A powerful, robust, Assam-like tea.

I'm not feeling the description Simpson and Vail gives for this tea; I found it neither smooth nor sweet. This tea brews a strong, dark cup. The aroma and flavor are more like Assam than any tea I've tried outside of Assam. However, there are some nuances that I find most teas with this overall character don't have, including spicy tones, and a faint hint of muscatel grape. Finish has a faint smoky and earthy quality, like some Chinese black teas.

Surprisingly, produced two flavorful cups, with 3 minute and 5 minute infusions, respectively. The second cup was bold and dark, mellower in character, malty but with a lighter finish. First cup is moderately astringent, second cup a little less so. I found that this tea tasted best when brewed strong (which is the result with the recommended 1 teaspoon + 3 minute steeping); the aroma comes out more this way.

If you like very strong black teas, like Assam, and want to try something from a different region, I'd recommend trying this one. It is reasonably priced for an organic tea. The main downside of this tea is its astringency; I tend to prefer smoother teas. If you don't care about the organic status, and want something similarly powerful but cheaper, I'd recommend looking into Ahmad Tea's Kalami Assam. Personally, I prefer the other black teas from Simpson and Vail to this one, although I thought this was good and enjoyable.

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