104 Tasting Notes
This is some awesome tea. I usually stick to citrus/orange herbals unless it is something for my sinuses, but this was an excellent change of taste. The berries are sweet but offset by a tartness at the end of the sip that makes it a nice balance. I can’t wait to try this iced. Very yummy.
Preparation
I’m disappointed in this tea. I tried it again this morning, and it just doesn’t taste like earl grey to me. It doesn’t tast bad, especially with creamer and honey, but the citrus flavor that I want in my earl grey just isn’t there to me. I think I’ll be bumping my rating down a bit.
Preparation
I’m not so sure about this tea. It could be the teaspoon of tea just didn’t have enough bergmot in it, because it was completely not there in that first infusion. The cream and vanilla totally covered it. The tea was nice, but it just doesn’t say earl grey to me. The second infusion was even worse, since I added a little creamer hoping to bring something out in it, but that didn’t work.
I will definitely be trying this again. I’m hoping that I just need to play around a bit with the infusion time, but this particular time, there just wasn’t enough bergamot in it.
Preparation
Thank you so much for sending this as part of that swap, ladykittykat. I may have to make this a permanent part of my tea cupboard if every cup is anywhere as wonderful as the two infusions I got from this this morning.
I completely forgot that this was the one that had the pu-erh/white peony base, so I spent most of my usual morning cup going “Hmm, what is that?” The bergmot is so much more delicate in this tea than I’m used to. Very little bitterness in either infusion, but nothing too sweet either. Very smooth and wet if that makes any sense. There wasn’t the same sort of astringency I’m used to even in a weak black tea.
The second infusion was steeped for six minutes, and there was very little difference in taste for me. Very yummy for both cups. Definitely will be thinking about putting this in the regular cupboard. Might have to do a taste testing to decide.
Preparation
This is another tea I got in trade with ladykittykat, and I have to say, this was very nice. Very pink, very sweet, citrus smell. I want this as a cologne :D. Anyway, I kind of lot track of the steeping time for the first infusion, but the taste is amazing. You start out with a hot, vaguely vegetal taste that morphs into this bright citrus tase, then a slightly more vegetal taste at the end. There is a strange counterbalance to the flavors that I like, but it is still rather unusual to have this wonderful citrus flavor kind of bracketed by something so mild.
The second infusion had a better blend of flavors, but it was also a bit weaker.
I really enjoyed this tea, but I don’t know if I will be getting it on a regular basis. I still need to do some experimentation.
Preparation
This was a surprise in a tea swap I did with ladykittykat (btw, I totally think I came out ahead in that. If you want more of those tea flowers, please let me know). And it was a wonderful surprise.
The smell of of the unbrewed tea was equally sweet and floral, and it reminded me of the taste of honey suckle nectar when the dew was still on the ground, and we would pick the flowers on the way to school to get at the nectar before the heat of the day.
So imagine my surprise when in the first infusion (1.5 tsp), the bergamot is LOUD and really BITTER. Sorry to shout, but the floral notes really got drowned out there. Usually, I like bergamot’s bitterness, but I think I’m just not used to the concentration that they suggest for brewing. However, adding a tsp of honey smoothed and mellowed the flavor of the tea. It was still on the strong side, but the honey smoothed the floral notes in with the bergamot and I got more of the honeysuckle back in the smell.
The second infusion was on the weak side as far as the tea was concerned. The floral taste came through with a tsp of honey.
I really like this, and I think if I can find the best brewing times for my taste, I might have to order some.
Preparation
I brew differently than most people, but I use 1 tsp and boiling water, for 4ish minutes. I also brew two big mugs at once : )
I’m glad you like it! It’s one of my wife’s favorites. We’re always happy to share the DT love!! I enjoy this tea too, but I have such trouble with blacks turning bitter for me that I tend to avoid them now. Personally, I never let them steep for more than 3 minutes and even that’s pushing it. I also use less of the actual leaves, that seems to help too. Good luck!