Biscuit and Brew Tea House (formerly Arthur Dove Tea Co.)

Sipdown. I have to say… this has grown on me. The addition of cream and sugar really helps make this cup delicious. I don’t know that I’d pick out the flavors as being banana fudge, but they are tasty. The cup is malty with banana notes when I think about it, but more as a creamy flavor than bright banana. The fudge part feels like it melts into the malt as opposed to standing out on it’s own. If I had more room in my cupboard and was doing another AD order I’d add a bag of this for sure.

Had a cup of this straight earlier in the week and felt so-so about it. The banana felt pretty light to me and hidden behind the tea base. I think I steeped it at 200 for 3 minutes. Today I did boiling for 3 minutes and I want to say it’s stronger, but it’s still more subtle than I like my banana teas. I added a little cream and sugar in this cup and that made the banana flavor feel more rounded and lively. I’m also not sure I get a proper fudge flavor. There is a deepness to the flavor that implies fudge, but it feels faint to me as well. The other AD teas I got are bursting with flavor and this one is much more subtle in comparison. I’ll keep messing with the steeping parameters to see if I can coax bolder flavors out of this.

I love how weird this tea is! It has the most unusual mix of flavors that work together well and I love it. I wish they would blend this again, but it looks like they are pretty busy moving shop. Sometimes when I really like teas I hesitate to finish them because I don’t want to say goodbye. There is a comfort in knowing I always have one more cup to turn to. I probably should finish this up, but I’m glad I have a cup of it tonight when the world is morning the loss of Shane MacGowan. I’d wager it’s THE most appropriate tea for this moment.

This still strikes me as such a weird tea and I love it for that! Such a strange mixture of flavors that somehow work together to make something I can’t quite ID. I get the apples, the lime leaf, the spices and something else. It leans on the side of savory and has a nice finish. I’m not sure if I’d order it again because it’s not one I find myself reaching for often, but I’m enjoying and marveling at each cup I drink.

Having this hot steeped concentrated then poured over ice today! I’m liking it this way. Just placed another order with the company for their mystery box. I wouldn’t be mad at all if more of this was on it’s way to me!

I wish we had the ingredients listed here because I can’t figure out what I’m tasting. This tea isn’t on the website anymore and my purchase didn’t come with an ingredients list. I can see that there are lime leaves (that like to sink below the top layer of tea in the tin and hide) and peppercorns. This is my second time having this tea and I think I steeped it a little too long/high temp because it has a harsh edge that wasn’t there the first time. Maybe I’ll try 200 at 2m next time?
I woke up with the Pogues stuck in my head this morning. I then went down a 5 minute rabbit hole on the Wikipedia page for Fairytale of New York, the song this tea is based on (which is what prompted me to buy it) and wow there is a lot of info on it! Also read the lyrics which I hadn’t always caught. It’s a little more gritty than I remember or than the music suggests and I’ve listened to it multiple times while drinking this cup. I’d describe this tea as having a gritty edge too. I’m not sure what I’m tasting, but I keep coming back to turpentine being the best description which sounds really gross and isn’t how I mean it. It just has this edge to it that I can’t pinpoint. I don’t know if it’s the lime leaves that are giving it an almost piney flavor, but there is something fruity in it too. Cherry? Visually the tea looks very Xmasy when you scoop it. The green from the lime leaves pop up among the little red peppercorn balls. There is a little bit of tartness in the start of the sip that changes into fruitiness and the finish has a nice light smoke to it. Looses a little something when it cools, so I need to remember to not let the cup linger. It’s such a strange blend and I kinda like it.

Cold Brew Sipdown (1316)!

This was a free sample that Arthur kindly included with my last order – one of the teas from this just past holiday season. I’ll be honest, I did consider ordering this in my last order but I ultimately passed on it because it sounded very similar to a bunch of other herbal Mulled Wine type of teas that I’ve had in the past…

It’s not bad, and I did enjoy it as I was sipping through my cold brew. The hibiscus is very strong and sharp, with a very high front sip tartness. If it’s this intense as a cold brew I can’t help but shudder a little to think how bold that hibiscus note would be steeped up hot! I don’t mind hibiscus though, especially cold, and so this was refreshing! The spices are a bit “pickle-y” to me – just one of those weird things that happens when you happen to strike the right (or, uh, wrong) combination of spices just precisely enough. Lots of cinnamon and allspice – I wish more teas used allspice.

Happy to have tried it and appreciative of the sample – but wouldn’t revisit this one again. Nothing stands out about it to me, but it’s overall a good cuppa.

Sip down! Or is it sipdown? I neglected to drink this in a timely manner for a tea containing coconut, so I decided to try this cold brewed today to see if it cut down on the old coconut soap taste. I’m pleased to say it mostly did! I had this iced and slightly sweetened and it was really good. Light coconut with a little smoke in there. Kinda wish I had saved the leaves to try to get a second steeping out if it. If I saw this in stock while making another order, it would end up in my basket for sure. For now, I’m glad to finish another tea in my cupboard, especially before it became undrinkable.

I’ve been finding myself craving the subtle smoke found in several Arthur Dove blends. Today I reached for Ghost Town. Smokey scent with a lighter creamier smoke in the sip that linger pleasantly into the finish.
Wish I had time to enjoy this cup, but I’m gulping this down on my way out the door to buy more oxygen for my casting torch. It’s still really good, even speed drunk.

Another fun smoky blend! I love The Specials and Halloween and used to have a lovebird named Ghost, so all signs point me to this tea! I was trying to listen to Ghost Town while sipping this, but the song ended and the next few came up that were much more danceable. I need energy and movement right now. The smoke of the lapsang makes me think of campfires, open spaces, mist and solace. The coconut adds a hint of cream which I can imagine being foggy and ghost like. I’m not sure what else is in this blend, but I really like it! It’s smooth with light creamy smoke, balanced well and a consistent flavor from sip to finish. This is making me crave the fake bacon salad topping I make with liquid smoke and coconut shavings and eat by the handful!

I am not the person to be reviewing this tea! The hib is in effect! I smells just like mulled wine, minus the alcohol. It steeps up a very deep purple red. There is a some fruit at the start of the sip, orange flavors, then there is a dive into the metallic tartness at the back of the sip and as the tartness fades the spices kick in in the finish, clove dominating. If I drink it too quickly an alkaline flavor starts to build up in the finish. I think if the hib were dialed back to half strength I’d be into it. I get why the hib is there to create a mulled wine flavor and it really does remind me of mulled wine, I just have a hard time getting into the tartness of hibiscus.
I added some sugar, one of the three ways I can deal with hib (moderation, cold steeped or sweetened) and it really changed the cup for me. The sharp edge of the tartness is gone, but the alkaline taste in the finish is stronger. It also better resembles the sweet mulled wine I’m familiar with. I think this blend is well done and would be loved by someone with an appreciation of hibiscus.

I sipped this down over the weekend. Just in time for the 250g I ordered of it to arrive without much of a gap. I drank this in my thermos cold steeped grandpa style for a good 24 hours before the flavors gave out, then made a big pitcher of it hot steeped and poured over ice. By pitcher I mean large empty plastic juice container which I then took to the pool at the place we were staying and proceeded to drink mostly on my own over a lovely afternoon. This has the perfect blend of sweet spicy smoke that makes it such a unique tea! I can’t wait to have more!

Sipped on this yesterday and had to have another cup today! It’s slightly sweet, some sips are spicy, smoky and delicious! Shared some with a friend who thought it was quite smoky, but she’s never had a lapsang before. I’m loving this tea.

This is smoky, sweet, spicy and fruity?! This is so weird and I really like some weird in my tea. It steeps up super pink/red, but it’s got to be the beetroot because the tartness is chill and doesn’t overwhelm. It’s sweet in the sip which is bright and fruity with that hint of tartness and almost savory in the finish with mild spice and smoke which makes for a really intriguing mix. I think this is the 4th blend I’ve tried from Arthur that has lapsang in it, so avoid if you are smoke adverse. The neat thing about these blends is that the smoke is just an element, not the mail flavor taking over. Some of his blends are based off songs and this one is based off one he wrote and has on his website. It’s fun to listen while sipping to and try to match the flavors with the song’s mood. I had this yesterday as well. First cup was great, but it seemed to be missing something in the resteep.

Sipdown. I’ve been so busy and stressed getting ready for an upcoming show I have a booth at. Well, busy getting ready and busy avoiding working on things until the last minute. I drank through the last of this unceremoniously. I had been turning to it more and more over the past couple months, even craving the flavor without recalling what tea it was I was thinking of at first. I hope they blend this again sometime because I’d love to have it back in my cupboard.

I’ve been drinking this a bit lately. I think it’s supposed to be a valentine tea, so it seemed appropriate for the themed tea in the sipdown thread. The first steeping of this today was great. Strong rich rose with good supporting flavors rounding it out nicely. The second steeping was a little weak and still tasted bland even with the addition of whipped cream. At the rate I’m going, it’s likely to be a sipdown soon along with Hound On The Hunt!

This has a super strong bright and fresh rose flavor. I’m imagining the taste of light yellow or pink petals just off the flower. The chocolate helps tether it from being too ethereal, doing a good job at balancing it out. I have this issue with some French teas where the almond ends up being a powdered rose flavor… it’s a weird way my brain is wired, but if I try to pick out the almond that is where my brain goes. I am enjoying this tea and could see it being really good with cream. I’ll have to try that next!

I have no idea what a caramel apple betty was and had to look it up. Looks similar to an apple pie, but with caramel. I approve. I’m always hopeful, yet skeptical that a tea will properly deliver on the flavors of it’s namesake. This tea seems to do alright at that. It smells very caramel apple like. It’s a little light on the sip, but I get some apple on the tea base. The finish is where all the flavors come out. I get a clear caramel apple flavor and a slight sweet sensation. My cup has cooled now and I’m enjoying it a little less than when it was hot. I was distracted from my cup trying to read the inauguration morning news and there is a lot of it! Time to resteep and psyche myself up for grocery shopping! :/

#mugtober

Today’s theme was stars/moon/night and I debated just going with one of my favourite “sleepytime” teas but I usually drink my Mugtober prompt teas first thing in the morning so I decided against that. Lots of fun ideas came to mind though, mostly centered around the moon portion of the prompt. Moonlight white tea could have been really fun.

But then I remembered this tea, and it was just such a good excuse to make a mug since I haven’t had one in a long time. It was so cozy, comforting and nostalgic from that first sip and I think it was even more fun because I drank it in a mug with this coastal crescent moon kind of vibe to it that seemed to really fit with that ethereal, soothing lavender element of this blend that makes me think of the silvery glow of moonlight. Of course I just also love the sweet and kind of syrupy citrus notes that pair so well with it, and the full-bodied nature of the black tea base.

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVatApk378A

This song is from one of my favourite albums right now – I’ve basically had it on repeat since it came out. Not my favourite track (but up there), but I thought this was especially fitting since this tea (and a lot of Biscuit & Brew’s blends) is inspired by Arthur’s music. Something I still find so cool and refreshingly different to use as the foundation for a tea blend.

Haven’t had this tea in ages and I just had such a strong urge to brew it up today! I love the balance of sweet orange and aromatic lavender with the brisk base. Still probably my favourite Arthur Dove/Biscuit & Brew blend – and by a landslide. I actually shared some with some coworkers today and they were not fans of the floral elements, which did make me a little sad because I just want this tea to be appreciated by everyone. But then I realized more for me, and I was less sad.

I’ve been craving this one for a couple of days so finally steeped it up as my morning cuppa today. I let it cool to just above room temperature before starting to drink, and it was perfect. Sweet mellow orange with soft lavender. Not too acrid/pithy/sour from the orange or too soapy/perfumey from the lavender. Just an amazing medley of both flavours that balances so incredibly.

March (Err… April) Sipdown Madness

The winner!!!

I sort of called this one from the start but I did have a bit of a fear that I might grow sick of it over the course of the month. I’m very glad that didn’t happen, though! It’s just a delicious cuppa, and I can’t think of any other tea on the market right now with this flavour combination that even comes a shred close to being as good as this one. It was a very, very obvious choice in the moment.

March (Err… April) Sipdown Madness

This tea won the semi-final face off with Adagio’s Fujian Rain!! Secretly, at the start of the tournament when VariaTEA helped me randomly choose teas, I always felt like this tea might take it all – but I’ve tried my best to really think about and objectively choose the winner of each match up. Still – there’s something magic about this tea.

And, y’know what!? This was a MUCH closer choice than I expected.

March Sipdown Madness

Not really much new to say here, other than it’s very weird for me to be drinking the same tea like this so quick in succession (along with all the other teas in my March Tournament). Given the size of my stash, I’m really used to going months in between drinking the same tea again for the most part…

This won its match up against White Anastasia from Kusmi, as I expected it would. This might be one of my favourite teas of the moment – it’s unique and delicious. I’m not ruling a surprise out, but I sort of have this gut feeling this will be the tournament winner. We’ll see how it fairs in the semi finals, though!