2025 Tasting Notes
Another black tea by Nous Tea; this time with bergamot oils.
Nice blend of teas, with dominant bergamot smell and taste. There is some aroma behind the bergamot, but I don´t know what. Maybe slight malt? Or other citrus fruits?
Colour is even darker copper than in Kilimanjaro Sunrise, still clear though. On the water level there are spots of oil, so oil were used for bergamot flavour.
In taste it´s again mostly bergamot, but blend of teas were selected well, as tea on itself isn´t bitter, but is full-bodied and smooth. When bergamot disappears from tate, some slight notes of limes appear. Maybe bit of pear or stone fruits – which I really find interesting and unexpected in Earl Grey blend. Great one!
2/5 of their Discovery colleciton from Etsy
Flavors: Bergamot, Lime
Preparation
Eh, it went lost. Twice (my faults)… Come on.
Another tea bag – but it´s pyramid shaped one, so leaves have space to expand and they did! Even dry they look quite big and good looking. No dust, no granules – big leaves instead.
They say it´s Assam style tea from Tanzania. And I have agree, tea is wonderful – bit of malt flavours with honey aftertaste which lingers for long. In aroma it´s like burnt wood and bit of honey. It´s so easy drinking and quite energy boosting – I like it so much.
Colour is dark cooper and it´s liquor is clear.
1/5 of their Discovery colleciton from Etsy
Flavors: Burnt, Honey, Malt
Preparation
Gaiwan, about 5 grams, 85 ml, each steeping about 30-60 seconds (didn´t measured exactly), temperature around 90 °C
At first it was hard to get some tea – it was very compressed it was hard to make a slice. But afterwards, tea was quite astringent so I thought that I used too much leaves to my small gaiwan. With next and next steepings, the astringency was fading and it started to have stonefruits and/or bamboo flavour. It smooths well too. But it still has got bitter aftertaste.
In smell I smelled bamboo and bit of grass and it was pleasant. No crazy stuff.
Overall, I really liked it, though first steepings were bit nightmare. Fifth and later – that´s my cup of tea!
Don´t know how much steepings I made, I didn´t count today.
Flavors: Astringent, Bamboo, Grass, Stonefruit
Preparation
Blah, this tea was just awfully sweet drink with orange taste. Maybe it was orange juice?
Weird brown colour, sweet, orange reamins in mouth for long. I expect at least bit of bitterness when it´s with ginseng, but nope, there is nothing like that.
So just blah, if you want something sweet, it can work, but don´t expect tea taste.
Flavors: Orange, Sweet
Preparation
But this is for 2018, 2nd Flush version (a sample):
Western, 3 grams per 350 ml, 4+ minutes
I had no idea which tea to make this afternoon, so I picked up a sample I have received with last order. It smelled wonderful, full-bodied black tea. After 4 minutes and something I have removed the strainer. The colour of infusion was wonderful clear and golden. In aroma it was still nice, black tea. But in taste it was massively malt. I don´t mind it and expect it in black teas. But this was bit overpowering all other tastes so I haven´t enjoyed it as much as few other Assam teas I had. A little, almost imperceptible there were fruit notes.
So, as for strong and bitter tea it´s certainly good one. But it wasn´t so awesome for me today.
Flavors: Bitter, Malt
Preparation
Grandpa, 3 grams for 350 ml of water.
Nice oolong (and my first roasted). I really had promised pear notes; roasted and smooth taste – maybe bit of liquorce or genmaicha?
I like its smooth taste, no astringency; bit sweet as well.
Flavors: Licorice, Pear, Pecan, Roasted
Preparation
Another review of same tea; just prepared it gong fu, 3 grams for 85 ml of water. Mulitple steepings, each for 30-40 seconds.
And it´s completely different! Finally I got jam notes, with slight of malt. Then malt is becoming stronger and jam weaker. Weaker jam – stronger citrus fruits after taste and smell.
Wonderful and complex tea!
P.S.: It has got probably good amount of caffeine – it woke me up a lot.
Flavors: Citrus Fruits, Jam, Malt
Preparation
Gong fu, 2.5 grams, 85 ml of +- 75 °C water. Multiple steepings, each about 40 seconds.
Colour of tea is nice green to yellow, with golden reflection, leaves are indeed bit more purple than usual.
In scent I think it´s hay and bit of cut grass (interesting), later more and more sweet.
In taste it was sweeter than I have expected and smooth on my palate. Good though, but not phenomenal. I am bit disappointed.
Flavors: Cut Grass, Hay, Smooth, Sweet