152 Tasting Notes
Definitely enjoyable. There’s a fairly strong fragrance to this brewed tea that backed me off initially because I have an aversion to strongly scented teas (like earl grey). Other keemuns I’ve tried haven’t had this. However, it lessened enough as it cooled a bit and I was pleasantly surprised that the flavor wasn’t perfumey.
Really easy drinking tea, fairly smooth and medium body. Sweet potato with a bit of malt, tastes like autumn, perfect for this late-September morning. Just a touch of astringency at the finish which melts away quickly. I brewed it for about three minutes, and based on the reviews I’ll be trying it next time at 1/2 that length. Though Angel sent me this sample a few years ago, just enjoying it happily now.
Now 4 years from my last review of this tea, a friend gifted me with a Kusmi assortment box and I like it better now for some reason… I’m boosting my rating several points for pleasant taste and drinkability. Wondering if they’ve changed their sourcing or recipe…?
A friend surprised me with a sampler box of Kusmi teas, and this Darjeeling is the 2nd I’m trying, and it’s a pleasing morning cup of sweet flowers. Not at all perfumey, just lightly sweet and floral like a humming along of the otherwise somewhat brisk tea. This is the first time ever that I have actually enjoyed an astringent aspect to tea, as well, it seems to actually complement the flavor. It is a simple drinking tea with layers of interest.
It also contains Guarana (not currently on the steepster ingredients list though I wrote in to add it.) The grapefruit ingredient is listed on Kusmi’s website as “scent of grapefruit”… So apparently no actual grapefruit in it.
Liked it well enough, not clear to me why this is one of their most popular teas, though.
If you are looking for a smokey tea this is a good one to try. They did a good job with this Yunnan-Lapsong blend ratio… straight Lapsong is too smokey for me and the Yunnan pulls it down to a point of acceptability while maintaining the richness and character, minus the too-intense smokey bite. Its still a very smokey tea and needs to be stored away from others.
Compared to Samovar’s Russian Blend it is smoother and richer, with higher and more diverse flavor notes. The samovar is more of a frank, charred smoke, while this one is more of a burnt/roasted cedar. Both have a background sweetness which is a great component. They are both very good teas if you enjoy smokiness. I drink both of them straight. For the money, and the organic aspect, I’d go with this one.
This is a Sencha with “natural flavorings” and I rarely drink flavored teas. It does taste natural. :). It’s a juicy, fruity flavor and fragrance, but it tasted more like some other kind of fruit than plum. Maybe black grapes. There’s no hint of tartness at all, which I associate with plums… this has a straight sweet flavor. I can’t pick up much of the Sencha to comment on. The label states that they use natural organic oils, so to avoid if one has “any sensitivity to tree nut oils or any flavor/ingredients.”
I’ve had this tea for quite some time but it’s still quite tasty.
Smooth, baked bread, a bit of cocoa (especially in the nose) and malt, a touch of peach and kind of a Sauvignon Blanc tone. The fragrance is especially pleasant; it gives the impression of being quite rich though it is actually medium/light-bodied as blacks go. The first steep has the best flavor/personality.
