Day 36: Tea Break

Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Curled, dark brown nilgiri tea
Color: Dark amber/copper; clear, but with an oily film on top
Smell: Earthy- similar to an assam, but less strong- and fruity
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar, milk, honey
Rating: 8/10

Tasting notes and thoughts:
I was a bit surprised at the fruitiness of this tea. It smells and tastes like grapes or raisins, and is not astringent or bitter at all. Rather, it's smooth and a bit sweet, and doesn't have the strength of other Indian teas. There are some earthy notes, but the most dominant taste is the fruit. Since it's not as strong as other teas, I'd suggest this both with and without milk or sweetener (I've tried both, and I'd say they're equally good). Personally, however, I'd prefer a more full-bodied tea over this- I like it, but I usually like my unflavored black teas strong.

Other notes:
Another morning post! This will be the last one for at least a couple days or a week, I promise.

Anyway, since I haven't explained it yet, here's my rating system:
10/10: This tea is amazing, I will never have another tea as good as this one ever again
9/10: I really like this tea- if I could, I'd drink it everyday or very often for a long time
8/10: It's decent enough, and I would drink it if someone gave it to me or if I was in the right mood
7/10: Ehh, it's OK, but there's better teas out there
6/10: Once is fine, thank you
5 and below/10: I have never had a tea as undrinkable as this

And here's how I categorize teas:
Green & black teas: This is obvious
Pu-erh and oolong: I felt like these teas are different enough from a basic green/black tea that they should have their own category (especially oolong; pu-erh is debatable)
Herbal: pretty much all tisanes, including rooibos
Blend: if it contains 2 or more of the above categories, like an herbal and green blend

Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Momo