Culinary Teas

I received 2 cups of this from *BrewTEAllySweet’s *tea stash sale. Thank you!

Unfortunately Meh is how I would describe this. It just didn’t work for me. It was fruity and mellow, but it just didn’t stand out. The two cups I had were enjoyable, but wouldn’t seek this one out again.

4/10/14 A sample from TeaTiff! Thank you for sharing! 3g/6oz/212F/4min. A non-descript Rose Congou. Nothing wrong with it, nothing noteworthy about it.

ummm, …. i’m a little intimidated by being the first review of this tea. okay more than a little.
and i probably should try it iced before i start my blabbin.
so this is just a place holder i suppose.
#nothelpful

thanks from the mountain tops to moraiwe for the sample!

got some swap boxes in the mail friday evening!
thanks to moraiwe for this decadent pumpkin elixir! it is probably the most buttery and natural pumpkin scented tea i’ve had yet. and it really does feel like i’m sitting next to the oven.
it has an illusive quality to it. and it’s so truthful in it’s flavor that i don’t think i can really define this cup. like it’s so front & center and close that i can’t even see it.
i’m not sure if this sounds as flattering as i’m intending it to, but seriously, if you’ve had this tea you probably already know what i’m talking about.
tasting is believing.
at the end of this cup i added just a touch of agave and cream to see what that was like, but really, i recommend this tea plain. it’s got secrets in there that won’t be revealed with additives.
and holy crap does moraiwe have good taste knowing that this is a perfect contrasting & notable tea to add as a mystery swap bonus. whew!

Here’s Hoping Tea Box

Decent cinnamon flavor and a slightly artificial, tart plum taste. This would probably taste better with sweetener.

Sipdown! I should really go through the sipdowns tab on my spreadsheet and and figure out how many I’ve had this year. Curiosity and all that.

This was extra earthy today, and I needed a little sugar to pop the toffee more.

Still, a pleasant cup but not one I’m sure I’ll be purchasing again.

Oooooh.

This is kind of like puer for people who aren’t sure about puer.

I think it’s pretty neat for that reason, though. It has that rich, earthy, loamy, wet mulch flavor that puer has, blended with buttery caramel. I initially expected the toffee to be a competing flavor, and at first it was. It was much lighter and separate, almost like it was a little cloud of flavor on top of my cup, but as it cooled it simply becomes part of the puer adding brown sugared buttered sweetness to the base.

I didn’t find the toffee too subtle, but sugar does pop it just a bit more. I don’t find the cup needs it at all, but maybe if I was drinking this as more of a dessert cup, I might consider it.

Mmm, melted butter spooned over baked apples. I think with the MIA brandy notes, this would be pretty nice paired with cinnamon and sugar.

Also, update on Tango: She’s looking better, but still won’t get up and move around much voluntarily. I think she’ll be fine, as she’s moving less stiffly each day, but I’m a worrier by nature, so yeah.

I think the base and flavors here pair really well in that they are evenly balanced.

The butterscotch in here creates a wonderfully buttery flavor that is sweet and almost a touch salty. It’s like brown butter or a plain blondie. It’s not really boozy or anything so, it doesn’t really hold up the brandy end of things, though. It still kind of an incredible flavor. The apple is tart and juicy. It’s not a really strong flavor but it holds it’s own. It does become more appley as the cup cools, though.

The only thing I would change is maybe go 195 or 200 instead of 205, because there seems to be just a tiny touch of bitterness that creeps in.

Smells like peach candy when dry, but very tart! This might be good as a cold brewed tea

Yummmm! This was more caramel-y than I had anticipated. Not terribly sweet, but more of a deep, burnt caramel. It almost reminded me of a coffee more than a tea, which is great because I miss coffee (I had to quit drinking it a few months ago). I can see this being really satisfying in the morning.

I would be interested to try this again with maybe some soy milk or cream.. I feel like it would round out the rich caramel flavor nicely.

I enjoyed this quite a bit and I might just have to purchase a few ounces… thanks for the sample, Amanda! :)

I received this from LiberTEAS in the Love of Food box. Thank you!

I have been very leery of rose. This was a light black tea with hints of rose. The rose was not over powering, but blended well with the flavor of the black tea. I have had a few rose teas and they are usually more perfumey. This was not the case for this tea.

I did it, I finally found the time and help to clean out a spot for my desk in the basement and move it down! Step one of my Tea-Lair is complete, and while my sweetheart is busy at school tomorrow I will be moving all of my stuff down and setting up my little nest. I also got a new teacup, it was so expensive, a whopping 99 cents, but it is simple, white, and from Arsburg, Germany.

Today’s tea is a dessert tea full of candy-like sweetness. Caramel Tea by Culinary Teas is a Ceylon black tea blended with Natural flavors, Butterscotch chips, Sunflower petals, and Calendula petals. The aroma certainly matches the name with strong notes of burnt sugar and vanilla cream. There is also a malty undertone of black tea, so it does not just smell like candy.

Once brewed the leaves become very rich and malty with and intense sweetness. The aroma reminds me more of toffee and cream than caramel, but that is not at all a derogatory statement. The liquid has an intensely sweet aroma mixing caramel notes and creaminess for a tea that certainly smells more like a dessert than anything else.

The taste is pretty intense, honestly it reminds me more of a Caramel Mocchiato than tea, mixing strong notes of caramel, cream, and slightly bitter nuttiness. It is quite good, leaving a smooth feeling in the mouth and a very sweet aftertaste, of course I want to try this tea with a bit of cream. Adding cream mellows out the tea and brings out the caramel but making it more like caramelized sugar rather than candy. As the tea cools it has a slightly toasted marshmallow taste to it. This tea is a perfect example of sweet dessert tea, and makes a great substitute for an actual dessert at the end of the meal.

On a fun note, tomorrow will start a “Theme Week” the Pu-Erh week worked so well so I am going to try a different spin on it. Experiments are fun! For blogs and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/culinary-teas-caramel-tea-tea-review.html

I received this in the box of samples I purchased from LiberTEAS. Thank you!

I really really wanted to love this tea. Strawberry and lemon, it sounds like the perfect combination. The hint of floral and the way the strawberry was presented in this tea just didn’t quite do it for me, but this is a kind of tea I would like to keep trying. Maybe there is a different brand that does the same type of tea a different way.

This particular variety of Russian earl grey is very aromatic before the water even begins to mix with the leaves. Once your leaves are introduced you are hit with the pleasant notes of lemongrass and citrus. Obviously should be expected as they are two of the main ingredients, but it brings you to a new place where you forget about the tea and indulge in the calming effects of this fusion between stout black tea and elegant extras that the group at Culinary Teas were so kind to expertly take the time to perfectly blend. With a normal steeping time of about 4-5 minutes. The dark amber color begins to show, the leaves and other ingredients begin to rehydrate and blossom. This being said I am adding my water at just below a boil, as to give the cup a chance to cool as it steeps. The taste instantly mixes the scents of Earl Grey with the Asian flare of lemongrass and just an extra touch of Spanish orange but as not to overpower the now more subtle nuance of bergamot. The group at Culinary Teas really put a lot of effort into this one and every time I smell the scents coming from my cup, I can just tell. Enjoy!

I bought a one OZ sample of this in late November, 2011, having brewed it twice (most recently on 1/20/2014).

Overall: I’m keeping this review very simple. I just brewed it up for my wife (in the midst of doing my pu-erh toucha sessions), using my standard black tea parameters (although I used my 16oz glass Victorian), and I am impressed with its flavor: I don’t drink brandy often, but I do like it, and this definitely tastes like brandy. The peppermint comes though nicely as well. Not artificial taste either. And, the leaf is at least two years old to boot. I am not a huge flavor-added tea guy, but I am impressed with this tea. My wife likes it as well.

I was really excited to see this in my package from ifjuly. Thank you so much.
I LOVE pecan pie. If asked, what my favorite pie is – depending on the season, I would either say pecan or pumpkin. If you’ve been following me you know that I’ve explored quite a few pumpkin teas – there aren’t as many pecan ones out there, so was really hoping for this one.

All in all, I like it. I am perfectly happy drinking this tea. I think Culinary Teas have something in their blends that remind me of dark/bitter chocolate. That’s great if it’s a chocolate strawberry tea you are drinking, not so good if it’s pecan pie. To me this is a chocolate, pecan tea. I love nutty, chocolate teas – so I’m good, but I don’t need chocolate in my pecan pie.

My boss brought some of this tea in and it’s incrdible!! She and a friend would go to a tea room in Oakhurst, California run by a family friend to get this particular tea. She brought some in for us to try and I’m hooked!! It’s such a lovely fruity/coconuty tea. So delicious!!

Tea #28 from the Here’s Hoping TTB

This tea wasn’t what I expected at all, but then again the only thing I’ve had before with elderberry was wine, so I really have no idea what it tastes like. This was surprisingly floral, almost rose flavored. I was expecting more of a sweet/tart berry flavor, rather than floral. I the background notes there were hints of sweetness and tartness which somewhat confused the senses. It really runs the gamut as far as flavors go and because of this I can’t quite figure out if I like it or not. I’m edging more towards not because the more I drink of it the more it reminds me of potpourri. I will say that it was much better hot than at room temperature.

Before I start my day I figured I’d make a cup of this which I got in a trade with Shadowfall. The hazelnut and vanilla are very light but still present. Kinda like they are playing peek-a-boo with your taste buds. I think I would enjoy it a bit more if the vanilla flavor had more presence.

Backlog:

A really good “every day” type of jasmine tea. (Pearls can be expensive if you’re drinking them everyday!) A sweet, vegetative, floral cup.

A little bit buttery, creamy, with a slight grassy undertone. A good, economical jasmine for those of us who like to have a cup of jasmine every day!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/10/09/jasmine-flowers-green-tea-culinary-teas/

Had this for my morning tea with cookies. This is a good dessert tea but better to go short on the steeping time, I left my first cup for a tad of 3 minutes and it was too much, bitter. This second cup hits the spot, slightly sweet and creamy chocolate taste. I love the weekend so sad that tomorrow is Monday… but on the plus side, my Verdant Tea Black Friday order should be coming in :)