The first time I tried this tea I was unimpressed, but it grew on me, and I also started liking it more when I brewed it with boiling water. I still don't like it anywhere near as much as I like the black tea from the same estate, which I think is otherworldly and among the best black teas I've ever tried. At best this is a peculiar tea that I only feel like drinking on some days.

The dry leaf is moderately aromatic but honestly doesn't impress me hugely. It smells a lot like some inexpensive Chinese green teas, but if I pay attention there's a sweet, grainy smell beneath the initial impression, which hints at something higher-quality. The leaf is also surprisingly dark in color; at first glance it looks like black tea, mostly dark brown with hints of greenish orange on the lighter leaves.

I experimented with brewing temperature and I found that I liked this tea best when brewed with boiling water. I liked a 3 minute first steep followed by an 8 minute second steep. This tea infuses slowly so you can make the first steep 5 minutes without it getting too strong, and then still have enough flavor left for a second cup.

Resteeps excellently. The second cup is rich, thick, and bold in flavor, and still has some nice aromatic complexity. The aroma of the second cup is more herbaceous and vegetal, having tones of olive.

This tea feels much less caffeinated than the black tea from the same estate. I generally liked the way I felt after drinking it, and I found it was a good tea to drink when I wanted something strong and full-flavored but without getting totally wired. The overall experience is like drinking an inexpensive Chinese green tea, a pan-fired one with the smoky quality, although this particular tea is much smoother and mellower.

I probably wouldn't order this again, there are many green teas I prefer in Harney's catalogue. But the black tea from Columbia, wow. I promptly restocked a good amount of that and have been drinking it regularly.

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