HarSha

This is a strong cuppa tea for first thing in the morning, and it is exactly what Mike Harney wanted it to be. The store description is accurate. Remembering that I am NOT a big fan of assams but don’t object to them blended with other teas, I thought I would be hiding under a chair from this one. While it is strong, it is also civil. I added milk and sugar. There is a noticeable fruitiness – like the muscatel of a darjeeling. Not a bad tea, but my brekkie favorites are still Chinese keemun and Fujian province teas! I think I should also try it with a much shorter steep next time.

Wow! This one took me by surprise! A wonderful tea with a hint of…grapefruit really isn’t it – the closest I can come to is that it tastes like a faint and pleasing flavor similar to St. Germain liqueur (which is one of my favorite spirits!). It’s in the background – this one is all about the tea – but a really nice grace note.

Another ‘gift’ from Jacqueline. Thanks J! This sample is extra special to me! When I found out that HarSha meant Bliss in Hindu I smiled…that just happens to be part of my real name (as well as my steepster name). This has a pleasant black tea smell with almost a semi smooth yet peppery and nutty scent mixed in. I’m just towards the end of the infusion time and I am very eager to try it. It’s medium brown in color. My water isn’t as hot as it should be…Oops!

Anyhow…this is a very pleasing to the senses type tea…not only to sniff but to sip. There is no after taste – which is great. It’s a very good go-to tea! Nice and even taste.

Tasted this tea at the H&S Flagship store last weekend. Lives up to the hype! A full-bodied, sophisticated, deep-flavored tea, HarSha is the most whole, rich breakfast tea I’ve ever tasted.

Full, but never heavy, HarSha will fill you up but not weigh you down.

I’m not a big fan of the English breakfast variety because of the richness, heaviness, and bitterness. But this one lacks all the qualities I dislike about English Breakfast blends. If you’re a fan of that type of tea, and want something that will make you feel rich enough to afford the most delicious tea in the world, this is the one you want to fulfill your fantasy. =)

Good first-of-the-morning cup—inviting aroma, incredibly smooth, full-bodied, malty with a slight fruity finish.

This is a good tea, but not my favorite. Surprisingly, the Darjeeling muscatel fruity flavor is initially much stronger than the Assam, which adds some body and depth to the Darjeeling. The malty, caramel taste of the Assam comes out more as an aftertaste.

Here’s another tea from Harney and Sons that scored high marks among other Steepsterites. Needless to say I purchased this with high expectations, so I suppose its unfortunate that I have to be the voice of dissent. I did find this blend to be interesting in the way its flavor seems to “morph” on that first sip. When it first it my tongue it seemed to have the champagne-like floral notes of a Darjeeling, yet as it traveled down the back of my mouth it seemed to change to a rich Assam with just a tiny hint of citrus on the finish. While that interesting “taste sensation” of the first cup did intrigue me I found that the more I drank, the poorer the tea began to taste. Ultimately tea began to leave an aftertaste in my mouth that I can only describe as “mildly seaweed-like”. I guess I’m trying to say this tea lost its appeal to me very quickly after the first cup. I’ve tried several subsequent brewing and have had the same results every time. Maybe its the water I’m using, maybe its not meant to be paired with sugar and milk. Either way (in my book) this tea just did not live up to the hype its found here on Steepster.

This is an okay breakfast tea for me. I can get three steeps out of it, and it takes well to lots of milk and sugar. I try to drink it plain, to see what the notes are, and nothing in particular stands out. Not a reflection on the tea; more a reflection on my tea rookie status. I’ll finish the canister but likely not re-order.

HarSha is the last tea that we are presenting this weekend. It has the highest quality leaves of the three blends, as well as the smoothest flavors and aromas. You don’t need to add a thing!

This tea has a nice, mellow aroma without any hint of smoke and a dark, translucent color. The taste is a bit dry, only slightly bitter; perhaps shortening the steep time will reduce this. A little sugar tempers the dryness a bit and a little cream helps as well, but the flavor is very subtle and somewhat unremarkable. It’s a decent brew, but I personally prefer a tea with little more depth and character to the flavor.