Just for JacquelineM, I put this together before leaving for a wedding in Charleston, SC. She suggested the pairing, so I used one tsp. of each, thinking that my mug was 12 ounces. I found out later that it only holds ten with the infuser in it, but it didn’t do any harm. The extra leaf didn’t make this bitter or too strong.
The first thing I noticed was how peppery the rose smelled, just like what I get from some Yunnan teas. I didn’t notice this when I made Rose Scented plain, but picked it up when I mixed it with Mao Feng yesterday and today with Queen Catherine. Perhaps it was there and I just didn’t notice the first time I made it.
The tea itself is very, very smooth. I added no sugar or milk but it is sweet and good. The rose has taken a back seat, almost too much so. I picked it up more in the aftertaste, but as I continued drinking I tasted it a little more. Perhaps a better ratio for blending this for me is 2/3 rose with 1/3 other black tea.
For the last half of this mug, I added sugar to see what effect it would have. I actually DISLIKE it with sugar! The light rose was all the sweetness this needed.
For my morning cup, I think I still prefer to make Queen Catherine or English Breakfast (100% Keemun) and add milk and sugar. For an after breakfast cup, this is VERY nice. I don’t think that I prefer it over the Rose Scented by itself, but changing things up is good!
So Jacqueline, the final verdict is…..Rose Scented tastes great mixed with Queen Catherine, and no additions needed!
Just checked the dry leaf of Rose Scented by itself and that peppery-spicy rose aroma IS there. I mostly noticed the sweetness the first time I had a cup. It doesn’t taste spicy, however. It is very sweet!