Firstly, a huge thank you to ::Nicole:: for the generous sample that sparked my fascination with this beautiful Russian tea blend! I loved it so much that I ordered a tin from Kusmi that arrived yesterday.
So, it’s a rainy weekend here in The Old Dominion. Rainy weekends just beg for a good book and good pot of tea to go with it. I am currently reading “The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra” by Helen Rappaport. Anastasia by Kusmi Teas was created around 1917/1918 in Paris after the company fled St. Petersburg at the start of the Russian Revolution. This tea was, indeed, named for the youngest daughter of the imperial family. Nothing like pairing an historical book with a matching historical tea!
But I digress. This tea is an amazing melange of citrus, orange blossom and honey flavors. The honey note really comes out with just a little bit of sugar. Lime is the dominant citrus flavor. The bergamot works brilliantly in the background. The Chinese and Ceylon base teas add breadiness and sparkle respectively. Strangely, there is an illusive scent reminiscent of sweet incense not unlike myrrh which is used in Russian Orthodox churches. Like it’s namesake, this tea possesses an element of mystery.
As I sip this tea it is quite easy for me to envision Nicholas and Alexandra, the beautiful grand duchesses and the young tsarevich at Tsarskoe Selo enjoying teatime together with a tea like this. It’s that good!
Flavors: Bergamot, Citrus, Honey, Lime, Orange Blossom