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Another one of the 12 teas of Xmas I hadn´t opened yet…and will never again open, I think. I love Earl Grey, but I couldn´t find it here; also the “ice cream” part is a mystery to me : is it that slight touch of vanilla creeping in at some time? This was mucky water, nothing more, so not at all enjoyable.

I picked this tea because I was curious about the elderflower character added to oolong…in nose the dry loose tea definitely promises, especially because the elderflower aroma is soft and delicate…this changes quite abruptly when the tea is brewed : here, the apple character comes fully through and in mouth the tea is sweet. Not bad, but the oolong character is completely lost to me, so this is primarily a fruit tea as far as I am concerned.

From Bruu´s website :
What it is? A Chinese Oolong and fruit blend.
Why we love it : Chinese Oolong Ti Kuan Yin and the delicate, characteristic notes of the elderflower is simply perfect.
Where it’s from : This oolong tea is a Chinese tea that is partly fermented during processing. Fertile soils, pure water and a pleasant climate combine to produce this perfect in-between tea. Combined with carefully selected autumn fruit and spring blossom from UK, this tea is fit for the Iron Goddess.
How our drink hits the senses : Sat dry in the container, natures sweetest smell in all her glory, with a wonderful earthy note from the Oolong. During the infusion process, this calming flavour makes this a sweet yet smooth experience for your mouth.
The taste journey : A late Spring walk through blossom and apple trees with your favourite person by your side.

Velvety smooth rooibos with a rich chocolate flavour. Caffeine free treat.
As such it says on the pouch. Wouldn´t exactly call this tea velvety, but I´m quite sure that in a blind tasting session it would be hard to tell the difference with a chocolate drink made by dissolving powder in boiling water. I thought the rooibos base was perfect for this use.
This is one of the pouches included in the 12 teas of Xmas pack I didn´t finish last December, but it´s perfectly alright to have it now.

This is one of the samples Bird & Blend sent me in my last order. A yerba mate based infusion, which I´m normally not such a fan of, aromatised with lemon and ginger…to give me an energy boost, not this morning in my case, but after lunch. I quite like this infusion, where the grassy bite of the yerba mate is nicely complemented by the citric addition. The ginger touch is subtle, which I can appreciate as well.

Apparently, this tea won a Great Taste Award in UK. The Guild of Fine Food judges said:
‘Lively citric nose that’s encouraging and properly promises what you will get, which is something delicious and stimulating. Mate makes it an original choice in the overcrowded field of lemon-ginger infusions. Excellent to see the quality of the natural ingredients.’ Quite right, I say ;-)

Another strong and very decent breakfast tea. The addition of safflower petals makes the tea more elegant, and doesn´t only add a floral touch, also a subtle spicey one, as far as I can tell. That might be what Bruu themselves identify as tobacco…
Here I add their description :
What it is? A careful blend of Assam and Kenyan black teas are mixed with a sprinkle of calming Safflower petals to produce a wonderful, full bodied tasting tea with a slight mellow astringency.
Why we love it : Full round bodied taste with yielding a slightly mellow astringency. Picture those mornings when there’s just enough time to pause before the busy day ahead and a peaceful calm surrounds – well that’s the ambience each sip will provide.
Where it’s from : Assam, India, (2nd Flush) & Kericho, Kenya. The multihued nature of the taste of Kericho tea might be explained by the varied soil types which consist of well drained, shallow to extremely deep volcanic types. These factors combine to bring out the easy going vibrancy of Kericho highland teas.
How our drink hits the senses : A very earthy, tobacco, full bodied loose tea which fills the senses instantly.
The taste journey : A reddish brown cup with wholesome full tea notes. Full round bodied taste with yielding a slightly mellow astringency – great with milk. This tea is certainly a high class tea to be savoured and enjoyed.

A very nice breakfast tea, malty and quite strong (don´t oversteep this one!!!).
What Bruu say themselves :
What it is? A splendid black, traditional breakfast tea that’s packed with flavour. It’s the pride and joy of South India’s Lockhart Tea Estate.
Why we love it : Handpicked on the day BRUU visited the Lockhart Factory. The Indian supervisor at the Lockhart factory where we sourced these leaves, made us a Lockhart Gold drink with added sugar. Naughty but nice. Thanks Mr. Yonus.
Where it’s from : Munnar, Kerala, South India (Lockhart Tea Estate). The slopes of Chokarmudy, one of South India’s highest peaks, from which the entire valley of Lockhart can be seen. Munnar is a place known for its beautiful tea estates and tea cultivation. No one will return home without tasting or shopping the tea essence of Munnar.
How our drink hits the senses : A sweet, earthy, brilliant and distinct malty scent that oozes quality.
The taste journey : Rich, strong and flavoursome cup enjoyed with or without milk.

It´s for teas like this that I appreciate my water boiler with temperature control between 60 and 100ºC. To be brewed with water at 80ºC? No problem.
But, although it makes drinking white and green teas a lot simpler and straight-forward, I managed to forget about this tea for quite a while.

On the little card Whittard´s adds to the tea pack, it says the tea is “a supremely fresh and lightly fragranced tea with a hint of spring morning sweetness”. Indeed, in nose the loose tea is quite delicate with a sweet touch to it. In mouth it´s very easy going and light, nice enough without the grassy aspect of a lot of green teas, or the strength of most black teas. Honestly, I expected more from it.

To be honest, I´ve already finished this tea well before writing this review…so I´ll limit my personal review to saying that it was another very decent breakfast tea with good body.

What follows, comes from Bruu´s website :
The story : In January 2018 the BRUU team got a special invitation by the Sri Lankan Tea Association to visit one of its premier tea estates run by Sri Lanka’s number one tea taster Eranga. Even better, they allowed us to fly the tea immediately back to the UK to guarantee freshness. Usually, in Sri Lanka, all tea has to go through auctions, which can add months between the time it is picked and when it ends up in your cup.
What it is? Usually, in Sri Lanka, all tea has to go through auctions, which can add months between the time it is picked and when it ends up in your cup but not this one, we flew the tea immediately back to the UK to guarantee freshness. It is a masterpiece created by Sri Lanka’s number one tea taster!
Why we love it? A blend from the higher and lower regions of Ceylon delivering a light, refreshing flavour with real body.
Where it’s from? Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC produces the best of high-quality Ceylon Teas in Sri Lanka. The estate is managed by Eranga Edodawella, awarded the Best Tea Taster in Sri Lanka. The plantation strategically plants trees around the tea bushes to cast timed shadows each day.
How our drink hits the senses : A refreshing smell, unlike your traditional black, it has a light aroma, it isn’t trying to overpower itself, almost closer to a light Oolong…..but wait, here it comes, after a few minutes that leaves uncurl and wow, flavour hits the senses!
The taste journey : We love this tea, it is so luxurious. You won’t want to add milk to this, it already has a creamy profile owing to the cooler region it is grown in. It’s naturally sweet and packed with character.

Three years ago, I tried a sample the people from Le Palais des Thés offered me when buying some other teas, and I reviewed the tea saying that it was like drinking a polo mint, so I liked it and would buy me a pouch.
In meantime, I did buy me a pouch of this minty green tea, and until this week I had only really taken it hot. As stated in my first review, I really like that it´s minty without being a sugar bomb. This week, I´ve been cold brewing it as well, and today I even had both, to compare.
I admit I adjusted the way of coldbrewing in this case, reusing the tea leaves from the hot brew and adding another teaspoon, for the cold brew…also, the temperature of the water might have been a bit higher and the steeping time quite a lot longer…but the resulting iced tea is really nice : like a “menthe à l´eau” with all the freshness of the mint and lacking the siropy touch of it, so just keeping what I appreciate most of it. And yes, I score it slightly higher than the hot brew as well.

This came as one of the “golden tea pouches” Bruu offers with every episode of its monthly tea subscription. As I´m not a great fan of green teas, I sort of put it aside, to try it earlier on today. And it sure came as a nice surprise, as I fully agree to what is indicated on the discover sheet : “Our Sourenee has sappy, grassy notes, overlain with soft fruits and a deep grapey aroma.” it´s this grapey touch that I can appreciate here.

All of the info Bruu gives about this tea online :
What it is? An early second flush of roasted green tea.
Why we love it : Due to the altitudes, tricky growing conditions and limited space, the Darjeeling district only produces 1% of India’s tea, at just 8,000 tonnes each year. This makes our Sourenee extremely rare, as it’s one of only a few estates able to produce a green Darjeeling tea.
Where it’s from : The Sourenee Tea Estate, Mirik Valley, India. The estate has an elevation of 700-1300m above sea level. The soil in that region is a stiff red loam with clay.
How our drink hits the senses : These leaves never cease to give out such scrumptious scents. A real unique green tea that oozes quality.
The taste journey : Grassy notes, overlaid with soft fruits and a deep grapey aroma. The well twisted green leaf provides an earthy undertone.