I got my new teas! And this one for some reason has been nagging me to drink it. I used two balls for a decently sized cup, but decided against using my tea ball so I could watch them unfurl. So cool, but then I realized that this is probably why I over steep everything.
This is the darkest liquor I’ve encounter. When I went to scoop out the leaves, after about an inch I lost sight of my spoon. The leaves are long and very a chocolaty brown. When dried the definite smelt like cocoa.
Funny story, I opened my package at the start of my Entomology class out of pure excitement, and let my friends and professor smell the tins. Everyone immediately jumped to chocolate at this one and was highly confused at the artichoke. I do believe I made a few converts, even if their in it just so I bump their grade up. Thus is the power of being the TA with the grade book.
The tea smells bittersweet and a touch cocoa like, but very clearly black. The taste is strong and bold, but smooth. The feel is more coffee-like to me with that (good)acidic/tangy bite. The complexity is fun to mill over, and I feel predominately its earthy with that strange not-quite-sweetness edging in.
Now that its cooled down, I definitely tasting chocolate notes. That aside, it tastes like most black teas and isn’t quite distinctive for me to re-buy, but I will throughly enjoy my sample size.
This is one of the teas I ordered with my savory teas, and I can’t wait to try it. Damn you Canadian customs, don’t you know I need my tea?!