BLK & Bold

Samurai TTB #41

The flavor of this one isn’t reading specifically “passion fruit” for me, but it’s definitely a refreshing fruity tropical blend. The base tea is nice and smooth and I’m guessing this would make a nice iced tea.

SIPDOWN 37
From Shae in advent calendar; thank you!

I used two and maybe half of tea spoons today, well, just the remaining amount and steeped shorter, I think about 3 minutes maximum.

It was a wee better. The base wasn’t that bold; and it was just right amount of black tea qualities and some malty notes there. But as of passion fruits? Yep I think they were there among many other tropical fruits. Non-distinctive in any way, actually pretty much boring cup. If I got this in tea bag/sachet, I would say it’s nice. But as loose leaf it’s just okay. I have hoped for more honestly.

Shae’s ADVENT CALENDAR December 3

Oh, another black tea? But the name seems promising. Yes, I know, we got first snow here, and I was wearing sneakers… and while I went downtown to get some stuff I fell and now my hip hurts badly! I massaged it and used some salve and it seems it helps a bit, but it is still not that great.

Anyway, I decided for two changes today. First of all, I changed bit a scene for my photo. This time I went to our living room and my father helped me with the light (Thank you daddy!). At second, I did not brewed Advent Calendar tea as first tea in the day. I just didn’t wanted a tropical fruit punch few minutes after I woke up.

To the tea…
I have overleafed it badly I think. I used 4 grams in strainer (see photo) and a mug which have volume around 330 ml. Company says using 2 grams per 8 oz, which I wasn’t really observing.

And oversteeped as well. My brother returned from his 14 days in work (he lives with his girlfriend as well, during those times); so we talked and talked and bang… 5 minute mark hit. So I took it out after 5 minutes! I wanted actually making it less, around 2 or 3.

I was drinking it warm-lukewarm and honestly, not that impressed as I was when sniffing the dry leaf. The tea was mellow and smooth, but the taste was somehow simply fruity, not really note of Passion Fruit. Truth is I wouldn’t recognize it in pouch as well, it reminds me more opuncia.

I am holding on rating, as I think I haven’t prepared it a good way; but although the base is good, maybe well-chosen and blended, the passion fruits are missing a bit!

Photo:https://flic.kr/p/2kcZJYh

From the Samurai TTB
This is fruit punch in a black tea base. While the fruit flavor isn’t particularly strong, the black tea base is rather nondescript. Not too much is interesting about this tea, but I bet it would be refreshing iced. Glad I got to try in a tea box and not have it in my cupboard waiting for a sip down.

STTB Tea

A tasty hot morning cup with a balanced black base and some vague fruity flavours. I’d probably guess passion fruit if I didn’t know what flavour this was, but it was a bit weak for my tastes. Still, a good boost of caffeine for early morning work.

Samurai Travelling Tea Box – Tea #21

Cold Brew!

I recognize this company from the list of Black Owned tea companies, so I wanted to make sure to try it – though I was a little skeptical because passionfruit flavours and I have a somewhat love/hate relationship and this smelled really familiar to me but not in a particularly fond kind of way…

Steeped up, I’ll admit that it’s not my favourite.

There isn’t anything really off or wrong to the flavour, but the black tea base is super malty and bread-y to me and the passionfruit flavour reads a bit more “generic tropical” versus tart/sour or sweet/juicy passionfruit. It’s medium bodied, and doesn’t overshadow the base or get buried by it. However, I also don’t think that the base flavours and this tropical note particularly compliment one another.

It also took me a while, but I finally figured out what tea it was reminding me of – DT’s Green Passionfruit! It’s the same sort of “passionfruit leaning generic tropical” kind of flavour, and almost at the exact same level of flavour – but just sans currant and with a different tea base. I don’t hate that blend, but I also don’t really like it – which is probably why this one is sort of “meh” to me as well.

I’m very happy to have tried it though!

If I remember, the last time I tried this blend it was very bitter. This time, I cut the amount of tea leaves and water, plus dropped the temperature, and it came out perfect. I’ve never had passionfruit before, but this smells like tropical fruit and tasted like stone fruit. Maybe peach? I really enjoyed this cup and it’s completely changed my opinion about this tea. I had been putting off drinking it before, but now I’m looking forward to having it again.