Sample of the morning from Upton Tea Imports. :)
I may have steeped this for too long, I kinda lost track of time. I was just reading the other’s tasting notes and a few have remarked how it smells and tastes like darjeeling, honestly I am not picking that up here…
It’s a very strong black tea, I suspect it’s a keemun blend with some ceylon in it, perhaps. There’s a very faint bit of smoke in here. I was able to drink it plain but I also found the flavor to be flat and muddy (and that is how I feel about keemuns in general), so a bit of soymilk perked it right up and made it better. I still don’t taste any darjeeling but if I do a shorter steep, that may become more prominent. Luckily I have enough of the sample for a few more cups.
This is a good morning time tea, dark and strong but I prefer the Russian Country from Harney and Sons.
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I ordered this and many other samples last night….
cool – I look forward to your reviews. :)
Made a pot of this Sunday morning for breakfast with the boys (been a long time since I made a pot). Husband actually thought it was light! I found it less bitey than previously and could almost see what he was saying, there was some floral notes. I definitely got the Formosa, which can have some similar winey notes to Darjeeling, it doesn’t really have the stout brashness Assam can have, which is why some may suspect the India tea listed is Darjeeling. You are probably right about the Keemun, but it doesn’t say Ceylon or Sri Lanka, so again I would suspect the Formosa is morphing itself. I would like to explore more smokey Russian blends when the weather turns.
Autumn – how long did you steep yours for? I didn’t think it was light at all but I was thinking I would try it at a 2 or 3 minute steep.
Many Russian Cravan teas use Keemun teas. Amy…….why do you prefer the Russian Country from H & S?? I feel I’ve asked you this before…….
The H&S tea is sweeter and it also as lapsang in it. I enjoy lapsang blends.
I ordered this and many other samples last night….
cool – I look forward to your reviews. :)
Made a pot of this Sunday morning for breakfast with the boys (been a long time since I made a pot). Husband actually thought it was light! I found it less bitey than previously and could almost see what he was saying, there was some floral notes. I definitely got the Formosa, which can have some similar winey notes to Darjeeling, it doesn’t really have the stout brashness Assam can have, which is why some may suspect the India tea listed is Darjeeling. You are probably right about the Keemun, but it doesn’t say Ceylon or Sri Lanka, so again I would suspect the Formosa is morphing itself. I would like to explore more smokey Russian blends when the weather turns.
Autumn – how long did you steep yours for? I didn’t think it was light at all but I was thinking I would try it at a 2 or 3 minute steep.
Many Russian Cravan teas use Keemun teas. Amy…….why do you prefer the Russian Country from H & S?? I feel I’ve asked you this before…….
The H&S tea is sweeter and it also as lapsang in it. I enjoy lapsang blends.