Bouquet of Flowers No. 108

I avoided this tea for awhile due to the odd, cloying smell. It seemed a little articial to me, which is not a complaint I’ve had about Kusmi’s tea in the past. I decided to go with a black tea today to hopefully mentally stimulate myself for my meeting in 10 minutes. I’m taking the tea with me and will report back later.

I chose this particular tea because a co-worker gave me a beautiful gardenia and it is making my desk area smell lovely. Flowers have been on my mind thanks to that. Bouquet de Fleurs 108 it is!

I wish the mini-tins had steeping instructions! To the website I go. Oh, this is interesting stuff… I might have to update the description. Okay, tea is ready to go! Will sip during my meeting and ponder tasting notes. Later ’gators.

Hmm… perhaps judging a tea by the smell is like judging a book by the cover. This tea is delicious! No wonder it was a favorite of the Russian royalty. I feel fancy-pants just thinking about drinking the same tea a royal family. There is a flavor coming through that reminds me of that initial smell. It reminds me for all the world of clove. It’s not overpowering, and not bad, just… a little off for me.

This tea kept me going through a brutal meeting. It was a good tea, but perhaps not one I’d order again. If you like Kusmi’s Russian blends then give this one a try. The Russian blends are all similar due to their bases but they are all unique in their own way.

I don’t have too much to say about this tea – it didn’t really do much for me, good or bad. The smell of the dry tea is awesome – spicy and citrusy and clean and exotic – and I was hoping it would taste like that but… meh. It was a bit too strongly floral (though not quite perfume-y) and doesn’t have a strong enough bergamot or citrus taste for me. It’s definitely not the worst EG tea I’ve had but it’s nowhere near the best either. I really wish it tasted a bit more like it smelled because then it would be pretty spectacular.

started the morning with this bold cup. these kusmi teas don’t really mess around do they. Tea capital T.
i don’t see exactly why this one is not liked as much as some others by the reviewers. it’s not a favorite tea, and i guess it is a bit more on the sour side than other teas. but it’s still nice enough.
but then again i don’t drink many earl greys so i am definitely not an earl grey person. not YET! i’ll get there eventually. i’ll evolve there.

the problem with hanging out on steepster more is that the reviews make you wanna buy buy buy and try try try! this morning i bought two try me sample packs from Della Terra. the Magic Mint one with Swiss Mountain, Jasmint, Shamrock & Shenanignas, Shamrock & Roll, and Moroocan Mint in it. and a DIY try me pack of Cafe Vanilla, Chocolate Almond Coconut, Chocolate Orange Slice, Oolong Creme, and Malt Shop. it’ll be a mint chocolate spring.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 500ml at 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: chemical, cigar tabacco, potpourri
Steeped Tea Smell: fall, toasty
Flavor: toasty, floral
Body: Medium/Full
Aftertaste: astringent, floral
Liquor: translucent dark orange-brown

A strong black, followed by a mouth full of petals, but not in the bad way.

Post-Steep Additives:
Sugar
smoother, citrus and floral

Rating: 3/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.teatra.de/2013/01/09/kusmi-tea-loose-leaf-black-tea-bouquet-of-flowers-n108/

I did not have such a violent distaste of this tea as others have. I loved the smell of the dry leaves, very floral with a hint of my favorite bergamot. I always like a good black tea in the morning and I like the complex base to the subtle florals. I would keep this in my cupboard. This was a sample from greenteafairy, I think.

Kusmi Tea sampler 5/5

Bouquet of Flowers – I was leery of this from the get go due to the name and the fact that flowery teas do not tend to be my favorite. The aroma is definitely that of shower gel or soap but the flavor of this tea is not terribly unpleasant once you actually brew it up. Flowery with a touch of earl grey. Eh, it isn’t awful but I do not think I will need to buy it again.

Had this sample lying around, and I wanted to try something different this morning. I also didn’t feel like fussing with loose leaf, so having this muslin tea bag around was nice!

I like this tea. It’s light, but still flavorful. It smells really floral, but the floral taste was not overpowering or anything. Definitely a nice way to start the day! :)

I usually like floral, but this is a bit too much. Any black tea is pretty well buried in the flowers, and even the bergamot is a little subdued in comparison. Just too light and tart for me overall. Might be nice iced?

I don’t know why, but this one tasted like blueberries to me.

One of the less impressive Kusmi Teas. The dry leaves smell wonderfully citric and fruity, yet after steeping there is nothing really remarkable about the flavour… I am puzzled, really. Overall I won’t say it’s a bad tea – but I did have high hopes because it’s from Kusmi Tea!