80

I took a lot of time studying this tea before reviewing. It was like riding a bronco. At first, I hated it, and was annoyed with how temperamental it can be ( I over steeped it many times). However, as time went on and I figured it out a little more I came to enjoy its complexity and energy. 175F for 4 minutes is the sweet spot for me. It is extremely astringent and bitter overall, heavily spicy, but with a mild body. The soup produced is a medium golden color. Tastes mostly of black pepper with a basil/cilantro aftertaste – there is a tinge of smokiness throughout but not the type of smoke you would experience in a Lapsang souchong. The energy of the tea is invigorating and refreshing; and of special note. I’m not sure I will order anytime soon, but I could see myself ordering it down the road as an evening tea. It was an interesting experience overall.

Flavors: Astringent, Herbs, Pepper, Smoke, Spicy

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Note: I write most of my reviews for the product site, then I copy and paste my reviews back here so I can keep track of them all. If you see a double review somewhere, this is the reason why.

Hello! I’m an avid tea drinker here to keep track of some of the teas I’ve really enjoyed. I love ‘most’ teas but tend to go through phases where I’ll drink more black/white/green/whatever teas. Currently in the aged tea phase. Anything in the ‘cupboard’ is what I consider a favorite.

I’m not stingy with a 10/10 rating – if I really enjoy something, and plan on drinking it over and over, then it will get a top rating.

I rarely give a 0/10 rating; for a tea to get such a low rating there would have to be something wrong with it (mold, etc.)

Happy drinking!

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