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This was our final tea party tea yesterday. I have reviewed it several times already, so I will simply recap…my guest thought it was very good. I find it very similar to Paris and Tower of London, with y preference in order being ToL, Paris, then this. If you want to like those other two teas but the bergamot puts you off, then you would probably really enjoy this. If you like Marco Polo by Mariage Fréres, (looky! looky! I found out how to do the accents!) you would probably like this a lot. Marco Polo is excellent with milk to bring out the creaminess and sugar to mimic sugared strawberries, while this tea base is smoother and less drying and needs no additions.

I really want to do a side by side tasting with ToL and this tea soon.

This was another sample from Teavivre. Many thanks!

This was the first tea served at tea party yesterday. My guest began as a coffee drinker who didn’t mind drinking black tea. She takes everything plain, even her coffee, no milk, no sugar. I thought that black teas were our only option, but when I have found a good quality green or oolong, I serve it, and without fail, she really likes it. They will become a more prominent part of our tea table henceforth.

This one brought immediate oooo’s and ah’s. It is mild, not astringent at all. The leaves become quite huge when they unfurl! I saved them to make a resteep today! This was a lovely tea. Thank you, Angel and Teavivre!

Second steep – success! A black tea that resteeps really well is a treasure. This is definitely a treasure!

JacquelineM hit the nail on the head. Bright sweet potatoes! I could not stop sniffing the pouch of dry leaves. What a delight to the senses! The golden tips are awesome. I have read so much about how special this tea is that I wanted to get it right, so I weighed the leaves instead of just measuring. These are long, light, and fluffy and I didnt trust my teaspoon.

Steeped, this has a lovely deep amber (cup nearly empty) to red (cup full) color. The aroma is now malty sweet potatoes. As a yunnan tea, it should.be an assamica varietal, and it has the malty goodness of both those teas, but without astringency, without pepper. This is an amazing tea, probably my favorite yunnan so far. I am considering making this one of my “conversion” teas – tea that I serve to guests who are not tea drinkers that is guaranteed to make them want more!

Youngest daughter, when asked for comments, replied, “nom nom nom!”

I had a whole pot this morning with my cranberry walnut bagel from Panera. My oldest daughter, who is a new tea drinker and only drinking it for health reasons, agreed to try it even though it wasn’t green tea! We won’t go by her assessment because she doesn’t like ANY tea so far, though the better greens and whites are most welcomed.

I don’t mind it, but I really don’t think I will buy it again. It is very similar to Tower of London but not as good to me, and something about it tastes a little soapy to me. I have been trying to get past that, but I stll feel like someone left a bit of fancy guest soap in my cup. The frity flavors are nice, so if you want a Tower of London or Paris type tea with no bergamot at all, try this. Nice enough i suppose, but not one to reorder. There is too much really great tea out there!

More of this tea from PurrfectCup! This tea has such rich chocolate aroma! Only Emperor’s Red has ever smelled this chocolate-y without getting smokey as well. There really isn’t any smokiness to this tea, just rich, chocolate Keemun flavor. Absolutely delicious!

I am seeking entertainment that doesn’t require me getting off the couch this morning, so youngest is serving as my barista and bringing me tea. This is a sample from ThePurrfectCup. Many thanks!

The description of the tea really says it all. There are lots of spices in this and they are true to what you would expect them to be. They are strong enough, though, that I am not able to detect that the base is oolong and puer. I do not claim to have the most sensitive palate in the world, so maybe other people would pick up on that right away!

If you like chai spices, you would like this, and this is just the season for something so warming.

I have been very excited to try this one, and I finally got it today. I love Tower of London and agree with the comparison between the two. They are similar, but there are differences. My youngest daughter felt that it smelled a lot like Marco Polo from Mariages Freres, and by golly I think she is right! I’m glad, because hubby likes both Marco Polo and Tower of London so I think this will be one more we can enjoy together!

Thank you, thank you, Purrfect Cup! My package arrived today with so many goodies!

I found myself getting another biopsy today unexpectedly and now comes the long wait for the results. (it is probably nothing this time, but why around the holidays??)

I wanted a tea treat and I just knew this would be one. It is! The rich, chocolate-y aroma is reminiscent of Emperor’s Red by Premium Steap. My youngest daughter was astounded when she smelled it. This is smooth and sweet, has nice body, and is a bit like a chocolate Golden Monkey. I will be near a Teavana tomorrow, and this may be coming home with me to be put in my stocking!

Whenever I go a little while without making Golden Monkey, I am always delighted and surprised when I lift my cup to my lips and I smell that incredibly rich and caramel aroma. Hints of chocolate, hints of fruit, a deluge of honey notes….exquisite tea.