ok, wow… i was not expecting to need to dump this one out, but it was extremely bitter. The kind of bitter that no amount of sugar or additional water is going to cure.
I really think there is a packaging mistake here. My package states 1 tablespoon for 4-5 minutes and the website states 1 teaspoon for 3-5 minutes. I went with 1 tablespoon for 4 minutes @ 210 degrees.
I should have followed my gut when I saw the 1 tablespoon and reduced it, but no, i forged on ahead and followed the instructions on the package. Keep this in mind if you’ve got this one and I’ll post a real tasting note once I hear back from Utopia. I sent them an email to see what the directions are suppose to be.
Update:
Utopia responded quickly to help me out with my problem, there was indeed a mistake on my package. I see many orders in my future, I love it when companies have such awesome customer service, Jason emailed me at 8:20pm (well after normal business hours).
When you first open the package it smells overwhelmingly like almond extract, which for me isn’t a bad thing, I use almond extract in most of my baking because I really love it. This does taste like almond cookies and it amazes me that you can blend a tea to taste so closely to the Chinese almond cookies I love. This was exactly what I needed yesterday to help curb my sweet tooth, it really hit the spot.
Hot this was a little bitter, but that dissipated once the tea cooled. This is a tea you’ll want to keep an eye on because if you over steep it it will get really bitter fast. If you find yourself with a bitter cup of this tea just add a little water, toss it in the fridge to cool, add a hint of sugar and it mellows right out. I wasn’t paying attention to my timer last night and let one of my cups go for nearly 8 minutes. Whoops! I ended up drinking my over steeped cup with breakfast and it turned out just fine with the adjustments.
I really liked this one cold with a hint of sugar I think that the sugar made the flavors pop just a little bit more. This is another one that won’t be an every day drinker, but will go great with Chinese food or for an after dinner treat. I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar so dessert teas are a great way for me to get a little something sweet without all the sugar of an actual dessert.
Now I can’t wait to try some more teas from Utopia. Good thing they sent me samples with my order because I’m officially cut off from ordering any more tea this month.
