The signature tea of the company brand, I found paper-wrapped bags on the breakfast area of a Comfort Inn in central Nebraska. Though I never had heard of the brand before, given its "1896" labeling, I figured any seller/producer that had been around that long without being bankrupted or vanishing from the market should be worth a try.

Advertised as "Orange Pekoe and Pekoe cut black", the tea turned very dark in the cup before pouring finished, and had a moderate-level, decent aroma. The same tremendous and instant darkening happened when I poured a bigger cupful with a bag I took home several days later (as you'll soon learn why). I think the deep color and admirable taste strength (almost on par with an Assam) is because they take a smaller-than-average bag volume (a two-parts bag closed at the connective bottom) and stuff it with a lot of tea, so that when the bag is wet from steeping, it bloats up very fat, its shape reminiscent of a lopsided balloon or a thoroughly engorged tick. One could steep up two or more cups of tea from one bag, easily.

Yet the distinctive flavor of processed paper distracted from the overall goodness of the tea. Yes, it was a paper cup, but I hadn't tasted the paper itself that markedly in tea poured into one before. Curiosity thus stimulated, I brought a bag home to try in one of my usual cups. While not as vivid, I still could make out a papery taste -- not dominant, mind you, but evident. Is it the bag they use? The wrapper? Otherwise it is a surprisingly good offering.

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