Thank you Red Rose, for the sample of this tea, included in the bag from the Philadelphia Coffee and Tea Festival. I only got to trying it now.

I initially saw "lemon" and thought this would be a typical lemon-flavored black tea, but no...this tea is much more cake than lemon.

The tea bag has an aroma that bears an uncanny resemblance to a lemon chiffon cake. It's a little disturbing how close the resemblance is: if I close my eyes, I feel almost as if the soft, spongy cake is right before me, and my brain is tricking me when I open my eyes and see a simple tea bag. It's fascinating what flavor scientists can do in a laboratory.

Upon steeping, the tea bag fizzes considerably. I find the aroma of the brewed cup much less pleasing.

Upon drinking...the sensation is almost bizarre. It honestly tastes like someone dissolved a lemon chiffon cake in a cup of decaf black tea. Rather than enjoying a cup of tea with a slice of cake on the side, as I usually would, it's all wrapped up in one.

Red Rose gets an A+ on nearly perfectly capturing the essence of lemon chiffon cake in this bizarre flavored tea. But it just doesn't work for me. I want the contrast of sweetness, richness of cake, and the bold, bitter flavor of a strong black tea served on the side. I want to be able to alternatively nom and sip.

So, great for novelty, an interesting experience. But I'll pass on this one in the future.

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