Premium St. Valentine Tea

Czar Nikolas II also comes in a Silver package: Black Currant, Strawberry (Nostalgia)
this one is my favorite flavor from this line and I think it is the house tea at Russian Tea Time on Adams street here in Chicago

Blue package: Safflower, Marigolds, Blue Mallow Blossoms (Renaissance)

black pkg and a green pkg which both taste like Earl Grey

One of my favourites! It’s difficult to get ahold of in the UK, though maybe I’m not trying hard enough. Before my friend sent me a 100-teabag pack of this, I would conserve the few teabags she sent me preciously, since it’s so delicious…

It’s not exactly overly sweet, since like with most rose teas it loses its fragrance if the water’s too hot, but the safflower and fruit are an amazing touch; it’s just floral enough to soften the rose flavour. I drink it black; it’s too floral to take milk, I think. It’s also lovely and delicate to drink that way, even if the flavour can get strong. I love it <3

This is another birthday tea from Youngest!

I am hunkered down waiting for the big storms that are supposed to hit in a few hours. I moved the rockers and table, rolled up the outdoor rug, and put my car under the back carport. I don’t think this is a storm I would care to sit and watch from the rocker…Now I am sipping tea and reading everyone’s notes. Ashman will be at work until the storm ends and I am hoping for no tornadoes, no downed power lines, and no wind damage!

Of the two Czar Nikolas teas I received, this is my favorite! The other is bergamot with some extras and is a nice Earl Grey stand-in, but I don’t reach for Earls that much. This one is rose and I love me some rose tea!

The tea is broken leaf, not CTC. The pink and yellow rose petals are very faded but the safflower is very bright red/orange. Maybe they just hold color better. It is still a pretty blend.

The rose flavor is thick, as in rose oil thick. Thicc. It says it has natural and artificial flavors and I am sure this is how they achieve of the strong rose note but I don’t care. I dig rose and this has it in spades! It is smooth enough to drink without milk and sugar. As rosey as it is, I feel like sugar would be too much and would ruin it for me because mild rose really just tastes like sweetening to me. Strong rose would surely be overpowering with sugar.

The base is smooth and doesn’t anger my tummy like many black teas do. This is going to be a breakfast staple for a while…

Thank you, Youngest!

This is the second Czar Nikolas II sample I got from Sara. Looking at the tea itself, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I asked for this one. There are about a million rose petals mixed in with the black leaves, and it smells like a giant rose bomb went off when I open the bag. Ah well, onward!

The steeped tea also smells strongly of rose and not much else. Ick, nope this one’s not for me. It tastes like straight rose black tea. Withholding a rating. :P

Just pure and beautifully full of flavour. Definitely one of the best black teas I’ve had.

One of my favorites. Has a floral quality that goes perfect with a little half and half and a dash of honey. Smells rich and wholesome, with an old-world aromatic quality.

My parents bought this for me a while ago. Don’t know where they got it. It’s very floral, and smells wonderful. I’m not typically a fan of floral smelling/tasting teas, but this one was pretty good.