This was a surprise in a tea swap I did with ladykittykat (btw, I totally think I came out ahead in that. If you want more of those tea flowers, please let me know). And it was a wonderful surprise.
The smell of of the unbrewed tea was equally sweet and floral, and it reminded me of the taste of honey suckle nectar when the dew was still on the ground, and we would pick the flowers on the way to school to get at the nectar before the heat of the day.
So imagine my surprise when in the first infusion (1.5 tsp), the bergamot is LOUD and really BITTER. Sorry to shout, but the floral notes really got drowned out there. Usually, I like bergamot’s bitterness, but I think I’m just not used to the concentration that they suggest for brewing. However, adding a tsp of honey smoothed and mellowed the flavor of the tea. It was still on the strong side, but the honey smoothed the floral notes in with the bergamot and I got more of the honeysuckle back in the smell.
The second infusion was on the weak side as far as the tea was concerned. The floral taste came through with a tsp of honey.
I really like this, and I think if I can find the best brewing times for my taste, I might have to order some.
