This tea was remarkable, resembling some Chinese teas such as Keemun and Yunnan, more than other Assams. I've never tried another Assam like this!

Dry leaf is very dark in color, somewhat broken but very curly where intact. It smells pleasing and complex: lightly smoky, like a lot of Chinese black teas, somewhat malty, a rich, enjoyable aroma.

The tea tastes a lot like what I would expect based on how the leaf smells. Steeping produces a dark-colored cup with a strong peaty character, vegetal, reminiscent of moss and leaf litter, with a hint of smoke. Reminds me a bit of scotch. As I drink more, a very strong nutty character comes out; it's quite remarkable and exceedingly pleasant. The flavor is oddly crisp, which I find eminently pleasing. This is an evolving tea, I find I enjoy it more as I drink it.

I loved how I felt after drinking this one. TEAORB describes this as "medium" in caffeine level and this is exactly the sense I got...it's not really a strong breakfast tea like Assams are known for, but it seemed more caffeinated than the large-leaf greens I've been trying. It's also very warming and I think would make an excellent tea for cold winter days.

Steeps twice with ease. The second cup is subtle and remarkably aromatic, with more depth to the smokiness. Clean, enjoyable still. Definitely my favorite tea yet from TEAORB, who recently sent me a bunch of samples. Very good price: compare in flavor with Keemun Mao Feng, a similar-tasting tea, you could pay a lot more for a tea tasting like this one.

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