184 Tasting Notes
There is something about African teas that I love. Since I’m new to tea “tasting” (something I consider different from tea drinking) I can’t tell you exactly WHY this tea matches what my tongue wants, but I’ll try. There’s no dryness to this tea….like sometimes wine is too dry for me. Dry translates to a bit bitter to me and I do not like any bitterness in life. In general. Let alone in my tea. This tea also made my nilla wafers seem obsolete. THAT, my friends, is a good sign. There is a wholeness to this without being heavy….others have mentioned “grains”…but I have more to learn before I can throw words like that around. I can tell you that I just ordered a bag of 50 teabags from Harney after only 3 cups…. that’s saying something!
This is not your average breakfast “blend”….this is straight ceylon. I don’t like teas with high astringency, so I was a bit hesitant is choosing this from my cupboard for my morning cup of caffeinated tea…but once I added my milk and sugar I was smiling! This ceylon has a full bodied brightness to it that stood up to my milk and honey just fine… it’s not a tea for a blustery winter morning, but for a chilly spring morning it would be perfect…robust but bright. Try this and surprise yourself. I did!
Preparation
This tea packs a wallop when you open the package….your nose will be very happy and hopeful. There is lychee in this tea as well as other fruity notes. But alas, when you step this, you’ll wish you used more tea. When you taste this tea, you get a blast of fruit, but not a lot of tea. On a final note, it’s now 4 hours later, and I’m still burping that fruity smell…. Bleah.
Preparation
Dethlefsen & Balk are tea wholesalers…the only reason I have a sample of this tea is because a family member is in the tea/coffee business and goes to the trade shows….she gives me the samples she doesn’t need…I’m lucky that way! So because they wholesale this tea, you might be drinking this under another name and not know that you are. :) You also can’t order this tea unless you have a wholesale account with D&B. Which is the bummer. Because I really like this tea.
This is a blend of Assam and Sumatra organic teas. It’s a dark copper-brown cup with a full flavor. It’s strong and wonderfully reasonable with milk and honey. If you drink Fresian blends,(spoon stands up in the tea by itself kind of strong!) this might be a nice alternative for you. I love the idea of organic and this was a pleasant enough blend to sample, as most English Breakfast blends don’t include indonesian tea. I may get a craving for the rest of the sample soon….I’ll keep you posted!
Update: Had a craving for this tea today….about a week after the above post. It’s still strong, still full flavor and it’s taking care of that craving for a big flavor cup of breakfast blend gloriously! Now I wish I had more than just a sample!!
Preparation
This is a happy cup of decaf tea. If you like crunchberries, you’ll like this tea with milk and honey! Use a hefty measure, as the decaf process sucked some of the life out of the black tea….it’s still worth it, despite it’s price tag. I’d buy again next year when the holidays roll around, just to keep some on hand for summer mornings when it seems ALMOST too hot to have a mug of black tea in the morning…. I’m happy.
Preparation
As a decaf drinker I had high hopes for this tea. The tea was more “whole” than other decaf teas that I’ve tried, so I thought “oooooooh,” when I opened the package. Sadly that’s where the love affair ended. This was just a decaf tea. And because it was Lupicia it was pricey….and sadly, not worth the price. Oh…. And the package stated that the origin was Germany.
I love african teas. Did I say I love african teas? Well I do. So this blend from Harney & Sons was a VERY welcome addition to my tea collection! There is a wonderful earthiness….almost maltiness to this tea. And milk and honey do something magical to round out the earthy flavor. I’m not sure what it is, but DANG it’s nom! If you are a Breakfast blend drinker, don’t pass up the opportunity to try a pure african blend breakfast tea. This will be a standard in my cabinet for years to come! Harney has a travel “tagalong” of this tea for $4 that holds 5 bags. Worth every penny!
Preparation
today: completing my final for university: ummmm…well….not done. started, but not done. Having another cup of tea today: success! Especially with this decaf tea. It makes me forget I’m drinking decaf. I don’t have to use double amounts to make up for the decaf process. Just a good cup of tea here that loves milk and honey. My day is getting more productive already!
Preparation
When I opened the tin, there was some powdered tea leaves sticking to the side….so I was dubious about the quality of the blend, but then I put my nose to the tin..I LOVE malty teas, and this is exactly what I got from the tin. Jesus, Mary and Joseph I couldn’t get it in the mug quick enough! It was so “exactly what I wanted” this morning (I have to write a final paper for a class today) that I completely forgot to make any notes about the tea….I was completely lost in the glorious drinking of it! So I thought I give the bag a second steep…. it was lighter, but still wonderful….and I did it again…I forgot to take even one bloody note. I’ll try again soon, but I’m sure glad I bought a 4 oz tin of this, because who knows how many mugs it will take to actually remember to write something useful to a tea drinker!!
