Wow. An exceptional tea. This was definitely the best breakfast tea I've ever tried, I'd go farther and say it was the best of any blended tea. This was one of three teas in a sampler pack that my parents received as a gift, and I'm glad they gave me some to try.

Dry leaf, which is a mix of different leaf styles and shapes, has an intense floral fragrance, almost hinting at Earl Grey, but this is a pure, unflavored tea. I love black teas where the dry leaf has such a floral smell, so I knew this was going to be good before I brewed it.

Brews up a relatively clear cup with a bright flavor, bold and with considerable kick. Intensely aromatic: floral, malty, fruity, with hints of spice and wintergreen. There are also some interesting vegetal and herbaceous tones, especially noticeable as the cup cools.

Quite a lot of astringency in the finish, but I found this pleasing. I liked this tea best when hot but it was still good when cooled to room temperature.

I resteeped, and the resulting cup was completely unlike the first. It seemed to require a long steeping (8 minutes) to extract enough flavor to be to my liking, but then the result was very good. This cup was mellow, and a lot like oolong and some Darjeeling. It had tones of wintergreen and muscatel grape, with slightly edgy undertones. When the wintergreen notes persist into the second cup, I think that's a sign of a very high-quality tea.

I'm eager to try more of Capital Teas' teas. This is their first pure tea that I've tried, and it really wowed me in a way that their flavored teas haven't. I really recommend this one to anyone who likes strong breakfast blends, but wants an artisanal-level of quality normally only available in single estate and single origin teas. The price is very reasonable for a tea of such outstanding quality, even without organic certification, and seeing that it's organic is an extra bonus. I think this tea really demonstrates the art of blending at its best.

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