This is a sample I’ve held on to for a while. Right now, I’ve got massive amount of black tea samples to sift through before I allow myself to buy more, and this was one of them. It’s not bad in a Generic Chinese Black Tea sort of way, but it’s not great either. Malty, a little more bitter than I’d like — and also a bit bland. I think its price basically reflects this (CA $4.95/50 grams). It’s reasonable, but I still wouldn’t pay for shipping from Canada to get more of this. There are a lot of broken, crushed leaves, which may be what makes this tea more bitter than I’d generally expect from a tea like this. I needed to add sugar to it in order to drink, and that’s not something I generally do with better quality Chinese teas.
I’ve not been particularly impressed by any of the teas I’ve tried from this company, but I know it’s new so I’m not writing it off forever. It will be interesting to watch the company grow — and to see if the tea selection improves.
I did brew it Western style, which may not have helped matters. But I did it per the instructions provided on the packet because I was in a hurry. 2 tsp., 2 cups water, 4 minutes, 100 degrees C. Also… Really, such small broken leaves don’t lend themselves to gongfu brewing.
Flavors: Bread, Malt, Molasses
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Wait a second… Now I’ve just realized they’ve got about 50 retail locations throughout Quebec, Ontario and even into the US. If I had known this, I’d have given it a lower score. The company is new, isn’t it? I remember getting these samples right when they opened? This sort of quick expansion seems like a recipe for disaster, and not a good idea for a new tea company. They’re into wholesale too? When did this happen? There must have been a ton of money put into it at the beginning if they’re this big after just a few months.
I wasn’t impressed with the samples I received either. I’m not entirely sure how the expanded so quickly. Good business owners I guess?
Good business owners, maybe… t least good marketers. Or just independently wealthy starting out?
Wait a second… Now I’ve just realized they’ve got about 50 retail locations throughout Quebec, Ontario and even into the US. If I had known this, I’d have given it a lower score. The company is new, isn’t it? I remember getting these samples right when they opened? This sort of quick expansion seems like a recipe for disaster, and not a good idea for a new tea company. They’re into wholesale too? When did this happen? There must have been a ton of money put into it at the beginning if they’re this big after just a few months.
I wasn’t impressed with the samples I received either. I’m not entirely sure how the expanded so quickly. Good business owners I guess?
Good business owners, maybe… t least good marketers. Or just independently wealthy starting out?