Tee de Cologne

My boyfriend picked this up for me in Köln a while back and I am finally writing about it (and finishing it too!). The coconut lover that I am, this sounded like a perfect match for me, and apparently, the owner was ultra proud of her clever pun. For a non-native language speaker and considering they don’t even have Bounty chocolate bars in Germany (at least I don’t recall seeing them while I was there), that is seriously impressive!

The dry leaf is loaded with bits and shreds of stuff: coconut, cacao nibs, little bits of white chocolate, but in flavour, I’m getting almost all coconut, all the time. A hint of cocoa but absolutely no white chocolate. Although, this does taste a little on the oily side, if you know what I mean. Could be from the white chocolate and the coconut oils. It’s not enough to leave a DAVIDsTEA-level scum ring around the mug, but it’s altering the entire experience of the tea. Also, I’m finding that this tea doesn’t age too well. When I first got it, the coconut was rather fresh, but now it’s starting to taste a little soapy.

So stoked to finally try this! Since I’m trying to avoid caffeine while sick, this seems to fit the bill. I was really curious as to how this date-heavy blend would taste, especially combined with my beloved cardamom. My boyfriend was oh-so generous to pick some of this up all the way from Köln, where the owner pointed out that his has special brewing instructions.

You’re basically supposed to brew it for fifteen minutes, which I did, and added two Perfect Teaspoons into a Nordic Mug. I tasted a shred of dates when this was piping hot, but now that it’s cooled down a bit, I’m getting mostly baked apple with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon. I was expecting this to taste more exotic, if-you-will, like a fancy Middle Eastern dessert but rather, I get apple pie. It’s good! But just not what I was expecting.

I’ll keep experimenting to see if I can get more of the date, cardamom, and ginger notes.

Round two of this tea. My boyfriend and I gave this a whirl yesterday without any additives. The dry leaf smells like an almond cookie more so than marzipan, perhaps.

Steeped, the base is slightly astringent and the almond translates more as almond extract than a roasted almond. My boyfriend observed how the almond flavour comes out more as this cools, and I totally agree.

Today, I’m trying it with a splash of 2% milk, which is pairing super well with the almond note. I still wouldn’t describe this as marzipan since it tends to be warmer and softer in its scent profile, almost almond-vanilla-y. This is still more almond extract that has been lightly sweetened. So again, like an almond cookie or biscotti.

I’m thinking this would make a fantastic latte! Should try that next time.

My boyfriend just got back from a badass European excursion and spoiled the hell out of me. So much guilt ensues. Amongst the exclusive Oxford Street LUSH perfumes and killer magnets (one from Abbey Road Studios!) is a bounty of tea from various countries. It’s just all too much.

This quaint little teashop in Köln carries an interesting selection of flavoured teas, and he generously made a trip over to pick up a few blends. Apparently the owner is absolutely lovely.

A caramel blend with hazelnut brittle aways seems like a good idea. The dry leaf smells creamy and nutty. It’s like a cross between Simpson & Vail’s Caramel with Tea Desire’s Walnut Truffle.

Steeped, the scent of the liquor smells heavily of caramel, but in regards to the flavour, I’m mostly picking up on the brittle, although it’s not an obvious hazelnut. It’s more like a nut with a higher fat content such as walnut. There is absolutely zero astringency from the base. Actually, the base seems to be quite mild in general. So grateful to be able to experience a tea that’s been specially delivered to me from over 7000 kilometres away!