This is a strange one. The dry leaf is quite dark and resembles a Wu Yi oolong with a few stems in between that are quite thick and somewhat out of place. When wet the leaf takes on a deep olive green color. The leaves are quite large but broken up in pieces. It doesn’t really look like a fully oxidized black tea to me. Liquor color is dark gold with a very light purple tint.
I’m having this at work so I’m using a 350ml mug with a strainer basket. I’m using a fairly good amount of leaf and have cut the recommended steep time of 2-2:30 minutes almost in half. This helps keep the astringency at bay. Not that it’s particularly heavy but still.
In terms of aroma and flavor this tea delivers a fragrant bouquet of dark and vine fruit. I get blackberries, black and red currants, muscat grapes, grape skin astringency. The liquor has a pleasant sweetness. There is also some greenness and a light roasty flavor like from an oolong. There’s a lingering moscatel aroma after swallowing. It’s a nice tea but won’t be making it to my list of favorites.
Flavors: Astringent, Black Currant, Blackberry, Grapes, Green
