American Tea Room

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act III scene 2

“Let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.”
The Comedy of Errors, Act V scene 1

So this is lychee! I do believe that this has a part of some other teas in my recent past. I’m thinking that it was in one of the Golden Moon samplers — perhaps Sinharaja or Honey Pear? I couldn’t tell you what the tea base is with this blend since the lychee is so overpowering. It seems like the tea is merely here to be a vehicle for the fruit. With that said, it’s not a bad tea at all. It’s sweet, nectary and pleasant. But it’s not really remarkable.

Speaking of unremarkable(see what I did there?): could anyone tell me the basic plot of The Comedy of Errors or even a famous quotation? I had to look it up to gain a bit of information to know what it’s even about. There’s nothing wrong with this play, but it’s just not memorable. The plot features a double set of twins who were separated as children, and then become confused for one another as adults. Hijinks ensue. According to R. Martin and A. Tichenor (in their Reduced Shakespeare book, p. 68) “This play can actually be pretty funny — there are lots of opportunity for slapstick comedy. (Of course, MacBeth can be pretty funny if you put lots of slapstick in it. On its own? Not so much.)”

This might make a pretty good cold brewed iced tea, but I’m not really so excited to try it that I have to put an order in right now! It’s more like when I finally get around to trying out American Tea Room I will purchase another sample of this and try it iced. NE

As far as chocolate rooibos goes, this is as good as it gets! The cacao husks give off a rich chocolate flavor akin to dark chocolate and the vanilla beans give a delicious back drop that makes this positively delicious. I will be making an order for several ounces soon. YUM!

I really like Vanilla so I ordered a fairly large bag (3.5 ounces) of this from the American Tea Room. Imitating JacquelineM I cut up a fresh Madagascar vanilla bean and allowed it to sit in the bag for about three weeks. The result is a deep, rich vanilla tea. I am certain that the flavor has been well-enhanced but also it may well have been quite strong before my addition.

Because of the strength of the vanilla, my tasting note may be a bit off. The black tea support seems to be excellent but also chosen as a backdrop to promote the vanilla.

If you like vanilla I would highly recommend JacquelineM’s method and get the best vanilla bean you can find and doctor the tea. I did not taste the tea previously, because I put the smallest hole in the bag possible to add my vanilla bean segments. It’s delightful and not the least bit ersatz!

I reviewed this one on Teaviews and the Sencha used in the blend is really top notch for a flavored tea blend. It leaves behind a very creamy mouthfeel that I found quite impressive. Add a pinch of German rock cane sugar for a delicous creamy, peachy treat. I added some of this one to my personal stash.

SIPDOWN on this one. Still a goodie! See previous notes!

I Think this is going to be my last Black/Black Flavored Tea of the day…yum.

Sweet and Bake-E sums it up! See my previous review for a more detailed explanation.

This looks and smells like Almond Cookie(s) from The Spice and Tea Exchange and SpecialTeas…oh yea! I’m excited!!!! Another sample from Doulton! Thanks!!!!

I can taste the nuts and pastry and cinnamon and croissant comparison and even a little marmalade!

I think the difference between this and the other too is it’s seems to be smoother all-around. The almond doesn’t jump out as much and it might be a little more sweet than nutty. Regardless I really like it! REALLY like it! YUM!

What an excellent tea! I’ve been off Earl Grey recently because I’ve had too many pallid, callow, and scantily flavored Earl Greys. I ordered a sample from American Tea Room because it sounded good and they have never disappointed me. They’ve become one of the tea vendors from whom I’ve placed multiple orders and their shipping is speedy.

But I digress. I think that the success of this tea is based on two equally important features: the strong Yunnan base and the fact that they were not skimpy with the Earl Grey bergamot. This tea has some natural sweetness and some natural smoke—not enough smoke to scare away those who dislike smoky teas, in my opinion, but enough to anchor the bergamot into a marriage with the Yunnan.

If you love Yunnan, you’ll want to try this. If you love Earl Grey, you’ll want to try this. This tea successfully balances a few flavors and never loses its grasp on any of them. It’s going to be one of those teas I will need to have on hand.

This is a fabulous dessert tea. It is almost like and as satisfying as eating a pastry.

What a wonderful aroma! I opened the bag and felt as if I had been transported to an orange grove. This tea is serious about its flavour.
This basic black with orange tea is so deeply and richly flavored with orange, that it’s the best citrus tea I’ve sampled so far. The taste is delightful. With a big of milk, it tasted that a really high class gourmet Creamsicle—or as if somebody like Todd English or Gorden Ramsay or Ina Garten had decided to create an orange Creamsicle and serve it with the best black tea.

The American Tea Room has become one of my favorite merchants because of their speedy delivery service; because of their sample sizes, and, most of all, because of the high quality of their tea and their flavor combinations.

I was so impressed by the flavor and the quality of other teas that I got from American Tea Room (plus their speedy delivery) that I wanted to try this. I am not disappointed. It is a sweet, rich caramel with a full body and a full taste. I added a bit of sugar mid-way through my first mug, plus some milk. I don’t think that the sugar is needed—it’s naturally sweet on its own. The milk seemed nice. I think that there is a natural milkiness in caramel candies, so it belongs.

All in all, I am not in the least bit disappointed. I keep evolving as a tea drinker and just a few days ago when I ordered this I was all about the sweet, candied teas and have since evolved into a purist. BUT I know that in the course of human events, I will naturally return to a love of the sweet, candied tea.

I came across a tea reference in a poem by WH Auden (Letter to Lord Byron, part III):

“For now we’ve learnt we mustn’t be so bumptious
We find the stars are one big family,
And send out invitations for a scrumptious
Simple, old-fashioned, jolly romp with tea
To any natural objects we can see. "

I like the idea of a “jolly romp with tea”. That’s what my life has been like lately!

This is a very nice and elegant tea. I like the aroma and taste of melons of all types, and this has a good, true aroma. The taste is excellent as well with the green base being a true showcase for the melon. I did not pick up on the other flavors, but hoped not to.

The American Tea Room has some superb blends and excellent customer service.

Another sample courtesy of Doulton!!

I thought this tea tasted like french toast with cinnamon, maple syrup and a pat of butter! I brewed it for one minute longer than recommended so I could put in a little sugar and half and half for a dessert tea, and there was no bitterness or astringency. I also liked that the flavorings tasted very natural and were not cloying or heavy handed. Very comforting and indulgent. What a treat!

I’m excited to be trying this sample that I purchased from American Tea Room, which offers nicely priced small samplers so that one need not dive deeply into the unknown and the pocketbook.

The aroma of the dry leaf is hard to pin down—floral and sweet is about as far as I can say. The brewed tea is a nice yellow. The taste is naturally creamy and sweet (I added no milk or sweetenter, by the way). This has more vegetal overtones than other oolongs I have sampled, but they are nuanced. In a blind tasting I might say that this is a green tea.

Overall, I anticipate extra steepings. There’s something I cannot quite capture here, but it is something amiable.

Absolutely delicious! For the coconut aficiondo, this one is delicious. It reminds me very much of Premium Steap’s Organic Coconut and I am very hard-pressed to select between the two. They both have given me superb coconut experiences. I may need to hold a coconut tea survivor game and sip all of my coconut “contestants” and force myself to vote one “off the island” until just one supreme winner remains.

But such is the speech of nonsense. I don’t want to snuff anyone’s flame. This tea is just as rich, full, and delicious and true to flavor as any other coconut I have had.

I also have to make a plug for the speedy service American Tea Room provides.

I tried more of this—two days in a row because I was having a major jones for it. As Jane Austen might say, “I extend my approbation completely”.

Mokalbari Estate was my morning black tea today. A strong Indian tea with a heady and delicious taste, I could recommend this as a reliable daily morning brew. The resteep help up and was strong but not bitter, even though I gave it a couple of extra minutes.

In very broad strokes, I tend to think of a new tea in four broad categories: 1) intoxicating and I want to reorder it immediately, 2) very impressive and I’ll keep it on my list to reorder. I want to drink it again, 3) What’s all the fuss about? This tea is OK, but I don’t get the rave reviews or the outpourings of adoration. I can live without it, and finally 4) What fresh hell is this? What travesty has ended up in my mouth?

Mokalbari Estate is certainly a 2. It inspires me to try more Indian tea and to move away from drinking too much tea that has Count Chocula, Froot Loops, and Kiwi Pineapple Breadpudding Wine overtones.

The American Tea Room provides really speedy service. I know that I’ve said it before, but it bears mentioning again.

I ordered a sample of this from the American Tea Room because I liked the description. Either because of or in spite of Julia Roberts, Notting Hill remains a nifty neighborhood in London. In my mind, really, Notting Hill is the place where some of Iris Murdoch’s “knottier” and sometimes “naughtier” characters live (in a pre-upscaled world). And yes! We are dressed like Sherlock Holmes with cape and deer-stalker hat.

American Tea Room has provided a perfectly apt description of this tea and I cannot do any better. It seems like a gentleman’s tea brewed in the country estates for those days when you need a really strong brew with your kippers, grilled kidneys, and marmelade.

Delicious!

Until I discovered Steepster I always thought that London was the epicenter for tea. Notting Hill by American Tea Room reminds me of that sense. This is the kind of tea that might be served to the men whilst the women have a lighter blend in a Victorian novel. It tastes of the outdoors. It tastes as if we are marching through somewhat boggy fields on our way to the hunt. Or to fish.

I decided to place an order with the American Tea Room late Sunday night; on Friday they’ve delivered. I have quite a few of their teas now. I went for “Brioche” first. Their descriptive copy is not an exaggeration. The aroma as I opened the bag was magnificent. It was like entering a “snobby” (i.e. good) bakery and zoning in on the almond croissants.

The brewed tea is very bakey-cakey and the flavors of almond, cinnamon, and vanilla dance about in a nice solid black suspension. I think that it probably has a medium amount of caffeine—perhaps not the strongest brew for first thing in the morning, but great for the rest of the day.

As I near the end of the cup, I long for more already. I feel as if I’ve actually consumed a nice chunk of almond croissant. So far I’m loving the American Tea Room with their wide variety of teas and their speedy delivery service.

In my reviews, you must always keep in mind that I’ve got a sweet tooth and a love of novelty. I love almonds, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors a lot. Indeed, my second son was cursed with the nickname of “Almond Stick” because his older brother called slivered almonds “almond sticks”. It seemed clever at the time.

It is delightful to get great carbohydrate satisfaction without reaching for an actual pastry.

Backlogging and out again…double bummer…

This is nice! And my first tea of the New Year! Have a Happy and Safe one everyone!

This is a semi-floral/semi-tangy/semi-sweet blend with hints of this and hints of that…just enough to keep you guessing!

It’s a medium brown in color and somewhat smooth. The Apricot is a nice touch.

Tried my last cups worth at a cooler temp…maybe around 140 or so…and it was still terrific! I noticed with the cooler the temp the less the murkiness. SO sad to be out of this!

Melon/Celery taste yet again…very refreshing! See my other notes on this tea…yum

Had this twice this morning! LOVE it!!!! The melony-musky-mix makes this (say that 10 times fast!) LOL