Evol Ving Ness – this one isn’t terrible. lol i think the sarsparilla is actually throwing me off a little. As in, without it, i think i’d like it a little better as far a chocolate chai goes.

This is a wonderful tea. It is very aromatic and full flavored, wet leaves smell sweet, strong hint of burnt sugar. Very pleasant cup, its floral but also very creamy and smooth, I detect sweet hay notes, caramel, malt and honey. Rich and satisfying:)

I do not talk about this often, but I have a huge soft spot for Chinese yellow tea. Though I do not have a ton of experience with this style, the few yellow teas I have tried have all really pleased me. This one was no exception.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 175 F water. Tealyra recommends a water temperature of 190 F for this tea, but that seemed rather high to me. On the rare occasions I drink yellow tea, I normally brew around 170-175 F, so I decided to do the same here. The first infusion was followed by 14 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 8 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 4 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted lovely aromas of grass, hay, green beans, peas, and chestnut. After the rinse, the tea’s bouquet grew slightly smoky and more floral. I caught hints of squash blossom and sweet corn, as well as some sort of fruit. The first infusion produced a more mellow, integrated bouquet in which I began to catch impressions of bamboo, marigold, and chrysanthemum. In the mouth, I savored a pleasant combination of smoke, chestnut, bamboo, grass, hay, butter, cream, sweet corn husk, squash blossom, green beans, and peas. Subsequent infusions grew fruitier and more floral. The chrysanthemum and marigold fully emerged in the mouth, balanced by interesting touches of honeydew and cantaloupe. The sweet corn husk, smoke, hay, bamboo, and chestnut notes became more prominent, allowing the grassier and more vegetal touches to take a backseat. A touch of minerals also began to peek through on the finish. Later infusions saw the floral, smoky, and nutty characteristics fade, as green beans, grass, cream, butter, and peas once again asserted themselves. The mineral presence greatly increased, imparting something of an alkaline mouthfeel to the tea liquor. I also detected a note of leaf lettuce.

This was very nice. I could have cut this session at least 1-2 steeps short, but I wanted to really savor that alkaline mouthfeel that always strikes me as being unique to Anhui green and yellow teas. Though I doubt that this tea comes from the slopes of Mt. Huo proper, I can confirm that it is sourced from the Huoshan area. Regardless of where precisely it originates, this struck me as being a quality Huang Ya. I found it to be highly enjoyable and would have no issues with recommending it to those looking to get into yellow tea.

Hey all, I know I have been out of action for a couple days. Sorry about that. I have been dealing with a lot of job stress (I have finally fully realized that the position I transferred into in November is not for me and I’m trying to find a way out into something that suits me better). So, needless to say, I have not been nearly as productive on the tea reviewing front. As a matter of fact, this oolong is the only thing I have been drinking for the past couple of days, which is unfortunate because this is not my thing at all.

For this review session, I prepared this tea gongfu style. I gave this one an extended rinse (10-12 seconds) in the hope of rousing the tea a little. I had tried this tea prior to this and my first impression was that there wasn’t much to it, so I figured I could get a stronger flavor right off the bat if I drew out the rinse and then started with a longer-than-average first infusion. Normally, I start off with either a 5 or 10 second infusion with most oolongs. I started with 15 seconds here. I followed this infusion up with 14 subsequent infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 18 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 2 minutes 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes. Can you tell I had no clue what I was doing or where I was going with this one?

Prior to the rinse, the dry leaves (which are basically entombed in a sarcophagus of ginseng and Xiang Cao) give off a light musty odor. After the rinse, I could only detect hints of vanilla, ginseng, and grass. The first infusion produced an almost identical aroma. In the mouth, I was just barely able to detect notes of sweetgrass, cream, butter, cucumber, watercress, Chinese vanilla, and ginseng. The next two infusions were virtually identical in every aspect. Subsequent infusions gradually grew smoother and sweeter. The aromas and flavors of Chinese vanilla and ginseng grew more pronounced. Later infusions saw the Xiang Cao merge with the underlying cream note as the sweet, herbal ginseng notes started to fade. The liquor grew slightly more buttery, while a subtle mineral presence began to emerge.

Considering that I do not know what to make of this, it could have been far worse. I think the mistake I made initially was not fully committing to a lengthy first infusion. I should have started around 20 seconds because it takes this one awhile to open up. Once it did open up, however, I did not find there to be all that much to it. The tea, itself, did not have much character, serving as a relatively neutral base from which the Chinese vanilla and ginseng sprung. I guess that was the idea, but I kept looking for additional points of interest and did not find any. It was a very uncluttered drinking experience, but unfortunately, that also means it was a little boring for me. I also have to note that I found the mouthfeel of the tea liquor unappealing. It was very slick, limp, and thin, the liquid equivalent of a dead fish handshake complete with that odd ginseng grittiness on the back of the throat. I am beginning to get the idea that some of these ginseng oolongs just may not be for me.

Sample from Evol Ving Ness more berries! haha i think this one would be a decent cup of tea cold brewed (or maybe just brewed and then cooled…) with some sweetner. As a warm cup of tea, there’s a floral note to this that doesn’t jive with me. You can taste the base through the flavouring, which i like..but that berry + floral note is not for me. thanks for the sample evol!

Tried this one from Evol Ving Ness today and while it was a tasty cup, the flavours seemed a little muted. David’s tea – strawberry rhubarb parfait is more up my alley as i expect POP from strawberry rhubarb versus…oh hey..hi there… :) Still enjoyable but i want moar taste!

Final Count: 106

On par with the 2016 Jingmai black that I got from Farmer Leaf.

I will say, high quality black teas can be amazing.

Probably going to be one of the best three teas I have this month for sure. Smooth cinnamon like tingle with a floral taste in the back while sweetness comes through…. different from the sip to the breathing out after drinking it. Wonderful stuff.

While organizing all of my teas this weekend, I came to the realization that I have a ton of stuff from Tealyra that I need to finish. The thing is they have so many good sales that when I do order from them, I end up with a ton of exciting new teas to try. Since then, I have been taking baby steps toward reducing the number of Tealyra products in my home by working my way through a pouch of this oolong.

For this session, I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water for 10 seconds. I followed this infusion up with 12 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, I noted that the dry tea leaves emitted mild aromas of butter, cream, and fresh flowers. The rinse somewhat intensified the butter, cream, and flower aromas, while also bringing out a subtle vegetal scent. The first infusion produced a similar, though somewhat more integrated bouquet. In the mouth, I detected mild notes of cream, butter, and steamed rice underscored by fleeting impressions of fresh flowers, cucumber, and sweetgrass. Subsequent infusions saw the floral aromas and flavors intensify and subtle fruit notes emerge. I began to detect distinct impressions of lily, honeysuckle, and magnolia, as well as hints of tangerine, cantaloupe, and honeydew. The vegetal, grassy notes were also more pronounced, especially on the finish. The later infusions were very mild. I mostly picked up aromas and flavors of butter, cream, cucumber, and sweetgrass underscored by subtle minerals and an extremely distant floral presence.

Overall, I found this to be a very mild oolong that was easy to drink. I know that Tealyra advertised plenty of dark floral flavor with this one (whatever that means), but I didn’t really get any of that. What I noted was a lot of very bright floral notes balanced by plenty of savory cream and butter notes and mild fruity, grassy, and vegetal qualities. There was nothing deep or dark about this tea. It was a mild, approachable high mountain oolong. I liked it, though I have to admit I found it a little boring. I tend to find many Alishan oolongs a little boring. Still, I would not hesitate to recommend this tea to someone looking for a solid introduction to high mountain oolongs or for an oolong that is basic and drinkable.

Well, it’s getting cold here and I’m still drinking as much Assam as I can manage. I bought this one back in either late spring or early summer and I started on it last week. From the first sip onward, I was not impressed, so I decided to work my way through a couple of other sipdowns and then pick it up again. Allowing this tea to sit for about a week helped it a little, but not much.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion I tend to prefer for non-Chinese black teas and many black tea blends. I steeped a heaping teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. Tealyra recommends using one standard teaspoon and only steeping for 2-3 minutes, but I did not get much out of this tea using their brewing guidelines, so I resorted to the method outlined above.

Prior to infusion, the dry tea leaves gave off a slightly musty, leafy scent. There was not much else to note. After infusion, I picked up on faint scents of malt, autumn leaves, wood, leather, and roasted nuts. In the mouth, the flavors were very weak. It took some time, but I was just barely able to pick out notes of autumn leaf pile, leather, roasted nuts, malt, tobacco, cream, and some sort of mild spice.

I have no clue what the deal was here. This tea did not even remotely smell or taste like an Assam. It barely smelled or tasted like anything. I keep thinking that it maybe was stale, but I have not even had this tea a year and I was as careful as always in storing it. I also did not pick up any musty or stereotypically old flavors, so who knows? Looking at Tealyra’s description, they do not mention much in the way of aroma or flavor, so perhaps this tea is just a dud. I know that it still packed one hell of a caffeine wallop whatever the case. The only things I see this Assam being good for are blending into another black tea to add some additional kick, making a very spice forward masala chai, or drinking straight exclusively for the sudden caffeine pick-me-up.

My recent Assam binge has continued this week, and wanting something a little different, I settled on this CTC Assam from Tealyra. To be honest, I grew up with CTC Assams and have long held an affinity for many of the teas produced by the Mangalam Estate. I sort of expected to like this one from the start.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion process I tend to favor for non-Chinese black teas and many black tea blends. I steeped around 1 teaspoon of granulated leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 3 minutes. No additional infusions were attempted. Just as a warning, understand that I tend to prefer CTC teas on the brisk and astringent side and I went into this review session trying to bring those qualities out to a certain extent. Reducing the steep time from 30 seconds to 1 minute creates a smoother, silkier brew.

After infusion, the dark mahogany liquor produced the mildly malty, leafy aroma that I pretty much always get from CTC teas of this type. For the uninitiated, that is sort of one of the drawbacks of CTC processing. It tends to flatten the bouquet of any tea. In the mouth, I was rewarded with strong, lively notes of oak, malt, cream, molasses, leather, brown toast, toffee, black cherry, black walnut, roasted chestnut, figs, and raisins. The astringency was pronounced, especially on the finish, which emphasized lingering sensations of black cherry, raisins, toffee, oak, malt, and molasses.

In my opinion, this was an excellent CTC Assam. I know a lot of people do not tend to care for many teas that are processed in this manner, and quite frankly, I understand that. Many CTC teas can come off as bland, simple, and overly astringent, but I did not find that to be the case with this tea. Though it was not particularly expressive on the nose, it was richly flavorful, brisk, and wonderfully textured in the mouth. Personally, I found this to be a near perfect breakfast tea either on its own or with a splash of milk, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a flavorful and affordable Assam to serve as a morning pick-me-up.