Pumpkin Creme Brulee

What. a. week. It started with a light tap on my car bumper, and pretty much ended with calling a code on my floor at work. I’m glad it’s Friday, and I’ve got today and tomorrow (and most of Sunday) off.

My schedule is really wonky since I work nights now, but I was up to greet my boyfriend as he left for work and decided to make a latte out of my first time with this tea. It was definitely a good decision!

Steep notes: 2 tsp. leaf, 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, and 1.5 tsp. sugar.

This reminded me very strongly of the pumpkin chai from David’s Tea, in terms of spices and pumpkin flavor. This didn’t have any real ginger or cardamom, though – I mostly got cinnamon. There was also a custardy note (probably really helped by the milk and sugar) and it did kind of remind me of creme brulee! I went ahead and steeped the tea for the length of the cup and there wasn’t any astringence, either.

I will say that though 2013 is shaping up to be and has already been a rough year so far, I at least have discovered good tea to help guide me through it. The little things, right? Between Butiki and Della Terra I think it’s a good thing I’ve got some extra income on my hands….

This note is going to be brief as this wasn’t my favorite of the day, but I didn’t exactly follow the parameters, the toddler had run off with the timer earlier. I also made the mistake of not having protein in the morning and hypoglycemia+ caffeine sensitive=very shaky, like I have not been in forever, but I’m blaming myself and the pancakes. Plus I’m not the biggest fan of Ceylon blends and have only had one other pumpkin tea, but will give this another go or two. It wasn’t as decadent as i expected but was quite tasty as it cooled. however it was totally eclipsed by the other two amazing Butiki teas today. But logged till later.

I could have swore that I had already used up this sample, but there it was tonight in my sample basket. Wow, this really reminds me of a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but better because of the creme brulee aspect. The base is smooth with very little astringency and the spice and pumpkin are in perfect harmony. I’ve had other pumpkin teas that should have been called spice teas, but the pumpkin in this tea is clearly the star. I’m a sucker for anything and everything pumpkin this time of the year so I’m pretty glad this got lost in my sample basket until tonight.

This is super good, but then, everything I’ve had from Butiki has been good. Okay, I’m sold – onto my shopping list this goes.

My first impression of Butiki Teas, and a great one at that.
The owner, Stacy, added many samples to my order (in fact she emailed me so I could choose them) and a nice handwritten thank you note.

This is as close to a pumpkin flavored tea as you can get.
The base is marvelous, the spices are perfect, and it tastes like ripe pumpkin and cream. You can really taste all of that in each sip and I really like the mouthfeel of it. I’m getting into black teas, slowly but surely.

‘’So many fall teas, so little time.’’

Good lord, this is an incredible tea.

I just got some Pumpkin Chai from DavidsTea today, and I almost wish I would have tried it, first. I don’t see how any other pumpkin tea could compare to this. It is fantastic, and I don’t even really like pumpkin all that much. It’s just so soft and creamy and flavorful, absolutely delicious.

So, in the middle of another string of 100 degree days and I am drinking a hot tea better suited as a treat after raking leaves on a cool, windy fall day.

One thing I really like about Butiki Teas is that they tell you what kind of tea base they use in their flavored teas. This tea uses an organic Ceylon base-many companies would just list “black teas” on their flavored teas and you’d have no idea what it was. I also love that the base is organic-how often do you see that in a blend? Butiki teas really respects its customers and I greatly appreciate that.

The tea itself is delicious. I can’t really compare it to a “real” pumpkin creme brulee as I’ve been vegan so long, I’ve never had one. However, the pumpkin is very natural and it has that amazing creme flavoring that is also in the Canteloupe and Cream tea. Some reviews have felt they tasted too much cinnamon or too much nutmeg, I feel the balance between the two is just right. It is not a super sweet tea, however it is perfectly drinkable without sweetener. Butiki recommends adding brown crystal sugar (which I think is the same as rock sugar?) and it certainly brings out more flavors that way, but I appreciate the fact that it’s left up to me whether I want to add sugar or not as opposed to dousing the whole bag with sugar.

This tea just oozes Autumn and I can’t wait to get some more when (or if) the weather cools this October. I’ll definitely be having this with some pumpkin pie during the holidays.

The Butiki tasting marathon continues! The dry leaf aroma is pumpkin spices. The brewed tea aroma is a baked pumpkin confection. Boy, I can smell butter. So excited!!!

Surprisingly, it’s pretty bland straight. I added a little bit of sweetener and that’s when it had flavor. I’m not getting anything in the way of crème brulée sadly. I’ll reserve final judgment until I try it again with more leaf. As it is, I used about 2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water, which is twice the recommended amount.

Granted I had high expectations, so I don’t want to be overly harsh. But if I could only have one pumpkin tea for the rest of my life, I’d choose DAVIDsTEA’s Pumpkin Chai.

I added a couple more pumpkin chips to the second infusion, which was 4 minutes. I also added both milk and sugar this time. It’s definitely an enjoyable cup of tea. It’s just not my perfect pumpkin tea.

This is like having Fall in my cup! I love the spices I’m tasting here. I’m really picking up on the nutmeg and something else that is giving this a big creme brulee flavor with just a hint of pumpkin. Let me tell you that hint is amazing. The finish of this tea tastes like a big slice of pumpkin pie goodness. Yum all around!

Thank you so much Stacy for this sample!

This smells lovely. I am definitely getting nutmeg in the smell.

I love pumpkin teas! This was really good. It was a little light on the pumpkin flavour but it was good anyway. There was a little burnt sugar background. The nutmeg is present and tasty as well.

I might have to get more of this, it would be great in the fall.

Received my order from Butiki Teas this morning and am very excited to experience what others have already been raving about!

A cold, dreary, slightly damp June day here – it reminds me of Fall. I chose this offering from my order because it seems to be fitting of a Fall-like tea.

I like how Stacy has included brewing recommendations for her teas because I would have gone heavier on the leaf – that’s my natural default. I did only use 6 oz of water for the teaspoon of leaf and went 15 second too long (from the recommendation) on the steep. But the resulting cup is delicious – and that’s even without adding anything, something I never do! The taste is not really strong, but oddly I like that. Its just enough to stand on its own. Pumpkin and spice fill the nose and the mouth. No bitterness! To me it’s more like a pumpkin pie taste rather than a créme brûlée; I’m not getting the creamy, but that could be due to just having had a peanut butter rice cake before this.

Tried a second cup with (new leaf and) the same brewing parameters, but added a 1/2 tsp. of brown sugar to the cup, but tasted no difference. Another 1/2 tsp. later, it just tasted sweeter, still no creaminess.

A third cup using the combined leaves from the previous two cups and soaking for 3 1/2 minutes produced a still fragrant cup of pumpkin spice, but the spice is lighter in taste.

Nonetheless, I’m a happy camper! I really like that I can enjoy this without sweetener. Come to think of it, this might be the first black tea I like without it! Thank you Stacy!

This tea is so smooth and delicious. I thought I was enjoying it straight, that is, until I added a wee bit of brown sugar as suggested. Gah. So creamy and amazing.

Thank you to Stacey! This tea is divine! Pumpkin, spices, sweetness, creamy. I was excited to try this one this morning makes it okay that I got up so darn early.

This is a delicious tea, especially with a little soy milk. I wish there was a little more pumpkin flavor though, because for me, the cinnamon dominated. Overall, though, very enjoyable.

Stacy from Butiki sent me a sample of this along with my order. Thanks!

From the first whiff, I knew that this tea was something special. I’ve never tasted a pumpkin tea with a flavor so natural. It’s absolutely delicious and creamy. The spices are subtle which reminds me of a slice of pumpkin pie. I usually don’t enjoy resteeping flavored black teas, but the second steep still had lots of pumpkin flavor while the third steep had more prominent cinnamon notes.

My next order from Butiki is definitely going to include some of this tea. The price is comparable to pumpkin teas I’ve tried from Della Terra and DAVIDsTEA, but I find Butiki’s to be way more flavorful. Really, it’s a steal!

It’s been a long day thus far (I didn’t even realize it was Saturday until about an hour ago, that’s how distracted I’ve been!) and I was looking for something warm & comforting. This sample bag from my recent Butiki order jumped out at me immediately. I love anything pumpkin related, so I knew off the bat that I would love this tea.

My assumption was definitely not wrong! In the bag it smelled like pumpkin pie (my favorite kind of pie, so I was pretty excited!). As it steeped, the spices took the forefront of the aroma & I found myself staring at my timer trying to will it to go off.

The flavor of this is exactly as I imagined it. It tasted like autumny dreams. Spicy & creamy, pumpkiny and utterly delightful. Maybe an odd choice for a hot summer’s day, but not a bad choice because I loved it. I will definitely be purchasing this in large quantities once autumn draws near because you can’t have fall without pumpkins and what’s better than tea and pumpkins together as one! :)

Many thanks to Jenn for sending me a sample of this to try…

This is a pretty nice option for a dessert tea. It is pumpkin-y, and sweet and tasty. I did add some soymilk which I think pumped up the brulee/cream factor. My only tiny complaint is that is is very heavy on the nutmeg so that seemed to overwhelm the other flavors a bit for me. Still pretty yummy…

Wow, this tea is really wonderful! Warm pumpkin with nutmeg and cinnamon. Perfect tea for fall! Thanks Stacy for the sample :)

Nice balance of flavors, very subtle on the spice-mildly cinnamony. I used 3 gm/8 oz water and steeped for a little longer than recommended, just under 3 minutes to bring out the flavor more. This produced a smooth, creamy cup without any bitterness. I enjoyed this selection as a delicate dessert type tea. I’m still seeking a pumpkin spice that is a little more bold for when I am in the mood for something more Chai-like. I may get some more of the Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake from 52 Teas and try reducing the temp and steep time-the spicing was perfect, but it got a little bitter for my taste. I think it’s worth another try (oops, just realized it’s sold out. If anyone knows of something else like it, please let me know.)

My husband asked me to pick a tea for him to try (which is a rare thing for him to ask with him being a coffee lover) but I think this one would be something he would enjoy. I did take some sneaky sips though :)

I could taste cinnamon and something spicy yet earthy which may be the pumpkin and the nutmeg combined. An overall lovely chai with very pleasing tastes and nothing over powering. Again I tried this without sugar of any kind.

It becomes spicier the more you drink and has a warming effect which fits perfectly in hand for autumn/fall, it’s as though I have been wrapped up into a blanket.

Shall do a more detailed description at another time but so far so good.

My very sweet daughter Amanda bought me this tea. I have no idea why but I am on a “love of pumpkin” tea binge! Kind of strange for the middle of summer I guess but it all got started with Davids Pumpkin Chai.
This tea is very light in flavor but yet distinct. It is not over spiced with cinnamon etc.
which I really appreciate!
I am loving this one!