I found this tea in the bulk section of a health food store. I've never tried Frontier tea, mostly because I don't trust bulk jars. The jar lids were tight and the teas smelled fresh, though, so I bought an ounce each of several to try. Based on this first sample, I'll likely be buying more.

The dry tea smells strongly of dried stone fruit, particularly cherries. The aroma ends up being a bit misleading, though, as the dry tea smells much sweeter than the resulting brew.

I brewed the cup in boiling water for four minutes. The tea is strongly aromatic while brewing, smelling of dried peaches and prunes. The initial flavor is very rich and malty, though not as sweet-tasting as an Assam. There is a slight astringency, but nearly no bitterness. The tea is rich and has a thick mouthfeel.

After the tea cools, the flavor greatly expands. The warm tea is more astringent, but it's still not bitter. It tastes to me of oak leaves and pie crust, with a bittersweet, dark caramel maltiness. The finish is long and reminiscent of dark toast.

The tea is very inexpensive for this quality. It was $26.99/pound ($1.69/ounce). The leaves are large and I used less tea than I normally do, but the tea was still strongly flavored. This is great tea.

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