Why did I wait so long before ripping into the samples that Ashley sent to me? I was inspired by my Italian High Rennisance art history class, so I decided to try this one first. I brewed my small two cup pot and sat down with my copy of Beowulf to go with the tea.
The tea brewed up to a nice light honey color. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was tasting because it didn’t taste as strong as the teas I am used to. The flavor is very light. Once I relaxed I tasted the hazelnut. Light, nutty, slightly bitter and sweet at the same time. Then a small hint of chocolate drifted in with the black tea. Then I was getting a nice cream taste with all of the other flavors even though there was no cream in it. By the time I had finished my first cup I learned how to taste my tea.
I sweetened the second cup with a little bit of honey because I wanted that rich dessert taste. The honey brought out the chocolate more and the whole cup smoothed over. I was going to ask my roommate if she wanted a taste, but I wanted to drink this all on my own. The flavors are very balanced and I enjoyed every drop.
My only regret is that I only brought half of my samples to school with me. Granted, I did that on the request of my boyfriend so he can share a pot of each flavor with me when I get home, but I still wish I had brought it all for myself. Now I know what a high quality flavored tea is like.
