I bought this tea as a grey market item from a nearby Indian grocery store. Lately, I've tried and enjoyed a number of teas from Indian brands and this one is no exception.

As far as appearance, the dry CTC "crumbs" are larger and slightly lighter in color than those of most other CTC teas. The brewing tea reminds me more of a Ceylon than an Assam, smelling of dark bread crust or maybe pumpernickel. Classic malt is there when I sniff for it but it's in the background.

The tea is bitter and astringent, I'd say about medium for CTC tea. It's less bitter than Red Label or PG Tips, but more bitter than Taj Mahal or Tata Gold. Those sensitive to bitter flavors might not like this one without milk. I find it to be nicely balanced, especially later in the cup when more flavors open up as the tea cools to lukewarm. There are spicy notes of clove and cinnamon along with a sweet fruitiness like date or dried fig. I can also taste the wood that Alex mentioned and now that I look for it, I'm pleasantly reminded of sucking on a popsicle stick after the popsicle is gone. Though the flavor is strong, the tea isn't as rich as other Assam teas and I'm still reminded through the cup of Sri Lankan teas.

I paid $2.99 for a 100g box with a heavy, sealed inner pouch.

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