A rich, deep, and mellow tea, excellent if you want something very dark but smooth.

Dry leaf smells only faintly, but the aroma is extremely pleasant, I'd say beautiful. I find I like it more each time I smell it. It is a fruity and vegetal quality, reminiscent of the best Kenyan teas I've sampled, and a little like the fruitiness of some Darjeeling autumnal flush.

Upon brewing, the aroma becomes more multifaceted, with hints of smoke and malt. Flavor is deep, with a slight sweetness and a deep bitterness; there's not much up-front bite unless you brew it really strongly; the bitterness comes later, but the finish is clean.

Resteeps pretty well. I found though that this tea also came alive when steeped for a very long time, like 8 minutes or more for the first steep, using a bit more than a teaspoon of leaf. This tea is so subtle and infuses slowly, and it doesn't become too strong and is never harsh, but I find the stronger steeping brings out a more edgy quality that I liked, and made the cup seem very complex.

Very pleasant, and quite distinct from other black teas. This tea seems to embody the unique characteristics of Kenyan teas better than most.

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