Another Tea & Absinthe sample from a friend - this time it's Starry Night, a blend of black teas with almond and coconut. I approve of this tea, with just a few caveats.
First of all, believe the steeping time on this one. You want to steep it for 5 minutes to get the proper flavor. Otherwise the coconut and almond flavors don't come out strongly enough to distinguish it from any other good quality black.
Second of all, if you're going to use it for iced tea, either think again or double the amount of tea and triple the steep time. It doesn't hold up to icing otherwise.
Honestly, I think this one is best used for hot tea anyway. Fortunately, the weather here turned gray and cool and rainy enough that hot tea seemed like a good idea today and I was finally able to get this tea at its best. The almond and coconut flavors aren't strong. They build up and enhance the tones of the black tea. This quality comes out best when the tea is hot. (People who don't like coconut still won't like this tea, though).
This is a solid B+ tea, definitely will buy some when I finish working through the many generous tea samples people have sent me.
