A singular tea, very different from other black teas I've tried: very bold in flavor, yet with a deeper, darker character a bit like ripened Pu-erh.

This tea stood out from TEAORB's other samples. Thanks again to Bahniman and TEAORB for the sample! It was a broken-leaf orthodox tea, the only one sold by the company, and its aroma and flavor were also interesting. It had a complexity comparable with that of some of the artisan teas. It was as potentas strong breakfast teas, yet softer. I liked it a lot.

Dry leaf, which is finely broken and brown-orange, is very potent and fragrant, strongly fruity, suggestive of grape, with a faint smoky note. The smell suggests a bold, edgy tea.

The brewed cup is a bit dank and dirty smelling, with some of those wet-basement notes of ripened (shou) Pu-erh. The aroma is also quite toasty, like toasted sesame seeds. TEAORB describes the aroma as "wet wood" and the palate as "smoky" and I get both of these. Upon drinking it more, some wintergreen notes come out. This tea is intriguing, it's among the most complex broken-leaf black teas I've tried.

Flavor is very bold, but in a different way from what I'm used to. I brewed for 3 minutes and this produced a very strong cup; I wouldn't go any longer. Pleasantly warming to drink. Resteeped rather well, but the second cup wasn't as interesting. The second step still had a Pu-erh-like character. I most preferred a 2 minute first steep, because this tea infuses rather quickly.

I highly recommend this one, especially if you want to try something out of the ordinary. The price is great! I also love how I feel after drinking it. It doesn't seem very caffeinated, and makes a good afternoon tea.

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