“AHA! Finished this just in time for giving as gifts! The photo representing the blend is from the batch I made up December 2009, and I’m debating whether I ought to update the picture or just...” Read full tasting note
A full bodied and somewhat smoky blend of Chinese, Indian, and Sri Lankan black teas.
Every year this blend is reformulated to provide a rich and toasty cup of tea for cool morning and evening drinking through the winter months. While the composition changes, it always prominently features a small but fragrant portion of smokier Qi Men Hong Cha or a less smoky version of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong (or similar Wu Yi Hong Cha). Also true from year to year is the generally smaller and somewhat uniform leaf size meant to assist with promotion of body and consistency from cup to cup.
While the pine smoke characteristic is sought after for this blend (heady in dry fragrance but moderate in expression in the cup), the aim for full body and enough astringency to support additives as well as the expression of light cinnamon, malt, cocoa, and molasses keeps the composition ever-changing but the comforting and hearty flavor steadfast in its aim for a satisfying winter-time brew.
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