A beautifully aromatic tea that a strong bitterness and thin body. I found it tricky to brew to satisfaction. I have now sampled three teas from Korakundah estate, and I find they are all a bit like this, although I think this was by far my favorite of the three. Thank you to Simpson & Vail for the free sample!

The dry leaf has an odd, heterogeneous appearance, somewhat broken, twiggy, and with a few tightly rolled pieces. It smells wonderful! The smell is soft and sweet, with malty notes, a hint of fruit and spice. The smell of the dry leaf is among my favorite teas I've smelled in a long time.

It smelled good before brewing, but the fragrance of the brewed cup is absolutely divine. It smells like a high-end baked good from a fancy pastry shop: the smell is sweet and somewhat grainy or bready, with floral and fruity notes and a hint of wintergreen. The flavor is a little bit more muddled. Much more bitter than I expect from the aroma. Body is light, with a very low astringency that I find leaves me wanting more.

I resteeped and the cup was far too bitter.

I also wasn't crazy about how I felt after drinking this. I found myself wanting to brew it stronger, both because I can't get enough of the wonderful aroma, but also because the thin body is unsatisfying and I kept wanting it to be more rich and full. Yet then it would get too bitter and also be too caffeinated, leaving me feeling jittery.

The balance of this tea is off. That said, it's still worth trying because of the wonderful fragrance; if you are more tolerant of light-bodied teas than me (I have been growing less and less fond of them over time) you may enjoy this one more than I did. If you like lighter-bodied Darjeelings and don't mind a good bit of bitterness, I'd recommend this.

In spite of me not being a huge fan of this tea, I think the price is very good.

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