Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  The Tao of Tea

Product Description:

Introduction: Black Spiral is a malty, gold leaf black tea from one of the main tea growing regions of China.

Black Spiral Varietal
Representing some of the smoothest black teas from Hunan, Black Spiral is notable for its prominent gold tips. Only certain tea plant varietals have the characteristic to transition into the gold color during leaf processing. Golden colored leaves generally provide a more honey-like texture to the brew.

Flavor Profile: Very buttery texture similar to honey, malty and full-bodied, with roasted undertones and hints of sweet potatoes.
Ingredients: 100% Organic Black Tea Leaves.

Taster’s Review:

This tea is AWESOME!   The Tao of Tea is nothing less than SPECTACULAR when it comes to excellence in teas.  These beautiful little Black Spirals are the perfect example of why they are so excellent!

I have to say that The Tao of Tea is pretty spot-on when it comes to the flavor profile (in the above description from their website), but more on that in a few moments.  First I want to describe the aroma for you, because I like to make it a practice of deeply inhaling a tea before I take a sip, I find that this greatly enhances the tasting experience since it’s all related.

There is a deep, sweet scent to this tea that is like warm, toasty caramel.  It’s very autumnal to me, like the crisp air and the autumn leaves.  Perhaps a hint of spice.  Not a lot.  Just a note or two to make your thoughts turn to the lovely warmth of a cozy hearth.

Yeah… all that from just the fragrance of this tea!

The flavor is equally as amazing.  It is incredibly well-rounded with a very smooth and creamy texture to it that is uncommon for a black tea.  Uncommon – but definitely well received.  The taste is slightly sweet with notes of burnt sugar caramel and subtle hints of honey.

It has a lovely malty character to it that melds nicely with the aforementioned sweetness.  There is a delicious nutty taste to the cup, and I must again agree with the description from The Tao of Tea – it does have mellow notes of sweet potato.  Like roasted sweet potato (which is my favorite way to serve sweet potatoes!) that has been caramelized from the high heat of the oven.  Sweet and rich and absolutely fantastic!

It is a beautifully complex, delicious black tea.  I highly recommend steeping these leaves a second time.  The second infusion is just as lovely as the first.  It does lose a little of its strength the second time around, but the flavors are all intact.  Delicious!

This is one tea that you’ll want to keep on hand for those special times when you want to have something simply amazing (and this is simply amazing!)  It’s the kind of tea you’d want to serve to guests you wish to impress (and impress them, it would).  However, don’t be surprised if you find yourself thinking twice about serving it to someone else, because a small part of you may just want to keep all this goodness for yourself!