The Devotea

I can sum up this Irish Breakfast variant in on sentence: This stuff actually gives you the courtesy of a reach-around before punching you in the junk.

I had this whilst out at a cafe: Cafe Meso at Simply Organoleptic, McLaren Vale, SA. Beautifully brewed and presented in a "pot on cup " device.
To review the whole experience, it was near perfect. Unless they want to wear frilly aprons and serve form silver teapots, it couldn’t get more authentic.

It’s been awhile since I’ve imbibed a good English Breakfast, and this certainly qualifies. The dry leaves smelled like both Assam and Keemun, but I’m not sure Keemun was used due to how light the liquor brewed. On taste, it was smoky, malty, smooth, and somewhat forest-like on the finish. Not quite Petersham excellence, but still up there.

Disclaimer: I’m from The Devotea! I blend this tea!
I got up last night in a fog with a severe migraine. Went looking for a cold drink. Found the last 400mls of a litre of this I"d iced for an event two days ago.
Washing down two aspirin with this in the middle of the night was a bizarre experience, because at that moment it tasted like the nectar of the gods. The last glass of any iced tea can have a little sediment and the tea can grow stronger in the bottle (and this one did) but I can honestly say it was wonderful. I might rewrite the instructions of this one!

Kicking my day off with this tea as it says it is a strong blend. Let me tell you I NEED that this morning. We had to leave the house much earlier than usual…twenty minutes to be exact. Twenty precious minutes where I could have been sleeping. ;) So this tea is needed this morning! It smells bold and rich. First sip offered a nice kick to the system and my taste buds. This certainly is a hearty tea even if Princess is in the name. I like it.

First tea of the day. Now that the cold weather is here to stay I find I’m drinking way more tea each day. I’ve got a slight headache this morning so I wanted one with a good amount of caffeine. This one fits the bill nicely. I believe the US blend has five different types of tea, while the Australian version has seven!

There are teas from Sri Lanka, China and India in this monster cup! I smell at least two teas while drinking this one, I’m not sure if they are the right two teas…but I’m smelling Ceylon and something malty…Assam maybe? However the taste is def. that of a Darjeeling and perhaps Keemun? There’s just so much going on in this cup and whatever it is certainly works well with one another. I’m glad I noticed I had this in the cabinet. Perfect start to my Sunday.

My Grandma came over this afternoon to see my house and I offered to make us some tea. I set out three including this one and let her pick. This is what she chose. She loved it! She said it reminded her of her typical Orange Pekoe with just a little something else…I’ll learn her one of these days. ;) Considering the US blend has five different teas in it. But we had a nice time enjoying our tea together.

Enjoying this one again this evening. Interesting note tonight I noticed a hint of chocolate in the dry leaf…yum! See my other note on this one.

I was thrilled to find my order from The Devotea’s US distribution office had been delivered when I arrived home. I did not have one of my better days at work today. Long story short I knew what person x was trying to say even though he thought I didn’t. So the arrival of this tea was amazing timing. Right now to the tea…

I used my tea for one set that I painted at one of those paint your own pottery places a few months back and I swore then I would only use it for these teas…well I kept my word! The dry leaf smelled of Golden Yunnan (a favorite) and of something else perhaps Keemun? I’m not sure after all there are 7 different types of tea in this blend..YES SEVEN! What I can tell you is that they are amazing together.

My husband said it was bitter, but he thinks all tea is either bitter or flavored water. While I on the other hand noted malty and robust goodness in each and ever sip. On the pouch there is a note that this tea is perfect for high tea and late afternoon tea…this could easily be an anytime tea! I am very happy I purchased this blend.

I could see what looked like flecks of Darjeeling second flush and plump, tippy leaves of Golden Yunnan. The smell was earthy and floral. On introduction, there was a bit of a citrus snap, followed by a slight tannic bite in the middle, then it snapped at the top note with a presence of peppers, allspice, honey and Keemun sweetness.

Full Review (If you can call it that) Here: http://lazyliteratus.teatra.de/2012/05/02/guan-yins-tigers-and-lords-oh-my/

I made this up according to the description in the video interview I was sent. I put it on the stove with just milk and the tea, and heated it until it was hot enough. Then I added sugar and drank it.
The first cup was good, but I had some more left in the pan, and that was fantastic. It had steeped longer, and also, I think I added a touch more sugar.
It’s not really something I’;d have every day, but as an indulgence it is wonderful. I haven’t drunk a lot of milky chai, but it is a lot better than that powder stuff. Incidentally, I found that this guy has a T-Shirt (He calls them “Tea Shirts”) that basically abuses the whole concept of chai powder.
So, I can’t say I’m judging this expertly or against a lot of experience, but I really did like it.

Quite by chance, I met ‘The Devotea" and he gave me samples of all 6 of his teas. So, they might end up being my first six reviews.
So, I’ve had a cup, so I’m sharing my first impressions.
Overall a good tea. I’d have it at home as a kind of default if I’m in a milk-and-sugar mood. It’s got a sweetness that I think comes from what is probably a strong Keemun base.
I think he’s got the old-fashionedness of this one right. It’s exactly as you’d expect, if your expectations were high.
As I also take price into account – and it’s not a cheap tea – I will award it 4 leaves out of five.