The dry leaf of this consists of big, dark, coarse looking leaves that are slightly curled. There is a mild toasty and chocolatey aroma. The leaf takes up a lot of space, and you need to use quite a lot by volume to get a strong enough cup.

Upon brewing, the aroma is distinct, different from other teas I've tried, but also subtle and familiar, not that alien overall. Teakruthi describes it like roasted nuts, and I agree. There is a hint of characteristics I usually only encounter in Pu-erh, a dusty aroma. I find it hard to describe this tea's aroma; it's malty but much less so than the "southern malt" tea, or than a typical Assam or even Yunnan tea. There is a hint of a heavy, dried fruit aroma that almost tends towards "cooked jam".

The flavor is also very interesting. Overall the cup is controlled and balanced. Tastes sweeter and smoother than I expected by the smell of the dry leaf. There's a bit of bitterness and a hint of sweetness as well. There's both an up-front bitterness, and a separate bitterness in the finish. Flavor is mild overall, and body is medium. The mouthfeel is smooth up front, but with a slightly dusty or even peppery finish. Brewing stronger brings out more bitterness, which I liked.

A very interesting tea but in a way that doesn't necessarily hit you in the face.

I was able to make two flavorful infusions, but the third, while it still had some aroma, was bland. I preferred a longer first steep, 5 minutes, and then a very long second steep.

I thought this was a very good tea, but it is pricey, and I needed a lot of leaf to get the flavor I wanted, so I'm not sure if it stood out enough to warrant the price. So far I have been really wowed by the Southern Malt from teakruthi, but less so than their other teas, and they have all been similarly priced. I am eager to try more though!

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