Brooklyn Tea

Devon Bartholomew Advent Day 15

Purple is my favorite color, so I’ve ordered a number of purple teas from different companies over the years. I was excited to see this one in the advent calendar! The leaves were a deep brown color and were tightly twisted and curly, looking more like a black tea. But it steeped up to a pale honey color and sips more like an oolong…super smooth with a nice buttery mouthfeel. The flavor is also oolong-esque: a nice balance of vegetal and mineral. Not my personal favorite profile, but it was definitely fun to try!

Roast/burnt tasting. Dull.

Roast is not very clean; substantially lower grade than what’s available at most reputable online retailers.

Mossy, earthy, not super distinct aromas. Basic mouthfeel.

Good nighttime elixir. 5 points for including ashwaganda, kava, valerian, passionflower. The flavor itself is good but leaves something to be desired.

A little light on the cinnamon and cardamom spice, but overall well rounded and has become my go to non-caffeinated chai.

Straightforward but spot on with chocolate roast. So good.

Excellent. Vanilla heavy, but with one of the most seductive noses yet for an earl grey. Very delicate.

This smelled like it would be the sort of rooibos that I don’t love, and it sort of tastes like that, but the flavoring was nice, so I liked it. Tasty vanilla. It didn’t even need milk. Pretty smooth and nice. I forgot how much I’d enjoyed it without milk and accidentally put some in my next cup of it, which was sadly less delicious. Whoops!