drank Bolder Breakfast by The Tea Spot
676 tasting notes

Thank you DHart1214 for this tea sample!

This is my very first tea from The Tea Spot. I know they have a shop in Boulder,(for goodness sakes that’s the headquarters of the company) but with so many shops to choose from in that tea wealthy town…I have yet to get around to it.
I chose Bolder Breakfast this morning for DUH obvious reasons. And, the tease of chocolate with pu’erh was begging me for a review. Please little package of tea from Boulder, Colorado…(I thought) don’t make me lose face and look like an idiot in the tea community! This State has awesome beer, great tea houses, but can’t we please have some decent Colorado blended tea (I’m leaving Celestial Seasonings out of this)?!

I brewed my 8oz in a mug with a finum filter for 4 minutes.

The scent was delicious with cocoa steaming a promising cuppa tea.

The first sip was Very mild. I could taste cocoa, no pu-erh, and a very mild black tea. Nothing but mild, non-assertive and middle of the road tea flavor. Even a bit sour probably due to the flavoring.

I didn’t like it.

I added sweetening and cream. The additions helped the tea but the black tea base is so bleh that I didn’t enjoy the tea. Probably people who are sensitive to strong flavor would like this tea. I can’t imagine why though. And the sourness. And lack of pu-erh flavor. Oh no! Yucky!

I would never choose to buy this tea. Thumbs Down!

Appreciate that Dhart1214 sent me some of her The Tea Spot teas for me to try!

chadao

I’m so sorry that you didn’t like this tea. I have been disappointed with many aspects of the Tea Spot, the lackluster flavors of their teas being only one thing on the list. A couple of weeks ago, I talked with one of their representatives at the Boulder Farmer’s Market. I asked about where they sourced their tea leaves from, and he told me it was “top secret.” This answer never bodes well with me. I have learned that the best companies are the ones who are willing and able to communicate to their consumers about how they work directly with tea farmers or estates, giving names and other information, to produce the very best tea. The best tea companies that I know of (Verdant, Seven Cups, Red Blossom) never have secrets. This makes me think that the Tea Spot has something to hide, a button of shame, that when pushed, will reveal a series of red tape where tea shifts hands from hopelessly destitute growers and pickers, through a series of middlemen, and into the hands of innocuously ignorant buyers who do not know the destructive repercussions of their buying practices. Okay, I’ll stop now, I’m sounding a little down.

Bonnie

The tea tasted old. The flavors were sour. Too bad. Maybe someone from the tea spot will begin to read the distress of consumers like us who want them to be better for their good and ours.

The Tea Spot

Hi Bonnie, Chadao—I’d like to take the opportunity to respond to your comments as this thread has just come to my attention.

Bonnie: It’s true that the Bolder Breakfast is a mild blend—we see this as the tea’s strength in some ways. It is a complex blend designed to reach a median flavor, inoffensive but slightly sweet, and bold enough to appeal to the coffee drinker. The fact that you taste sourness in it does concern me, and I’ll be cupping Bolder Breakfast tomorrow in the office. I’m wondering if the sample you received was old. It’s actually our top selling blend, but suits the palates of some better than others. I would like to suggest, however, that you give our Chocolate “O” a try, and please let me know if I can get you a sample of that to review. Chocolate “O” is a chocolate blend on a single base (a Hong Mao Jian black tea), and is better suited to a more advanced palate in my opinion. Again, please let me know if you’d be willing to try it or any other teas on our website that catch your eye.

Chadao: While I am sorry to hear your opinions on our teas, I would be curious to see as well if we have any that might match your palate more closely. We carry near 50 teas at the moment, from flavored blends to single origin organics. I’ll be happy to get you samples as well.

In regards to the Farmer’s Market—that employee was a contracted hire for select Saturdays who has since been let go for this exact reason. Regrettably, his response to your question reflects his lack of knowledge about our teas, but NOT anything related to our company’s policies. We are firm believers in transparency in the tea industry, and are happy to answer any questions about origin, grading, age, etc.

Communication with our customers is of the highest priority to us, so I feel fortunate to have come across this post tonight. Please let me know what I can do to rectify the rude response you received at the Farmer’s Market. If you’re available to come by this Saturday, you’ll find me there for the duration of the market’s hours, and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you have about our sourcing.

Please, Bonnie + Chadao, feel free to contact me in whichever way suits you so that I can see how to turn those frowns upside down.

Bo Olson
Sales Director & Tea Specialist
bo@theteaspot.com
(303) 444-8324

Bonnie

I am happy that my very own COLORADO tea company is being responsive to comments. I don’t write critical reviews lightly or on a whim or purely because of personal taste. I would be glad to try the other suggested sample or samples. Prove me wrong!

The Tea Spot

Bonnie, shoot me an email or message here with your address and I will get some out the door to you tomorrow!

Bonnie

Just sent an email…

fleurdelily

cream in puerh? that’s desperate! 0_o

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Comments

chadao

I’m so sorry that you didn’t like this tea. I have been disappointed with many aspects of the Tea Spot, the lackluster flavors of their teas being only one thing on the list. A couple of weeks ago, I talked with one of their representatives at the Boulder Farmer’s Market. I asked about where they sourced their tea leaves from, and he told me it was “top secret.” This answer never bodes well with me. I have learned that the best companies are the ones who are willing and able to communicate to their consumers about how they work directly with tea farmers or estates, giving names and other information, to produce the very best tea. The best tea companies that I know of (Verdant, Seven Cups, Red Blossom) never have secrets. This makes me think that the Tea Spot has something to hide, a button of shame, that when pushed, will reveal a series of red tape where tea shifts hands from hopelessly destitute growers and pickers, through a series of middlemen, and into the hands of innocuously ignorant buyers who do not know the destructive repercussions of their buying practices. Okay, I’ll stop now, I’m sounding a little down.

Bonnie

The tea tasted old. The flavors were sour. Too bad. Maybe someone from the tea spot will begin to read the distress of consumers like us who want them to be better for their good and ours.

The Tea Spot

Hi Bonnie, Chadao—I’d like to take the opportunity to respond to your comments as this thread has just come to my attention.

Bonnie: It’s true that the Bolder Breakfast is a mild blend—we see this as the tea’s strength in some ways. It is a complex blend designed to reach a median flavor, inoffensive but slightly sweet, and bold enough to appeal to the coffee drinker. The fact that you taste sourness in it does concern me, and I’ll be cupping Bolder Breakfast tomorrow in the office. I’m wondering if the sample you received was old. It’s actually our top selling blend, but suits the palates of some better than others. I would like to suggest, however, that you give our Chocolate “O” a try, and please let me know if I can get you a sample of that to review. Chocolate “O” is a chocolate blend on a single base (a Hong Mao Jian black tea), and is better suited to a more advanced palate in my opinion. Again, please let me know if you’d be willing to try it or any other teas on our website that catch your eye.

Chadao: While I am sorry to hear your opinions on our teas, I would be curious to see as well if we have any that might match your palate more closely. We carry near 50 teas at the moment, from flavored blends to single origin organics. I’ll be happy to get you samples as well.

In regards to the Farmer’s Market—that employee was a contracted hire for select Saturdays who has since been let go for this exact reason. Regrettably, his response to your question reflects his lack of knowledge about our teas, but NOT anything related to our company’s policies. We are firm believers in transparency in the tea industry, and are happy to answer any questions about origin, grading, age, etc.

Communication with our customers is of the highest priority to us, so I feel fortunate to have come across this post tonight. Please let me know what I can do to rectify the rude response you received at the Farmer’s Market. If you’re available to come by this Saturday, you’ll find me there for the duration of the market’s hours, and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you have about our sourcing.

Please, Bonnie + Chadao, feel free to contact me in whichever way suits you so that I can see how to turn those frowns upside down.

Bo Olson
Sales Director & Tea Specialist
bo@theteaspot.com
(303) 444-8324

Bonnie

I am happy that my very own COLORADO tea company is being responsive to comments. I don’t write critical reviews lightly or on a whim or purely because of personal taste. I would be glad to try the other suggested sample or samples. Prove me wrong!

The Tea Spot

Bonnie, shoot me an email or message here with your address and I will get some out the door to you tomorrow!

Bonnie

Just sent an email…

fleurdelily

cream in puerh? that’s desperate! 0_o

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Bio

Colorado Grandma 73 3/4 as of January 2022

Grandmother to 10. (we all drink tea!)
I began teatime in the Summer when my children were little. We took a break from play for tea and snacks every day. My children loved tea time.
There are several tea houses close to my home and a Tea Festival in Boulder. Fort Collins/Loveland is a bit of a foodie area. We are famous for breweries (Fat Tire is one brand).
Rocky Mountain National Park is 40 minutes away.
Our climate is semi-arid with LOTS OF SUN AT 5000 feet. (Heavy Winter snows start in higher elevations). Lived my until 2010 in Northern California.
I am very involved in my local Greek Orthodox Church. Recently I ignited a group for racial reconciliation.
I suffer from Migraines and Light sensitivity.
My family is Bi-racial (African-American, Scots) and Bi-cultural.
I’ve worked at a Winery, was a computer tech, been Athlete and Coach, Vista Volunteer. Love healthy food! Love travel and have been to Scotland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Malta, Peru, Croatia, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska.

Location

Loveland, Colorado

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