Another fascinating tea from Arbor Teas, very different from anything else I've tried yet.

The dry leaf has an interesting appearance, with thick leaves that curve around in heterogeneous shapes. The leaf also has a very pungent and pleasing aroma, suggesting of herbs.

Brews a rich-smelling, dark cup. Tones of cocoa, wintergreen, and malt, followed by fruit and spice. Reminiscent a little of mulled wine, sangria, or spiced fruit juice, like cranberry and clove. A bold, attention-getting tea. The main downside is that this tea has a sour aftertaste. I find that the sourness is a little unpleasant if I compare this mentally to other black teas, but it seems quite natural and mild if I think more of mulled wine and fruit juice.

I prefer steeping this tea for longer than a typical black tea; with a teaspoon of leaf I recommend a minimum 5 minute infusion. When I steeped for only 3 minutes, it was surprisingly thin-bodied. The sourness does not seem to become greater with longer steeping times.

I recommend this tea to people who want a pure, unflavored artisan tea that shares some of the flavor and aromatic attributes of berry-flavored teas. It's unusual to find black teas that lack bitterness or astringency, yet have considerable sourness.

Very reasonable price for an artisan tea of this quality.

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