Art of Tea

A very smooth Earl Grey. Bergamot is strong, but not overpowering. One of the better no-frills Earl Greys that I’ve had.

Another of my black tea samples from Cuppa. This one could be my favorite!

It’s a light cup, more robust than the Darjeeling, but still fairly light (even with brewing for a full 5 minutes). It almost has an effervescent quality to it. Tastes slightly nutty and oaky. A very calming morning cup.

Finishing off the last of the sampling that Jaime sent to me (thank you!)

Today, it doesn’t taste so much like licorice. Not that I didn’t like the licorice note because I did, and in fact, it got my mind racing… an Licorice Earl Grey… hmmm… Yummy? Could be.

Anyways… I like this Earl Grey Creme. I like the amount of vanilla in it. It is very rich and creamy. YUMMY!

Thank you to Jaime for sending me a bit of this tea!

This is a interesting tea. I don’t know if it’s because I’m following up with a strong, robust tea like the Keemun from Enjoying Tea, or if it is THIS tea… but I’m tasting a licorice note this evening, so I think that I will save the writing of my review of this tea for the Tea Review Blog for another day.

The bergamot is strong here, but I like how the vanilla softens some of the sharp notes of the bergamot. It’s a harmonious blend… and even though the licorice is kind of a weird note to be tasting in this tea… I actually quite like it.

This brews up a bright, vibrant honey-gold. It’s very light tasting (possibly I didn’t have enough leaves for 2 cups?), but I rather like it. Has some notes of honey, and a slightly earthy quality. Taste reminds me of a high-quality white tea, and of a semi-sweet white wine. Definitely something I’ll sip again.

Brewed up a big pot of this to finish off what I had left (I usually just buy an ounce at a time from Cuppa, so it goes fairly fast). I’m enjoying it with mini-marshmallows. Sounds strange, perhaps, and it’s not quite a latte, but it’s definitely nothing to sneeze at, either! It really doesn’t affect the tea as much, but eating the marshmallows that have been soaking in the tea is really good!!

Pumpkin Pie tea + French Vanilla Coffee-mate = WIN!

There’s only one thing that could make this cup better right now.

If I had milk and a milk frother. I’m really, really wanting it to be a latte. But it’s still delicious as it is.

Absolutely delicious! It’s creamy, and cinnamony, and sweet. I’m also getting a caramel-esque taste. To me, this tastes just like a pumpkin pie topped with real whipped cream. I’ll definitely be drinking more of this!

I love the smell of this tea. Very blueberry with a hint of Jasmine.

Blueberry is the first flavor tasted, and then the jasmine hits you. It’s cloyingly jasmine. If you really like jasmine, this one’s for you. If you don’t like jasmine, this is one you’ll want to avoid.

Very robust. I could not have handled this had it been brewed for much longer. It’s a very good, strong black tea that would be very good iced. I’d say it’s the smoothest, non-flavored English Breakfast that I’ve had.

Training was over early, and my boss let me leave early, too! Headed to Cuppa for some relaxation and tea.

This is a rather robust white tea, much richer/thicker than the other white teas that I’ve had. It is flowery, but in a honey-sweet way. It’s also got a bit of nuttiness to it, but that might just be me. It’s probably not one I’ll keep at home, but I’ll definitely be having more of it.

Another from my tea sampler from Cuppa. It also happens to be my first Darjeeling (that I know of).

Delicious! It’s very delicate and floral, apple-blossom floral. I’m also getting an oak-like note, which would probably be stronger if I had brewed for longer. The astringency is perfect at this brewing time/temp; I doubt I’d ever brew it longer.

First of all let me start by saying that pears aren’t my favorite fruit. This is pretty good though. It tastes so much like canned pears that I kept expecting there to be a graininess in the cup. There is a mild caramel undertone that develops as the cup cools. This gets too sweet easily and I enjoyed it best with just a couple rocks of German rock cane sugar and it was also delicious with a splash of dairy (really brought out the caramel).

Another from my tea sampler from Cuppa. It’s a light tea, not as robust as some of the blacks that I’ve had. It tastes slightly honey-like. This would make a fantastic Southern-style iced tea (unfortunately, I’m not a fan of sweet tea, but apparently make a very good pitcher when I try to). This would be a great basic black to always have on hand for guests who just want/like plain black tea.

Had enough for two cups; icing the second for Mama France to try.

ETA: This does make a great iced tea. The tea is still strong even after being diluted. Mama France is now asking what she would need to brew loose tea.

Another from my black tea sampler from Cuppa. It’s crisp, with a smoky-honey quality. A very light black tea. If I get it again, I’ll brew at boiling rather than 195 (I used the oolong setting on the Breville).

It’s a rainy day here in the bluegrass (thank goodness), and I’ve already been bustling back and forth for work. Popped in at Cuppa for a coffee for a coworker and tea for me to go (as well as a peanut butter scone, yum!!).

I really like this white tea. The guava is nicely done, not too fruity or candy-like. The ginger is just right, too: not too hot, but definitely making an appearance. It’s very refreshing and bright.

Sample from Cuppa!

Normally not a fan of black teas. I usually want them flavored somehow, but the plain blacks are starting to grow on me. This one is very nice, though I think if I have it again, I’d brew for longer. It’s very light, and slightly malty. The best way to describe it is “golden”. Yeah, I know, that’s what the name says, but that’s how it tastes. I like it!!

ETA: The more I sip this, the more I’m loving it. I don’t think I’d brew for longer (normally I brew black teas for 5 minutes so they’re strong). This is great as is, and very likely to end up in my tea stash sometime.

Backlog from this morning…had this on my way in to work today. Decupboarding!