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“I got this one from a local Middle Eastern market and was intrigued by the description of “bergamot and other flavors” listed on the tin. When I opened it, I was slightly disappointed to find that...” Read full tasting note
“It’s always a wonderful day in the neighborhood when I have a new tea to take for a spin. We have a few European market stores in the area that offer Ahmad teas. The prices for these teas are...” Read full tasting note
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I got this one from a local Middle Eastern market and was intrigued by the description of “bergamot and other flavors” listed on the tin. When I opened it, I was slightly disappointed to find that it smelled like Earl Grey only. After brewing, the fragrance pretty much disappears and leaves behind a mild Ceylon with a slight Earl Grey flavor. I’m not put off by this, however, as some days I only want a hint of flavoring. The base is a good Ceylon and it can be bitter, but as I like to add milk to my black teas, it doesn’t bother me at all. Decent tea- I much prefer the cardamom by Ahmad better.
Flavors: Bergamot
It’s always a wonderful day in the neighborhood when I have a new tea to take for a spin. We have a few European market stores in the area that offer Ahmad teas. The prices for these teas are usually very affordable. This one is currently listed on Amazon at under $12 for a nice one-pound tin container.
The marketing for this tea says it contains the finest high-grown (black) teas from the hillsides of Sri Lanka, subtly blended, with the elegant fragrance of bergamot.
The dark short tea leaves are well-protected within the square tin box in a gold foil bag. When I opened the bag, the aroma was rich and full of bergamot and other fruity attributes.
I steeped the leaves for five minutes at 212 degrees. The brewed color was a dark reddish amber. The odor was very quiet, almost non-existent. What I could smell seemed to only have a nondescript sweet characteristic.
The taste of this tea did not match the complexity of its unbrewed aroma. In fact, the flavor was surprisingly bland. About all I could syphon from the taste was an unidentifiable tea attribute. Pulling that from the brew was made even more difficult by a sharp astringency that defined the flavor. The aftertaste was also dominated by astringency.
I was disappointed by this blend. I had high hopes that it would be a cornucopia of great flavors. I’m not ready to write off Ahmad altogether but this will most likely be my one and only experience with the Special Blend product.
Flavors: Tea
