Cameron B. select Send Message

339 Followers / 327 Following

Cameron B. drank Sweet Love by Kusmi Tea

3986 tasting notes

This tea is the first of the three free samples I got with my Kusmi Tea order (thanks for the freebies!). First, I must say that I am slightly disappointed that their sample tea bags are not the fancy linen bags that they generally package their bagged teas in. They’re that synthetic material that most pyramid tea bags are made of but they’re in a standard rectangular shape. This seems a little cheap to me, but hey, I guess that’s what you get for free. :P

Smelling the dry tea, I immediately knew that I most likely wouldn’t enjoy this blend. It smells very strongly of licorice root, of which I am not a fan. Being a good sport, I elected to try it anyway. I steeped it for 4 minutes and added a small amount of sugar.

The brew also smells strongly of licorice root, with a slightly milder scent of spice, similar to chai. I find that I barely even taste the black tea base – it’s overpowered by the licorice root immediately. There is also a fainter taste of chai spice. The two flavors do meld together well, and I’m sure that someone who enjoys licorice teas would love this one. I hardly think it fair to give this one a rating since I was bound to dislike it. :P

Flavors: Licorice, Spices

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

13 likes

8 comments

TheTeaFairy
Delete

You like licorice? Then you must remember to try So Long, and Thanks for All the Licorice if you ever place an order with Butiki. It’s a must for all licorice lovers!

boychik
Delete

i did not like it, i sampled in a store.

Cameron B.
Delete

No, I do not like licorice. :D

boychik
Delete

i cant wait until you try Bouquet de Fleirs. I just want to know your opinion.

Cameron B.
Delete

Wow, I really appreciate that. I’m going to do my second try on the St. Petersburg next but I’ll definitely do Bouquet de Fleurs soon!

TheTeaFairy
Delete

Lol, sorry, for some reason I read «…I knew that I most likely would enjoy…» and thought immediately of mentioning Butiki… I get it, “not a fan” lol :-0

Cameron B.
Delete

Yeah, like I need more suggestions from Butiki! I already have so many from them that I want to try. Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing, TheTeaFairy! ;)

TheTeaFairy
Delete

Haha! If it makes you feel any better, I’m running out of almost all my tea from Butiki and will inevitably HAVE to place a major oder very soon…and it will hurt…my budget will be off balanced for a while…but in will be sooooo worth it ;-)

People who liked this

Comments

TheTeaFairy
Delete

You like licorice? Then you must remember to try So Long, and Thanks for All the Licorice if you ever place an order with Butiki. It’s a must for all licorice lovers!

boychik
Delete

i did not like it, i sampled in a store.

Cameron B.
Delete

No, I do not like licorice. :D

boychik
Delete

i cant wait until you try Bouquet de Fleirs. I just want to know your opinion.

Cameron B.
Delete

Wow, I really appreciate that. I’m going to do my second try on the St. Petersburg next but I’ll definitely do Bouquet de Fleurs soon!

TheTeaFairy
Delete

Lol, sorry, for some reason I read «…I knew that I most likely would enjoy…» and thought immediately of mentioning Butiki… I get it, “not a fan” lol :-0

Cameron B.
Delete

Yeah, like I need more suggestions from Butiki! I already have so many from them that I want to try. Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing, TheTeaFairy! ;)

TheTeaFairy
Delete

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing