Anisa Tea

So, I guess part of drinking down the teas I’m unsure about restocking means maybe using some of the tea bags I’ve never tried before. This came to me in a box of assorted tea bags from my Grandma when I told her I was moving out (a housewarming present, if you will). Since then I’ve tried and hated most of them (sorry Grandma). I’ve kinda put off trying this one though – primarily because I have no idea what it is.

On the outside of the package, there are no ingredients listed or steeping guidelines – and to me the title of this tea didn’t really clarify much about it (maybe I’m naive/stupid for not knowing, but honestly until I searched this tea on Steepster a few minutes ago I wasn’t even sure which was the company name and which was the name of the tea). I’ve opened up the bags before, but honestly I smell absolutely NOTHING when I sniff at the tea bag (I think that’s probably because this is SUPER old – years at least, and I have no clue how many).

I guessed at Steeping, but in the end I went with boiling water steeped for for minutes roughly. It’s a tea bag, so there was no portioning in that regard (just one tea bag for the oz. mug). Steeped, this smells like a pretty regular Earl Grey – so that’s not too bad. I just looked it up here on Steepster as I started writing this tasting note, and there’s actually a bit of an ingredients description (no steeping guide though): basically it’s an Earl Grey with cardamom (not that I can smell the cardamom in the tea). Here I was thinking it was going to be something really weird and spicey, or some kind of chai blend.

I just finished eating a plate of waffles drenched in syrup, so everything tastes a little syrupy to me right now. However, it tastes like a plain old Earl Grey – I’m literally getting nothing that says “cardamom” spice and that seems to be the selling point for this specific tea. That’s kind of really sad, and maybe a little pathetic. It’s not really too smooth tasting, but there’s no overwhelming bitterness or astringency either. I’d say the strongest flavour is the bergamot.

As an Earl Grey, it’s adequate to average. I’ve had much better bagged Earl Greys and stock some better and obviously higher quality loose leaf Earl Greys already. Plus, it’s majorly failing at what I assume is meant to be the selling point (maybe that’s because it’s old though). I’ll finish the cup, but there’s no way I’d restock this. That probably works out well, though – I haven’t the faintest clue where I’d even look if I wanted to restock this one.

1.5 tsp for 300mL @ 100C, steeped six minutes.

Two big mistakes here. 1) I oversteeped. 2) I used way too much leaf.

This blend is incredibly potent, some sort of super-tea. Definitely follow the instructions. I knew better, too. I just forgot.

A thick body, lots of Ceylon I think, copper notes, with bergamot a cardamom, all so gentle … and all so packed with caffeine. The closest comparison to this blend would be Ahmad’s English Tea No1, and, while I like Ahmad’s English Tea No 1, it doesn’t come close to Persian Tradition. Excellent tea.

3 tsp for 1000mL water, in the Breville, 3 minute steep with basket function on.

Yes, you read that correctly — I used only 3 tsp for a pot of tea. The directions on the package:
How do I prepare Anisa Tea™?

Anisa Tea™ can be prepared to perfection using the following directions:

1. Put two teaspoons (5g) of Anisa Tea™ into pot (sufficient for 4-6 cups).
2. Add boiling water.
3. Cover with tea cozy or tea towel.

4. Wait 5 minutes before serving.
5. Serve Anisa Tea™ by pouring into a cup, preferably through a tea strainer.
6. Add hot water to satisfy desired tea strength.
7. Milk and/or sugar may be added if desired.
8. Best served between 5 and 30 minutes.

Wrong.

This is a very potent tea. A very fragrant tea. It’s very much like a good Earl Grey, only a bit spicy — that’s the cardamom. Smooth and medium-bodied, rich flavor of good black tea (I can’t tell if it’s Chinese, Indian or Ceylon) and a lovely mingling of bergamot and cardamom. Had I brewed this my normal way, it would be too strong. No bitterness.

Rating: 95.