As anyone who reads my reviews likely knows, I am not the hugest fan of Nilgiri teas, yet I continue trying them anyway. I find that those rare teas that bring something new and/or different to the table always delight me, even though the more traditionally styled teas tend to bore me. This tea was a more traditional Nilgiri tea, perhaps slightly more vegetal than some, but a more traditionally styled tea nonetheless.
I prepared this tea in the Western style. I steeped about 3 grams of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 194 F water for 5 minutes. I did not attempt any further infusions.
Prior to infusion, the dry leaf material produced vegetal, malty, woody aromas. After infusion, I found aromas of caramel, malt, wood, orange, herbs, and sorghum molasses. In the mouth, the liquor offered notes of malt, cream, orange, toast, wood, sorghum molasses, caramel, and subtle hints of violet, rose, kale, lettuce, collard greens, and herbs. The finish was mild and smooth with lingering herbal, vegetal touches alongside traces of caramel, malt, cream, and flowers.
This was not a bad tea, but being a more traditionally styled winter flush Nilgiri black tea, it was not really my thing. Overall, the tea was flavorful and well-balanced. As stated earlier, it was more vegetal than anticipated. I could see fans of Nilgiri black teas being into this one.
Flavors: Caramel, Cream, Herbs, Kale, Lettuce, Malt, Molasses, Orange, Rose, Toast, Vegetal, Violet, Wood
