St. Petersburg

Sipdown (205)!

The last of the three free sachets that Kusmi added to my order! I actually thought that I’d tried this one before – but I don’t appear to have logged it on steepster so I’m wondering which tea I’m mixing it up with?

Anyway – I found this one pretty solid but ultimately somewhat average. Part of that is of course that I’m not the world’s biggest Earl Grey fan although I do appreciate the occasional cup of it. I kind of thought the bergamot in this particular blend was sort of “middle of the road” in regard to how strong it was. It was also complimented by lavender, caramel, and red currant notes. I appreciated that this was obviously a non-traditional EG but that it didn’t get too crazy as far as the extra flavours/ingredients in it go. I doubt I’d ever want to stock this one, especially given that Kusmi tins come in 125g quantities typically – but as a one off cup? I definitely enjoyed and appreciated it.

The black tea in this brew is a bit dull in flavour and can only really be savoured on the finish. The bergamot is only slightly detectable

Holiday TTB #5: I think I didn’t steep this long enough or something, because there was just not a lot of anything going on here

A few weeks ago I had gotten a 25 tea sampler by Kusmi (Bought on Amazon, because I was having trouble ordering from the Kusmi site.) This is the 2nd tea, but the 1st wasn’t inspiring enough for me to write a review.

I like this tea well enough that I wouldn’t turn down a cup but considering the insane prices of their teas…if it ends up being that way for all of the teas I try from that sampler…I am completely fine with that. If I had a better job maybe then I would be able to justify a once a year buy of Kusmi teas….but even then I highly doubt it.

Only have this tea if you like bergamot. While the caramel and fruit taste do somewhat take over, bergamot is still very much there. I like bergamot so this is not a problem. But since the taste of this tea reminds me alot of Tower of London and that TOL is a lot more accessible for me…well there is another handy excuse for not buying more of this tea.

This tea is so well rounded, I can’t find edges of flavors to define. There may be some vanilla, but it blends so seamlessly into the subtle spicy notes that I can’t quite be sure. I prefer my teas to have more bite, but this one would do to fit a somber mood.

Ashmanra is now a GRANDMA! Last night, my son and his wife became the parents of twin boys! They are, of course, adorable. You had no doubt, right?

I can not believe this tea is not in my cupboard, but I didn’t bother to add it because I am only have one teaspoon left! It would be satisfying to check it off as a sipdown, though!

There is more caramel in the aroma than in the taste to me, but this is a very good blend and I enjoy it for breakfast sans additions. The taste and briskness do linger a bit after the meal (waffles and maple syrup) but it is a pleasant briskness.

I am also getting low on Anastasia, so a Kusmi order might be in my future but there is no rush. The shop that carried this in Raleigh has closed and it will have to be an online order. I would like to have Troika again, too!

Good stuff, and this was a gift from Superanna. :)

Finally some Kusmi tea that hasn’t been sitting in the cupboard for several years!

This was an excellent wake up call this morning (okay, afternoon). With the black base present, but not overpowering, and strong raspberry notes, I could see myself drinking quite a lot of this in the future. Next comes a fairly light caramel note and there’s just a hint of floral in there too. I wouldn’t have guessed that berries and caramel would mix that well, but it works. Haven’t had much from Kusmi yet, and I’ve got quite a few new ones to try, but so far this is my favourite by them.

This tastes like potent candied citrus notes because of the the bergamot; can also detect notes of berries, and sweet notes of caramel. Interesting tea but not my taste. It makes me want to visit France and see Kusmi’s full selection though!

Thank you Cameron B. for this sample. My first Kusmi tea!

This tea is nice, but all of the flavors are so subdued that I find myself wanting more. I wish the bergamot was just a bit stronger, and I keep hoping for a little more berry flavor. The caramel note is present more as the tea cools, to and while it’s nice it’s not enough to make me want more. All together it’s a nice enough blend, but it’s nothing that I have to have in my cupboard.

The caramel comes out with milk and sugar. There is a bit of “dried fruit.” Brewing it stronger would have helped.