teataku

Almond Indulgence (Formerly Almond Cookie) from Butiki Teas

teataku drank Almond Indulgence (Formerly Almond Cookie) by Butiki Teas

I got this as a sample with my Winter Sampler set. The loose leaf smelled promising, but not quite as strong as I thought it should be with a name like “Almond Indulgence.” I was more expecting to be smacked upside the head with an almond extract-like heaviness, but I didn’t get that. I actually didn’t get much almond flavor at all, and the same was true for the brew.

From the first few sips, I sort of got the “cookie” from its former name, but the almond was almost completely lost. It was an attempt at subtlety that came across as timidity. :(

The flavor wasn’t bad, though. It was a tasty black tea, although the leaves were a bit crumb-like. I don’t think I’ll order it, since I love Teavana’s Almond Biscotti and The English Tea Room’s Ciao Amaretto SO MUCH, but I’m glad I got to try it. :)

2011-11-28 15:00:14 -0500

200 °F / 93 °C

2 min 45 sec

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I very clearly remember my first experience with tea. It was in a Target near my house, and my best friend handed me a cup of chai from the Starbucks inside the store and said, “Try this.” I believe I was about 12 at the time, and from then on, I was completely hooked.

Anyway, as my increasingly weirded out family will tell you, my obsession with tea has (almost) steadily escalated since then. I discovered the world of tea slowly, first with just chai, and then with bagged teas I could get from supermarkets and specialty stores, and then with loose leaf teas. I mostly shop for tea at Teavana, but I also patronize other local shops that I’ve discovered within the last couple of years. I’ve ordered a smattering of teas from a few online places, but I’m always leery of buying tea online, since most of how I select teas in person is by smell… unless I’m at The English Tea Room.

My favorite types of tea are blacks and flavored blacks. And oolongs. Right underneath that are rooiboses and whites, and then greens and herbals, and then mates. I’m always looking for a new favorite (I get on tea kicks, which are various lengths of time in which I’ll drink one or two teas religiously, and then I’ll switch), but I appreciate rediscovering old favorites. I like to blend teas, but I never store them that way, mostly because I like to leave myself options.

I prefer nutty/sweet/rich teas to fruity/light-flavored teas or bold/full-bodied teas, but I do try to drink some of everything to widen my palate. I’m always willing to try any tea at least once (except this one tea that Teavana mercifully discontinued… the loose leaf smelled like cheese, I swear). I do perhaps rate teas a little leniently… because I’m not very picky. I will try a tea at least three times before I pronounce that I hate it, and I will always focus on the good aspects of a tea rather than the bad. That’s just how I roll. :3