Ancient Pines is an excellent tea with a vast range of tastes and smells. I highly recommend this tea. It stimulates and satisfies the palate at the same so well the I’ve spent hours enjoying Ancient Pines.
Dry leaves have an intense yet pleasant smell of wood smoke, salt, caramel, and honey. Dry leaves are gold to dark brown in color and have length of about 1-2 cm, and are tightly rolled to form wiry-shaped leaves. Infused leaves untighten and uncoil, making them up to about 3 cm long. Leaves become a uniform light brown in color. Liquor ranges from light gold to deep red-brown depending on infusion time and amount of tea in the cup or gaiwan.
Earlier infusions are highly nuanced. Aroma and taste of a damp forest or decaying leaves, with a background of florals blossom on the palate. Expect clear honey and jasmine flavors, as well as cherry and black currant. The tea also has a grassy taste, not unlike the taste of lesser-oxidized leaves. Ancient Spirit has a vivid terroir, and mental images of the woods were at the forefront of my mind while tasting the tea. Later infusions contain a more muted floral taste with a less pronounced but satisfying sweetness. Other flavors are sage, thyme, Spanish cane, and sauteed almonds. Tea leaves begin to smell strongly of coffee, leather, and tobacco. The aftertaste has a mild astringency.
Flavors: Almond, Astringent, Black Currant, Caramel, Cherry, Coffee, Floral, Grass, Honey, Jasmine, Leather, Sage, Salt, Smoke, Tangy, Thyme, Tobacco, Wood
