A kind of odd CTC tea; the dry leaf is pleasantly aromatic, suggesting grains or bread, but the aroma is a little flat and suggests a relatively low grade of tea.

Brews up a rich, dark, very full-bodied cup. Initially tastes smooth, but there is a strong muted bitterness that I find becomes stronger as I drink it. I think there is a lot of fine particulate matter that sinks to the bottom of the cup, and by about halfway through, I notice a somewhat overbearing astringency.

The aroma isn't super strong; it's moderately malty, with notes of rice. I find as the cup cools, the malt aroma becomes more pronounced. Upton's description references chickory and rose; kind of astonishingly, I notice both of these qualities in the aroma. The cup also lacks bitterness, just as claimed. But even without bitterness, it somehow still comes across a bit harsh.

Besides the rose and chickory notes (which were an interesting change of pace), rather typical for a CTC tea, both with its strength and harshness. I recommend stirring to avoid the problem of the unpleasant astringency sinking to the bottom of the cup.

Quite low price...this isn't a high grade tea though, so you're getting what you pay for. I don't think this is much of a bargain buy--Ahmad Tea sells a number of teas that are cheaper that I'd strongly prefer to this one, for everyday drinking. This one would be interesting to try though and I certainly recommend grabbing a sample, if only to note the interesting and unique aromatic notes.

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