Mortali Tea (Smoked Black Tea)
Bury Me Brewing

you have to like this sort of thing, but if you do, oh boy! part of this curious rotating tea beer series they do, this one an esb as a base beer brewed with a complex and powerful smoked black tea. for one, i think the selection of esb as the foundation of this is brilliant. its bready and malty and substantial enough to hold some of the intense flavors of the tea while retaining its own identity, a unique challenge with this tea for sure. its well made too, not too sweet and with a nice english yeast presence that is there all the way through. the tea is crazy, smells almost like a single malt whiskey, peaty and like iodine and something burnt, but it marries in really well here to this esb, not overpowering, as distinct as it is. its earthy like wood and even mushrooms, almost in some state of decomposition, which i think is super interesting. the black tea has some bitterness too which is nice at the end, smoke lingering longer than anything else after the swallow but i get light raspberry, hibiscus, and citrus all which lighten this up just enough to keep it drinkable. amazingly weird beverage, but i think its a great success! clearly the potential for beer/tea blends and hybrids is enormous...