Arbor Teas

Nearing the end of this sample… I’ll be sad to see it go.

May have brewed it a little weak today. I’ve been brewing single cups lately, so I think I forgot how to properly brew a pot. Still good, though. I love love love Indian black teas.

Bumped up a few points because I’ve been getting a serious craving for this one lately. It’s becoming my go-to black tea.

With a bit of amber sugar. I’m really digging on this tea.

Breakfast blends can be a bit harsh on my stomach, so I was interested in trying something that was meant to be a bit more mellow. This was pretty basic… in a good way. A good staple tea.

I’ve never had Nilgiri on its own, only in a few blends I’ve tried. It smells and tastes similar to a Ceylon… a bit brighter and crisper than I usually like for a hot tea. Like Ceylon, it’s a taste I neither crave nor dislike. It should probably work well iced.

Iced the rest of the pot with a bit of agave. Definitely works better sweetened.

Only my second experience with jasmine, and I don’t drink much green tea otherwise, so I don’t have much to compare this to, other than A&D’s Damn Fine version. I wish I’d tried this first to get a proper opinion, because right now all I can think is that I just don’t like it as much.

The taste is a bit milder, and a bit less sweet. There is a flavor coming across that I can’t quite put my finger on… not altogether unpleasant, just different. Not a bad cup, just nothing that wows me.

Starting to whittle down my collection of Assams. This one has come to an end. It was a good, basic Assam… but I don’t think it will be a re-order.

My first early morning cup in quite some time… Had to cut back on caffeine for awhile. I got up, filled the kettle, sat down and waited for the whistle. And waited. And waited.

You know what helps the kettle boil? Turning on the burner. Yeah… this cup couldn’t have come soon enough.

Not nearly as dark as it appeared yesterday, but still a good color. After adding sugar, I’m getting a distinct honey-like taste… which is interesting. I had to go back and make sure I knew which tea I’d actually brewed, because this morning’s cup seems completely different from the last. Yummy, just the same.

Part of the Indian tea sampler. (The Adagio black sampler taught me that I prefer Indian over Chinese, now I’ll learn which Indian tea I prefer. Good deal.)

I’ll have to remember to use one of my white cups next time, because the color coming out of the teapot spout looked much darker and more red than I’m used to, and I’d really like to see it. The flavor was very rich, very smooth and pretty malty. I’m a fan.

Love this tea. I use a bit more sugar than I would otherwise deem acceptable in tea, but it works well with the vanilla.

Got my teas from Arbor Teas less than 18 hours after I placed the order… I didn’t even know they were downstairs until my husband came home. Huzzah for local delivery.

The dry leaves smell like good vanilla extract… somewhat alcoholic, but delicious. The taste is soft and smooth, and works pretty well with a bit of sugar. Yum-my.

Edit: The empty cup now smells like toasted marshmallows. Weird and awesome.

Finished this off by making an iced pitcher. Good hot, good cold. The cinnamon taste seems more suited to hot, but when made cold it’s pleasantly tasty.