Reviewer: Alex
✓ 45 teas reviewed
✓ 15 of Black Tea
✓ 43 of Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis)
✓ 2 of Pure Leaf
✓ 1 from Kenya
Review of Iced Classic Black Tea (Loose)
May 16th, 2018
Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
7 of 10 | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 72 of 100 |
Very Good | Fair | Good Value |
The dry leaf is floral and malty, just as Pure Leaf and the other reviewer describe it. Once brewed, there's a hint of dried fruit as well as wood; otherwise it's pretty similar to the dry aroma. Despite this tea coming from Kenya, the taste reminds me a bit of all three of the main tea growing regions of India: the maltiness and dried fruit of Assam, the floral qualities of Darjeeling, the mellow woodiness of Nilgiri, and an unexpected dark fruit note in the finish that can be found in either of the latter two regions. Unlike the other reviewer, I don't think it's bitter, but I steeped it for less than 4 minutes, and I'm not very sensitive to bitterness anyway. It's slightly astringent, but no more than any other broken black tea, and I probably wouldn't have noticed it if not for the fact that I've been drinking light oolongs and green tea almost exclusively for the last couple weeks.
Mine is the bagged version, but it's the same tea as the loose leaf version, and I cut the bags open to use as loose leaf anyway. It was just over $2 for almost 50 grams (my jar had an extra bag), so I thought it was a fantastic deal. At the regular price there are plenty of options online for less broken or even full leaf tea; however, it's probably the best black tea available at most grocery stores.
Update: I've discovered the bitterness the other reviewer talks about. It seems to come from using a larger amount of tea. It's mild in my opinion, and not unpleasant. Also, I forgot to mention resteeping in my original review. As expected for such a finely broken black tea, you're not going to get more than one strong and flavorful cup. If you're counting on resteeping to increase the value of this tea, look for a full leaf Assam instead. Something malty with dried fruit notes would be similar, though probably lacking the somewhat Darjeeling-esque floral qualities.