I have been wanting to try Russian tea for some time, and this is the first one I have sampled, and it exceeded my expectations!

Thank you to my friend Olga who brought this back for me! This brand sells tea both from Azerbaijan and Russia, but this batch was produced in Russia, according to the box, by Kuban Tea (unfortunately the website listed on the box was broken.)

This is a medium-large-leaf black tea with a thick, twisted shape. Aroma of the dried leaf is light, with notes of spice and dried fruit. It's not strong but it's distinct and unlike most other teas. It seemed most similar to a Ceylon OPA.

The package gives the slightly unusual instructions of using 2 teaspoons of leaf and steeping for 7-8 minutes for a single cup: this recommendation seems strong, but having experimented with brewing, I think it produces good results. The leaf is lightly packed and the flavor is mild, and I think this tea really shines when brewed on the strong side. However, it's still perfectly enjoyable when brewed more mildly. If you use a long steep as recommended, however, it does not resteep well.

The brewed cup has strong toasty aromas that didn't come out until steeping. Notes of bitter chocolate. The aroma is less suggestive of dried fruit and spice than the aroma of the dried leaf suggested. There is a hint of wintergreen if you brew it strongly, and I love this.

Mouthfeel is quite astringent; flavor is lightly bitter and sweet. A fairly bold, strong tea flavor-wise, but doesn't seem very strongly caffeinated. I liked how I felt after drinking it.

I enjoyed this a lot and can see drinking it daily. I nearly always drink my tea plain, but I can see this tea pairing well with milk especially if brewed very strongly. I think the price is good too.

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