I have been curious about this tea for some time, and I had no clue what to expect, as it is the first tea I have ever tried which was grown in the Americas.

Broken leaf (CTC) and infuses quickly, but does not become bitter if steeped for a long time. Shanti Tea recommends a 2 minute infusion without milk but I think you can even go as long as 3.

It brews a very rich, dark-colored cup, but produces a surprisingly mild cup. The aroma suggests a strong, more powerful tea, with tones of malt and spice, but the flavor is smooth and light, more characteristic of a high-grown tea. Although the dark color suggests tannic qualities, like greater astringency and bitterness, I found this tea to be relatively free of astringency, and only have a slighty, cooling bitter quality (which actually became greater when steeping the tea for longer times). Surprisingly like Turkish tea, more like tea from Turkey than any other teas I've tried, but both darker and smoother.

This tea is inexpensive for a tea from this region. When compared to broken-leaf teas of similar quality, it's a little on the pricey side, but there aren't many teas that have a similar flavor profile, and it's hard to find CTC tea as smooth as this one. Turkish tea (from Caykur), the most similar tea in my opinion, is organically grown, although not certified. But I will say, this tea was a lot smoother and more subtle than anything I have tried from Caykur.

Not the most complex tea, but certainly did not disappoint. Since this tea is available in a small (25g) sample size for a very reasonable price, I would recommend for anyone interested in trying teas from unusual regions to check it out.

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