Beta Tea

A gift from a friend living in Turkey.
Medium-strong aroma, mostly pomegranate, but also with hibiscus and cinnamon.
Sour and tart flavour, very fruity, almost of red wine quality, with all the ingredients blending into a balanced mix.
Great tea as far as the fruit teas go.

Another tea from tea bag exchange fair.
Apparently this is very common Turkish blend as I was doing some search and this brand is from Turkey as well. Dry bag smelled quite heavily like some cleaning agent though. Brew aroma is bit better though, better for mint notes which are great there. It keeps some zesty lemon notes.

In taste it is better than I have expected. The lemon notes are great, I really notice lemon peel, lemon itself and luckily it is not too sour. Mint is nice base, not much tangy.

Overall, it is nice surprise, even the aromas are not great, the taste is the opposite. I can imagine it better a bit, but still it is nice surprise for me.

What I paid for this tea (in a handsome tin) was what one would pay for the tin alone. However, were it expensive, it would still rate a thumbs-up! Has a full-bodied maltiness which is enriched rather than diminished by milk and sugar.

Resteep. Not as strong as 1st pass, but good flavor and not bitter. Milk and sweetener.

Dry leaf is blackish and curly, with golden tips. 1 tsp tea, 12 oz water, 205 F, 4 min. Bright clear rosy amber liquor, mature, brisk, malty flavor. Inexpensive tea but quite good. After tasting, drank with milk and agave nectar. The leaves expanded a lot while steeping; they may stand a 2nd go.