The dry leaf smells of straw. I used a generous ½ scoop (my scoop is the 7g scoop that comes with the Bodum press), boiling water, and a 3 minute steep. The brew is a neat orange root beer color. This is very finely cut CTC but bigger than dust, so it didn’t make too much of a mess in the press. Any finer and it would require a Finum filter basket for easier clean up.
The taste is much improved over my last attempt. Last time I had the second steep with less leaf and a lower water temperature. It was fairly bland. Today’s parameters yielded a light bodied cup with mild fruity notes. It has a bit of the flavor of the grape leaves our local Chinese restaurant uses in some of their dishes. As the cup cools I am noticing a malt scent as I sip. This is a very drying tea. It is not bitter, just very astringent. If you are sensitive to black teas, it is not a good idea to sip this on an empty stomach.
I have to say I prefer Ahmad over this offering from Twinnings. It’s not horrible. I just think you can do better. The flavor is thinner than I like. Although it does improve considerably as the cup cools. It is too astringent, at least for me, and having it instead of breakfast left me with a burning sensation. Nice fruity aftertaste though.
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Good review, as I have yet to submit to Twinning teas. So common it seems like Lipton teas.
Generally, for the money they are solid teas for the masses. I love Lady Grey and Prince of Wales. Their EG is good though I like some others better. This one just didn’t speak to me.
Oh … my … goodness, I recognized that tin right off the bat!
I agree, the one time I had it on its own there was nothing that stood out about it. I am now currently adding this tea to my third and/or forth steepings of some of my green teas to give the daily pot ’o green a little black flavor enhancer.
Good review, as I have yet to submit to Twinning teas. So common it seems like Lipton teas.
Generally, for the money they are solid teas for the masses. I love Lady Grey and Prince of Wales. Their EG is good though I like some others better. This one just didn’t speak to me.
Oh … my … goodness, I recognized that tin right off the bat!
I agree, the one time I had it on its own there was nothing that stood out about it. I am now currently adding this tea to my third and/or forth steepings of some of my green teas to give the daily pot ’o green a little black flavor enhancer.