An unusually soft, muted black tea that did not resemble many other Assams I had tried; dark in color and very gentle.

This is the first black tea I tried from TEAORB, which recently sent me a ton of samples. I was curious to try this tea, as it is described as "mellow", a descriptor rarely applied to Assam teas. It lives up to the description!

The dry leaf looks dusty, short, slightly broken pieces of leaf. It is pleasantly fragrant, soft smelling, fruity and with a hint of cocoa and spice. Conspicuous lack of malt in the aroma; overall it smells little like other Assam teas I've tried.

It isn't until I sip the brewed cup that this tea really comes alive...wow. It's sweet, surprisingly so, and very mellow. A cocoa-caramel finish.

Does not resteep very well; the second steep was pleasant, but boring. I had the best results when making a single, long steep; about 6 minutes was the sweet spot. This brought out the cocoa notes and the cup was strong but still very smooth.

I prefer edgier black teas, but I can see people who like sweeter and milder flavors really loving this one.

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