Barbara

Barbara drank Travel to India by THE O DOR

Have you ever seen Hell’s Kitchen? There always is an episode in which the candidates have to taste various dishes blindfolded. More often than not de candidates can’t even recognize the most ordinary foods. That’s how I’m feeling now.

I smell the tea and think to myself: I know these smells, but can’t name them. Apart from that, I seem to smell something chocolate-ish, but according to the list of ingredients on the tin it isn’t or shouldn’t be in there…? I’ve browsed the net but can’t find any further specification. If I ever missed the full ingrients list on the website of The O Dor…

It smells sweet and spicey. The sweet will probably be the vanilla, although I don’t really recognize it as such. It melds very nicely with the more spicey spices in there, amongst which clove (and assuming vanilla is officially also a spice?). Perhaps that it is the combination that gives the chocolate-ish feel.

The base consists of a medium bodied black tea which balances nicely with the spices.

All in all a keeper!

2013-02-03 13:49:44 -0500

195 °F / 90 °C

4 min 45 sec

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cteresa 2013-02-03 15:45:04 -0500

using my search trick they say "
TRAVEL TO INDIA
Flavoured black tea with major notes of Indian spices and vanilla."

hmph, that is only slightly helpful! You are making me curious about this one, spice mixes can be so very diffrent! Did you ever smell Theodor´s Baya rooibos mix? rooibos with ylang and nutmeg, an extraordinary combination – I kept choosing other teas and the store in the meanwhile closed so never actually had it, but it is on my wishlist for one day.

Barbara 2013-02-03 16:05:12 -0500

Yeah, and that info already was on the tin. :-) Never tried (or even hear of) Theodor’s Baya. Ylang and nutmeg indeed sound extrodinary and if it wheren’t Theordor I would say not in a good way…

PS: I’ve put a little bit with your package so you can try a cup. I’m curious what you’ll make of it.

cteresa 2013-02-03 17:07:57 -0500

Oh thank you! You did not have to, though of course will be happy to try it!

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Bio

What to say about myself and my tea drinking habits? I’ve been staring at the screen, reading other’s bio’s and still can’t come up with something worthwile. I’ll just stick to the basics.

I generally prefer white, green and oolong teas to black teas. As I read a scientific report that stated that black teas lower the level of stress hormones in the blood, I try to add a few cups of black tea every day.

Overall I prefer black teas to be flavoured. The white, green and oolongs may be flavoured or straight.

I brew my teas per cup, mostly in my – much loved – Kati mug with Cha Cult strainer. I’m rather a stickler for brewing time and temperature, so I use a tea timer and watercooker with temperature indication.

I also love a good cup of coffee and especially cappuchino. As far as I’m concerned, a good cappuchino requires a real milk/foam topping, not something made with skimmed milk, powder or the like. Unfortunately a lot of cafes still haven’t caught on to that one and serve low quality coffee and tea (type vending machine and bagged fannings). I hate it when, on a cold winter day, the choice is restricted to bad coffee, bagged fannings or a cold softdrink… :-(

As for rating teas, I more or less make the following distinction:

100:
Nothing is perfect. Probably won’t be using it ever.

98 – 99:
Nearly too good to be true.

90 – 97:
Exceptional.

80 – 89:
Excellent.

70 – 79:
Good. May rebuy depending on price and availability.

60 – 69:
Ok I’ll finish the cup and maybe even have a second, but probably won’t finish the entire package as I have other – (far) better teas in my cupboard.

< 60:
I feel cheated. I won’t ever be buying this again.

< 50:
This really is no good.

< 30:
I hate this. I want my money back.

1:
Beyond horrible!

PS: Recalibrated my ratings according to this index on 23 feb 2013.