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“Ugh. I made what I think is a regrettable decision, as in I sent an email to a friend whom I’d wronged several years ago. I was hoping to apologize, the apology of the no strings attached variety...” Read full tasting note
“I am so glad I took this elegant, soothing tea to work, because it was a horrible horrible day of mean people. :( The best things that happened today were: I had this tea, a few people who wanted...” Read full tasting note
“I made a cup of this tea, which is also old (I forget how old, but it’s one of the older ones in my cupboard, probably 2 years?) to mainly convince me that not all rose teas age poorly. This one...” Read full tasting note
“Hi all! I have been offline for a bit as you may have noticed. Work became impossibly busy and there were a few dramatic incidents with the kids (who are now teenagers — I may not survive, it was...” Read full tasting note
Rose Scented, our memorable blend of large leaf tea from China, is scented with rose flavor and soft pink rosebuds. The fragrance alone makes a tin of Rose tea a provocative delight for the senses, and the buds and petals blended throughout lend visual allure.
Since 1983 Harney & Sons has been the source for fine teas. We travel the globe to find the best teas and accept only the exceptional. We put our years of experience to work to bring you the best Single-Estate teas, and blends beyond compare.
Chocolate - Rose Scented
Custom - Harney & SonsRose Scented - Queen Catherine
Custom - Harney & Sonspanyang congou - rose scented
Custom - Harney & SonsPremium Rose Oolong (Scented)
Zi Chun Tea CoPalm Court - Rose Scented
Custom - Harney & SonsFlorence - Rose Scented
Custom - Harney & SonsUgh. I made what I think is a regrettable decision, as in I sent an email to a friend whom I’d wronged several years ago. I was hoping to apologize, the apology of the no strings attached variety i.e. I made it clear that they weren’t at all obligated to respond or acknowledge receipt or anything, but that I wanted them to know that the fact that I’d hurt them still saddens and haunts me, but that there is obviously no justification. Now I feel foolish and wish I hadn’t reached out like that. Oh well, what’s done is done.
All this to say that when I need to be gentle on myself, I usually reach for a floral tea. Typically this would be the rose violet calendula, but I’m hording that, so this one had to be it. And I liked it better than I did previously, although i think that’s entirely because I was sort of in the mood for it. I still don’t think I’ll be reordering this one, but I don’t think I’ll feel overly burdened to eventually finish the tin. Besides, I’m happy to share. It still had that slightly throat-scratching quality to it—perhaps that’s a soapiness? or maybe it’s because it’s strictly a rose tea and not a floral combination—but something about it just feels a bit too…cloying? i don’t even know. There isn’t a word (that I can think of) to describe how it feels. Maybe it’ll come eventually.
But whatever. I have an awesome jar with infuser!!
I am so glad I took this elegant, soothing tea to work, because it was a horrible horrible day of mean people. :( The best things that happened today were: I had this tea, a few people who wanted to try tea loved the ones I took them, and I got to come home.
Hang in there woman!!!
Sending super good energy your way – may tomorrow be better, and may the awesome people come out of hiding!
…and I got to come home. Beautiful! Thanks for putting it in perspective. My day got a lot better as it went. I got to play Amazing Grace to the tune of House Of The Rising Sun really loud on guitar while some really talented friends sang their hearts out…. and I got to come home!
Hugs!
that’s the one good thing about bad days… they end :)
glad you had this one for comfort!
Thanks, everyone! Now to let it all go and not worry about it anymore…
Sorry – I hope tomorrow is a much better day!
Aww, I’m sorry you had a poopy day – hugs! Wishing you a much better day tomorrow :) I’ve added this tea to my shopping list – it sounds great!
Yogini: I hope you like it! Everyone who tries it at my house likes it, and it is so good blended with Queen Catherine, Palm Court, really most good black teas. Just a teaspoon of Rose Scented in the pot really adds an elegance to the cup. Very refreshing!
It makes me sad that people just don’t learn to play nice together. (…and K S, you can also do Amazing Grace to the Gilligan’s Island theme if you haven’t tried it :)
LOL! When I was lying in bed last night, it hit me and I went, “Hey, wait a minute!” and started singing it as K S said…just in my head, mind you! Wow! It works! Now I have to try gmathis’ suggestion.
We have done the Gilligan’s Island version with puppets. We do the Rising Sun version in church on Sunday mornings. Yeah, its pretty cool.
I made a cup of this tea, which is also old (I forget how old, but it’s one of the older ones in my cupboard, probably 2 years?) to mainly convince me that not all rose teas age poorly. This one certainly hasn’t. Still intensely rosey, and the base is still smooth but robust. I do think it has probably faded a little, but since this tea was already intense at the beginning, it still packs a punch.
Hi all! I have been offline for a bit as you may have noticed. Work became impossibly busy and there were a few dramatic incidents with the kids (who are now teenagers — I may not survive, it was hard enough when I went through it the first time) and then I got off the habit. My coffee consumption went up because of the work things. I needed mega-caffeine to get through the very long days. But now things may be getting back to normal. Plus, I like the idea of bringing my own drink to work in these days of communicable diseases. So I’m going to try to get myself back into the tea habit.
This is a backlog, as are the next three entries. I can no longer remember whether this sipdown occurred in October or November of last year, but it was either November or October of 2019 because by December I was off of tea.
So let’s call this Sipdown no. 5 of October 2019 (no. 104 of 2019 total, no. 592 grand total).
My original note on this will have to suffice as I have no notes. But it reflects my recollection of how I experienced this.
Good to see you back! Will pray for your sanity and teenage survival skills!
Welcome back! Oof, the terrible twos were nothing, NOTHING, compared to teen years. You are gonna make it! Holler if you need an ear! Praying for you!
Welcome back!
Welcome back and prayers from me as well!
Welcome back!
Thanks everyone! And appreciate your support. I need all the help I can get! I suppose every generation thinks “I didn’t put my parents through that” but I am now pretty sure I did and I’m getting my comeuppance now. :-)
Welcome back! and wishing you luck with the kids. :D
Welcome back! As a former teacher, I can confirm that teenagers are way worse than toddlers. Toddlers will throw a random temper tantrum to get attention. Teenagers will throw a much worst temper tantrum when they don’t get their way and will give you massive attitude while doing so. I would never want kids. Three years as a sub was enough.
Welcome back! As a former teacher, I can confirm that teenagers are way worse than toddlers. Toddlers will throw a random temper tantrum to get attention. Teenagers will throw a much worst temper tantrum when they don’t get their way and will give you massive attitude while doing so. I would never want kids. Three years as a sub was enough.
Totally true about the temper tantrums. I had hoped they would end at age 4.
The afternoon cuppa. Post presentation and time to relax!
I like rose scented and flavored things so I was excited to check out this sample. It is very strongly scented when you open the bag and you can see some rose petals mixed in with the tea.
It’s a blend of ceylon and keemun and brews up to be a very dark orange. woooow, this is so relaxing and nice! I love the way it smells and the tea itself is very smooth and rich. I don’t sense a lot of bitterness or astringency in here. I usually drink a lot of black teas with soymilk but it seemed such a shame to add anything to this. It is very nice to just sip on plain.
Rose is supposed to be an anti-depressant. Regardless, I think this tea is wonderful if you’re into rose. I think I liked it better than the Upton rose congou.
Sad that I did not get a whole tin of this but perhaps I will when I am ordering some other things from them. I feel like I just got back from a trip to the spa!
In that case, I should take this one to work with me again tomorrow! :)
Really, I know! I was so glad I got to try this one right after your tasting note. Tis a wonderful tea to have with the office stress!
Amy, what did you like better about this one?
I think I just liked the black tea base better, felt the rose stood up to the ceylon/keemun base. It IS strong though.
I reaaaally want to get this tea!!!
Welp. Dad and I were going to go into Columbus together… and then it snowed so hard that a mail truck actually got stuck in a ditch in our neighborhood. Ugggh. I’m glad I’m not at work today, but did this REALLY have to happen during my vacation? Guess I’m staying in. Not that that’s all a bad thing, though.
This tea was a pretty obvious choice for me, because I have discovered that I’m a sucker for roses when it comes to tea. Floral things in general, actually.
It’s not bad. It’s a little on the… sweet? … side of rosy. No, not sweet, maybe perfume-y is more of the right word. There’s something slightly artificial about it. I would actually quite like it… if it didn’t remind me that I have yet to get Teavivre’s Rose Dian Hong back into my cupboard.
i haven’t tried this tea yet, but i wanted to document that this morning marks the very first time that a new full tin of tea was spilled all over the floor.
I CAN’T BELIEVE IT DIDN’T HAPPEN SOONER we both said as we started to clean up.
we figured what with all the early morning groggy tea making this should have happened well over a year ago.
don’t worry, half the tin was still very full and the oz we did lose was actually scooped up and we may still steep it. i mean, it is boiling water after all. and i ate a donut after dropping it on the floor just a few days ago. so eh.
awwwwww
I’m pretty sure I’ve made tea from leaves scooped off the floor in the past.. ;-)
oh dear! poor Shmiracles, poor tea…..
You crack me up.
I’ve rescued floor tea before. It’s a corollary of the 10-second rule.
Definitely still use the leaves! it’s only a kitchen floor, yo!
Many thanks to ashmanra for this tea!!!!
I read some reviews saying this was quite the rosy one, and I figured “forewarned is forearmed!” so I used half a teaspoon of Rose Scented, and half a teaspoon of China Black FOP that LadyLondonderry sent me (this is a total thank you tea friends cuppa today!!!)!
I’m really glad I did that because I am LOVING the results. The tea is beautifully sweet and rosy, but also very tea-ish. It is now perfectly suited to my tastes! I didn’t even think about sweetening it. The rose provides the perfect amount.
I am definitely getting some of this one in my next Harney order! I have a little sample packet of Harney’s Panyang Congu…the next time I make this, I’ll try a blend of that & the Rose Scented to see if they like each other. If so, I’ll get a tin of each and make my own Perfect Rose Scented Blend.
(An aside – anyone know the tea base in Rose Scented?)
YUM!
Never mind! I just looked it up: Ceylon and Keemun! No wonder I love it!
…so that means I can probably mix it with more keemun if I wish! Win-win! OK, I will stop talking to myself! I’m just really excited!!!
Oh, now I am excited, too! I want to try mixing these! I could taste the Ceylon in there and it was so bright and smooth. And I adore keemuns!
Gasp! Just thought of this…..Rose Scented+Keemun Mao Feng=amazing I bet! Going to try it today!
And Upton describes the China Black FOP as having the taste of “a non-smoky Keemun,” so you’ve definitely got a very Keemun-ish blend there. Sounds delicious!
The Rose Scented is rosier than Upton’s Rose Congou, right? I think I need to do some rose-tea comparing myself, and what better month for it than June?
Hmm, I wonder if this is thebase for Sally’s Secret with cinnamon thrown in? I thought it was a keemun/Ceylon with something else but this could be it.
I can usually identify origin if I can see the leaf….
LadyL: Yes, much rosier and much sweeter. I love the Rose Congou and it is what made me think to add the China Black to Rose Scented! Rose Congou is…muskier, more savory …that’s a compliment! I would like to have both in my cupboard. I love them both!
ashmanra: Yes – I bet that would be super delicious. All Natural Chocolate and roses! I want to hear all about it! :) :) :)
…talking to myself some more. I also must try Queen Catherine with Rose Scented. I think it would be very interesting!
Do you know how many times this one has been in and out of my cart at Harney’s (because I can’t help myself and always have a cart running whether I am purchasing this week or not.) In the cart it stays…along with the Vanilla Black!
I will give the Queen and the Rose a try next!
Ahhh, this is just lovely.
I do believe this is the Rose I have been searching for.
When you open the tin, you are transformed into a English Rose Garden.
Not much more to say, except I like it.
If you are looking for a subtle rose tea, than this is not it.
But, if you don’t like timidity, and like your rose tall and proud, then grab up a wee bit of this.
Tea #22 from HHTTB2
Very pleasantly rose flavored without being perfume-y or liquor-y. There’s more body to this one than the other rose tea I really enjoy (La Vie en Rose from American Tea Room), but in a good way. The actual tea flavor seeps into the aftertaste and mingles with the rose. The cup has the transporting, luxurious quality I’ve come to expect from rose teas.
I like the mouthfeel on this one, but I prefer the better balance of tea and base in La Vie.
Just added ATR’s la vie en rose to my shopping list. I hesitate a bit re many white teas, because I often feel they’re too thin for me, but I can never, ever say no to a good rose tea.
La Vie has a really creamy mouthfeel and a surprising amount of flavor and body for a white tea, so I hope you won’t be disappointed!
I had similar thoughts to this tea when I had it a year ago. First taste – loved it. Second and then on, not so much. It’s unfortunate but that’s what swaps are for!
Don’t feel foolish! Feel better for having said what you needed to say :)
That’s complicated… I think that you probably did the right thing – you will feel better knowing that you said what you wanted to. And the other person may feel better know your thoughts too, once they’ve had time to digest them.
Agree. It’s never wrong to apologize. It’s up to the other person what they do with it. I remember this rose—very rosy indeed, and though I love rose I thought it was something I could drink only occasionally.
Don’t feel foolish. I was once on the receiving end of a similar email and personally I really appreciated the person being brave enough to reach out. Obviously it is not an easy thing to do so I think it is something to be admired that you were strong enough to do it.
I hope they view it in the sincere spirit in which I meant it, and not as my pestering them (although the last time we spoke was like seven years ago). Anyway, I think I’d always rather apologize than not. It gets tricky, though, when your conscience is all wrapped up in whether or not they’ll forgive you. Because unfortunately for you, your own healing can’t really depend on that, and they are fully within their rights to not forgive (omg I’m making it sound as though I murdered someone…I didn’t!).
And yeah, this tea. I like it less each time, too. But yup, the good old swaperoo always comes to the rescue.
VariaTea, I, too, have been on the receiving end, and likewise appreciated it. So much scarier when the shoe is on the other foot though! Ah well, you’re all right—it’s still better to apologize. after that, it isn’t up to you anymore.
I have done this before too keychange. It was also years between speaking, and it was something that haunted me as well. It’s now been years since I sent the apology and I can honestly say that even though we aren’t friends again, I feel as though my conscience is somewhat clearer for it.
I’m so glad, Courtney. Although this thing happened about seven or eight years ago, it still haunts me, and I sent the email before I even really had time to talk myself out of it. I think I just need to be ok with never hearing back. I am definitely relieved to know I’m not the only one with this particular issue.