Elmwood Inn

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83
drank Kentucky Blend by Elmwood Inn
1233 tasting notes

Another sample from my previous order. The dry leaf aroma is nice. Dry wood and other woody notes. The flavor is also full of different woody notes and that hint of smokiness. There is also a hint of dark chocolate as it cools.

On a side note: Do you read the Throne of Glass series? I made a blend to represent Aelin last night and it turned out rather well.

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73

This was an advent tea from Lexie that fell through the cracks and didn’t get brewed on schedule. But bonus for me, I get to enjoy new to me tea in January! This is a nice earthy shou, quite drinkable with a bit of dirt and a bit of barnyard thrown in. There is some astringency here, could be I brewed this too fast for the tiny pressed leaf. Its a quite pleasant cup, though I have plenty of other shou to sip down so I don’t think I need this in my cupboard. Thanks Lexie!

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84

This tea is part of the class ADV.01 but is also available on their website as Ceylon Gold. This is a FBOPFEXS grade. Meaning it was time-consuming to create and will be more expensive than your typical black tea. This is the type you will never find in a bag. My first cupping was done officially, 5 Min, 20fF, and 3g. The dry leaf I find to be interestingly sweet with sugared wood notes. Maple. And vinsanto! The wet leaf is also sweet but a bit more cherrywood. When infused this way it reveals a very drying sensation. To the point that you feel the need to drink water. It is astringent as well but that is to be expected. The sweetness tapers off quite a bit and lends itself to the woody, resin, and lacquer flavors. As it cools rosewood flavors develop. In fact, I would say I enjoy this one more when it is cool. When in infused in my personal way the woodiness comes out stronger with less resin and lacquer. A strange note of raspberry just note as well. Maybe I’m overthinking that. ^^; This is a good black tea but to be honest it’s not going on my list of “I need this on my shelf.”

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drank Black Currant by Elmwood Inn
3226 tasting notes

Sipdown

This is a tea I would gladly repurchase. It is great with breakfast hot and plain, lovely as a sweet tea iced at lunch, nice with afternoon chocolates or cookies. The black tea base is a nice tea and not just a carrier for flavoring. The fruitiness of the black currant is present but not candy-like and it doesn’t smack of chemicals.

Just a very nice tea. I would love to try more from this company someday.

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drank Black Currant by Elmwood Inn
3226 tasting notes

January Sipdown Prompt – a tea blended in your home country

I have enough of this left for one more pot. I really think a repurchase is going to happen eventually. I knew nothing about this company and this tea was a gift, so I only found out today that it is blended here in the US and the company is much bigger than I initially imagined. (This was a gift so I knew nothing about the company.)

When I looked them up today I saw lots of teas I would like to try, but I plan to behave and not order anything for myself for a while. I may order a few teas for gift giving, though.

This is so smooth and the fruit flavor is fresh and full. It is very good hot and at iced. I had it both ways today. As a summer refresher pitcher, it is really delightful, but it is very welcome as a hot breakfast tea as well.

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drank Black Currant by Elmwood Inn
3226 tasting notes

October Sipdown Challenge – a tea that reminds you of a favorite place

This review will pretty much match my last.

I was unfamiliar with black currant flavor until I tried a sample of Harney’s about fourteen years ago. It was okay.

Fast forward to Derry, Northern Ireland about nine years ago and I am surprised to see that EVERYTHING is black currant flavored – children’s medicine, candy, drinks. It was the first time in my life going out of the country. It was a huge adventure for me and I loved it.

The fruity flavor of black currant will probably eternally remind me of that trip. I especially like this tea because of the base. The fruit shines instead of competing with fruity notes in the base. I also enjoy Nostalgia which is a little easier to get your hands on here.

Courtney

I love this story!

ashmanra

I would love to go back!

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drank Black Currant by Elmwood Inn
3226 tasting notes

Youngest brought this today for a family gathering at my house. Black currant will probably always remind me of Ireland, and of our breakfasts in the little café, trying every scone they carried (not all at once! A new one each day!)

They (some of the folks we were with) drank a lot of Ribena and just black currant water ordered by the pitcher in restaurants. Black currant was not something I grew up with, thus the powerful association of that trip.

As for this tea, it was deliciously fruity and was a guaranteed winner for having a Keemun base. We had it hot, but I see the company recommends it as an iced tea, which is probably delicious like Nostalgia, another black currant tea that I love given to me by Youngest. I like this better than the Harney version, because I prefer the base.

gmathis

Sounds just lovely. … Ribena?
David found a webcam pointed directly at the Temple Bar in Dublin and we’ve been having fun watching passers by. Today, 11:30 their time, he said there was an odd parade of people in costume, including a human traffic cone.

ashmanra

Dublin was really something. I wish we could have spent more time there. That webcam sounds fun!

Nattie

Haha, as someone from the UK who knows a whole host of people who go there for the same reason, I can quite confidently predict that the traffic cone parade was most likely a stag do.

ashmanra

Oooooh, that makes sense, Nattie! Thanks!

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drank Farmer's Market by Elmwood Inn
1299 tasting notes

maybe this one just needs some sweetener but right not it’s tart and acidic with the hibiscus, rosehips, lemon, and lime… The loose leaf for this one is quite varied since it’s all fruit. Maybe I just got a lot of citrus in my strainer.

AJRimmer

I thought about ordering this one but talked myself out of it because I really wasn’t sure if those ingredients would be great together.

Lexie Aleah

I need to try it again and see if the results are better.

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76

With just milk and sugar, the flavor here is decent, but it doesn’t really stand out from other decaf EGs. The black tea is quite unassuming, and the bergamot is on the milder side. It’s definitely improved with a splash of vanilla extract. I’ve also enjoyed it with some added lavender. Whenever I have a decaf EG on the shelf, it becomes my most frequently consumed beverage until it’s gone. It’s just such a reliable tea. This one isn’t remarkable enough to get again, but I know I’ll finish my 3.5 ounces in no time at all.

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80
drank Blueberry Infusion by Elmwood Inn
2284 tasting notes

I was actually going to buy a different tea, but there were so many glowing reviews on their website for this one that I chose this instead. Brewed hot and then chilled, this was so tart that it wasn’t super pleasant. Cold brewed and sweetened a lot, it was pretty good. It was still quite tart, but the berry flavor gained some richness/fullness. It definitely doesn’t rank among my favorite fruity teas, but I do appreciate it for how authentic the blueberries taste. It’s nice to not have any weird artificial nonsense going on, though I wish the tartness could be dialed back a bit.

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68
drank Banana Split by Elmwood Inn
2284 tasting notes

I opened this a month after receiving it because I always worry about coconut going off. Really the main thing I taste is not too fresh coconut, though it’s not bad yet. It also creates a pretty gross film on top of the water. I wish the banana were tons stronger. I tried cold steeping it in almond milk, and that didn’t result in a super strong flavor. Maybe more banana that way at least. I want to use up my container as quickly as possible, so I’ve continued cold brewing it in almond milk. 36 hours does lead to a somewhat tropical flavor that sort of clashes with the almond milk but also sort of works. I’ve finished over half of the tin like this, and I do enjoy that tropical almond milk flavor, but not enough to buy it again.

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78
drank Strawberry Rhubarb by Elmwood Inn
2284 tasting notes

The scent of this reminds me of a Teavana tea I had two pounds of many years ago. We can definitely say that I was tired of the flavor by the end of that, but I’m ready for it again. It tastes pretty heavy and fruity. Strawberry rhubarb seems like an accurate description. It’s quite rich, so I should probably shorten my steep time. Sometimes it gets to be a little too much. It’s super fruity without being too tart. It has a lot of barley in it, which makes the flavor interesting and not just the same as so many other teas.

tea-sipper

Two pounds of any tea and I’m probably done. haha.

AJRimmer

I think I found it for super cheap on eBay? I certainly wouldn’t do it again!

tea-sipper

At least you somewhat enjoyed it and didn’t hate it

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78

Sipdown (616)!

A share from VariaTEA!

I don’t know if this is a company or an actual inn/hotel – but regardless I’m almost certain I’ve never tried any tea from them. I wasn’t sure what to except from this one; I’m not a big green tea drinker (but slowly becoming more open to them) but I do LOVE rose blends. Turns out this is a really good happy medium for me because even though I thought it had a medium bodied and present grassy/green bean quality the flavour was dominated by top notes of fresh, floral seeming rose notes and a soft, delicate lingering rose flavour in the end of the sip as well. Not much in the way of cherry; but hints of it in the body alongside the green tea.

It made for a very peaceful and relaxing mid-afternoon cup of tea, which it turns out is exactly what I needed to stay focused enough to complete the baking/cooking that I had to do for our staff meeting last night. So thanks a lot for the share VariaTEA! This was really lovely!

VariaTEA

Glad you enjoyed it :)

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80

I purchased this tea while visiting the Boston Tea Party Museum on a trip to Boston. This tea has a deep color and smells like you’ve just open a fresh loaf of bread, with a hint of smoke. Once brewed, the color is a deep golden-brown. The flavor is smooth and not too bitter. In fact, it has a hint of sweetness to it. This tea would make a good everyday tea to have as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

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70

Tea Swap
Sipdown

Work tea session

A smoky glass of bourbon without the burn. Slightly bitter, yet smooth?

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27

There is a large display of teas from Elmwood Inns at the local International Market I frequently shop at. I decided to take a chance and purchase one just to check out the brand itself. Elmwood’s website appears that they take the tea craft very seriously which peaked my interest. Elmwood’s “Tea Maestro” owner has written 14 books on Tea and frequently lectures around the country at Tea events. They even seem to have a “Tea School” or “Master Class” seminar offered in Kentucky which is where they are headquartered. I decided to try a Green Tea and, sadly, the only one I could find not full of additives was a Sencha and Hyson. I decided to test my luck with the Hyson having never tried that particular style. It was marketed as “The American Revolution: Boston Tea Party” in reference to this being one of the main teas thrown overboard in Boston harbor in 1773. It evidently was also a favorite of Thomas Jefferson. It is a “Young Hyson” which is what you want to see as well from all that I have read. Sadly, after all that build up, this tea completely failed to impress. That is actually the kindest thing I can say. It smelled terribly musty which I don’t think I have ever experienced with a Green Tea. It smelled almost like a poor quality cooked Puer. When I brewed it, I found that I needed to wash the tea which I normally only have to do with select Blacks, Puer and Oolongs. There was so much tea dust in the tin that it created an absurdly dark brew within seconds. Almost like I was brewing from a tea bag. I did a 2nd infusion and it really didn’t improve much. The third infusion was the only one I really was able to drink the tea from. The taste was very astringent despite the gentle brew of 175 °F / 2 Min 30 Sec. The musty scent was also infused in the taste and I found it completely off-putting. I had a little more success when I switched from a single serving mug/infuser to a cast iron Japanese tea pot. I eventually started to get some green tea flavor with a slight citrus aftertaste using this method. The irony of this being marketed as an American Revolution Tea is that is tastes like it has been sitting in a basement since the 18th century. I’m sorry if this is not a good representation of what Elmwood has to offer. I would be embarrassed to sell this if I was them.

Flavors: Citrus, Musty

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 9 OZ / 266 ML

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97

LOVE this tea.
It has a touch of Lapsang Souchung … somewhat like a Scottish Breakfast Tea I once found in San Francisco…
Great stuff if you like a good stout cuppa!

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85

Lovely and fresh for this appallingly hot and humid day. Rose, cherry, and sencha go remarkably well together, especially when one is wilting rapidly.

Flavors: Cherry, Green, Rose

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 15 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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85

I love black tea and I always wanted to try a rose tea, so if you are looking for both of those things like I was…then this tea is for you! The rose scent and taste overpowers this tea, but I find the taste and smell pleasant and romantic. I would buy this tea again.

Flavors: Rose

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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95

This is a full-flavored tisane, or caffeine-free infusion, with lots of yummy berry flavor. Perfect warm or iced, good for kids, and also ideal for baby showers where the mommy-to-be is probably going caffeine-free.

Please see my full review here:
http://thirstyfortea.com/2013/07/24/elmwood-inns-blueberry-caffeine-free-fruit-infusion/

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Indian Chai by Elmwood Inn
1 tasting notes

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I think I put a little too much honey in this; I could barely taste the tea itself. I’ll have to try it again.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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