Thought I posted a review for this, since I drank it first out of my samples, but I guess I forgot. So here’s my second time around.
Dry, it smells like drop fruit, as well as something like malt chocolate; can’t say 100%, just notes that remind me of an assam varietal.
First steep (after a rinse): 15 seconds. Dry spices. Like bark, maybe cinnamon. Actually more spices than I remember the first time around I drank this (I remember there being a lot more ‘fruit’); still, there’s a deep honeyness that makes me think of drop fruits—the darker fruits like plums, rather than bright, like peaches.
Second steep: 15 seconds. Spices and sweetness; the syrupy fruityness is coming through more. It’s reminding me less of an assam, which usually has more malt than spice in my experience. This isn’t astringent. In fact, it’s very smooth thus far. Spiced sugar plum almost? Maybe?
Third steep: More spice again. Sweet—the description suggests baked bread, but it’s less yeasty, and not toasty.
Fourth steep: 20 seconds. Wow, feels a bit thicker, like chocolate. Spice and honey. Actually, very cinnamon-and-honey. Reminds me of honeycarrots with cinnamon, growing up.
Started playing TF2 around this point, and wasn’t paying as much attention. It’s actually a very nice, naturally sweet tea.
Edit: Fourth or fifth steep? Starting to get a more ‘baked bread’ taste out of it.
