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Cameron B. drank St. Petersburg by Kusmi Tea

4288 tasting notes

Oh, boy. I made a boo-boo. So, I brew all of my loose teas in a French press (I just put the loose tea in the bottom, add water, then use the plunger as a strainer instead of actually plunging the tea). I rinse it between uses and just leave it to dry by itself. As it turns out, a lot of the time there ends up being a tiny amount of water in the bottom. And I usually add my dry leaves a couple minutes before I add the water. So… basically a lot of my teas have been sort of “mini-steeping” for a little bit before the actual steep… Uh oh, spaghetti-o’s… And I noticed this completely by accident because of this tea.

This tea tastes completely different when I add the leaves just before the water… The bergamot is no longer strong or in the forefront. I now taste mostly red fruits (!!!!!) and vanilla with a bit of caramel, then the bergamot in the back. So… This means I’m going to need to retry a whole bunch of teas that I already rated. Sorry, guys. XD

Bumping the rating from 78 to 85. Je l’aime!

Preparation

205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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5 comments

TheTeaFairy
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That’s great!

Cameron B.
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Yay I’m not crazy! The red fruits finally came to me! I wanted to call boychik and tell her… XD

TheTeaFairy
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Haha! Yes I noticed you did try to give some love to this tea! Glad it finally worked for you!

boychik
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i hear ya!!!

Cameron B.
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TheTeaFairy you are like the sweetest person ever… I wish I were that genuinely nice, hah!

boychik thanks for sticking with me on this tea. It was my fault all along! Nooooooooo…

People who liked this

Comments

TheTeaFairy
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That’s great!

Cameron B.
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Yay I’m not crazy! The red fruits finally came to me! I wanted to call boychik and tell her… XD

TheTeaFairy
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Haha! Yes I noticed you did try to give some love to this tea! Glad it finally worked for you!

boychik
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i hear ya!!!

Cameron B.
Delete

TheTeaFairy you are like the sweetest person ever… I wish I were that genuinely nice, hah!

boychik thanks for sticking with me on this tea. It was my fault all along! Nooooooooo…

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 4
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 160

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing