Another interesting tea for me because of Teaviews. Black teas from Japan are somewhat rare, and I have only had the opportunity to try one so far, which was Den’s Tea Shizuoka Black Tea in case you're curious. These particular leaves are grown in the foothills of Mt. Aso, and as with many of Japan's black teas, are made from green tea varietals.

Steep 1: 1 heaping teaspoon for 6 ounce, 195°, 2 minutes. The small black leaves are decorated with some twigs and flecks of gold. They unfurl quickly in the water. The cup smells malty and like honey. It is rich and intriguing; I love the scent. This robust and full-flavoured tea is malty with a pleasant sweetness and acidity that lingers on my tongue. It has a certain baked/bready quality that I love finding in teas and am somewhat surprised to discover here. It has a fantastic fermented taste. While it's full-flavoured, the various aspects of this tea are mellow and well-balanced, making for a deceptively easy to drink cup.

Steep 2: 1 minute. It is very mellow and simple. Again, very malty and, like the first infusion, incredibly smooth. Steep 3 is similar to the second, simple and smooth with a tamed briskness.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from this tea since it's unlike anything else I've had, at least on paper. In reality, this leaf is somewhat unique, but it has resemblances to other teas. You could find breadiness in a good highly-oxidised Oriental Beauty oolong, maltiness in an Assam black, mellow acidity in a Japanese green, and the fermented briskness in a ripe pu-erh. All the aspects are familiar, but combined they create something entirely unique and truly beautiful.

— To purchase Mellow Monk Crimson Grove, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Katie Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Katie's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Katie.

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