I thought this was an excellent second flush Darjeeling, with a fresher and cooler aroma than average, and surprising strength that allowed the leaf to stretch very far. A tea that I like to savor very slowly, not something for if you're in a hurry.

Thank you to Mighty Leaf for this generous sample!

I love the smell of the loose-leaf, it smells refreshing and very much makes me want to brew up and drink this tea. It's slightly fruity and malty, with a skunky note.

The brewed cup is rich and smooth, with just enough astringency to impart some body. The aroma is very similar to the dried leaf, it smells almost exactly like I'd expect from the leaf. More floral notes come out in the cup.

The one thing I object to were the steeping instructions, which recommend a 4 minute steep, more than some of the stronger black teas from Mighty Leaf.

Like some smoother Darjeelings, this tea can be oddly overbearing in a way not suggested by the flavor and aroma. I have to make sure not to brew it too strongly, not because it tastes too strong, but because I am not crazy about how I feel after drinking it. It feels pretty caffeinated. I had the best result using a little less than a teaspoon of leaf per cup, and only steeping for 2 minutes. This then led it to be resteeped more easily. If you're not as sensitive to caffeine (or whatever else is causing me to feel a bit jittery after drinking this) you may enjoy steeping it stronger; I loved the flavor but the effects on my body were too strong for me.

Because this tea worked so well for me with such a small amount of leaf, the leaf stretches VERY far, so I think it is actually quite a good deal even though it is pricier than some of the other teas. I'd probably get 50% more cups out of this per weight of the leaf, than, say, the Assams sold by Mighty Leaf.

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