I bought a small bag of this tea essentially blindly at the Monrovia Farmer’s Market on impulse this past weekend. The stall had cold brewed samples so it was hard to gauge the flavor, and the tasting cups had an oil smell from their waterproof coating that interfered with the aroma (difficult already with cold brewed tea).
I gotta say, this was the best risk I’ve taken. This is literally my new favorite tea, and I’ll be getting that 4 oz package next time, no question. The tea is so deliciously malty and robust, a huge standout from the black teas that are my normal go-to morning teas. Closer to some of the nice aged pu-erhs we have that I save for longer tea sessions. It is a definite upgrade from my Bare Leaves Golden Yunnan Black, and well worth the higher price!