Chateau Rouge

Gardeners will love this one instantly, as the bag yields a pungent woody smell, like fresh mulch.

In the cup, we have another case of misleading name-age, though this time we may blame whichever unfortunate sap christened the plant in the first place. Honeybush is similar to rooibus, coming from a related herb of the same region in Africa. This tea, however, is neither honeyed nor bushy. Immediately you get a salty-woody smell, like sea salt caramel. When you dive in for a sip, it’s like diving into a pile of crunchy autumn leaves without fear of worms or other buggies that may be lurking within. Total comfort.

But autumn leaves, as we know, are dry. You won’t get a huge flavorblast to the mouth with this tea. Still, it makes for a resoundingly pleasant cup. The saltiness gives it an eggs n’ bacon vibe, something to pair with breakfast on a lazy, decaf day. Very savory. This isn’t the kind of tea you serve when you want to impress someone–this one is purely for your own enjoyment…

Full review here: http://snooteablog.com/2013/04/20/snooty-tea-review-chateau-rouge/

This proved to be a fruity black tea if there ever was one. There’s some really fun hints of peaches and apple, or better yet, grape juice. Reminded me almost of Maneschewitz or Kedem. Like the Sikkim Temi, the flavor deepens and develops nicely as it cools–you’ll even get a whiff of plum in there. Overall, a very low-key, friendly sort of black, one that doesn’t overwhelm the sipper’s palate with too many notes or perfumey distractions. Just straight, robust flavor.

This tea is ideal for someone who’s just getting into blacks. With its warm brassiness, it would also make Keemun lovers very happy, and could possibly persuade Yunnan fans as well. This could be a rather cosmopolitan tea; serve it at an international brunch and even other snooty tea people will be pleased…

Full review here: http://snooteablog.com/2013/04/20/snooty-tea-review-chateau-rouge/

There’s a forest smell in the bag, or perhaps like a tundra just coming into summer; damp ground starting to sleepily shake off the frost.

When steeped, summer comes into full bloom and pervades the cup with a true warmth. It has the aftertaste typical of South Asian black tea, slowing dropping back into the floral. But mind you, with blacks, “floral” means less like downing a bottle of Sabon cream, and more like rediscovering that old prom corsage you left to dry in the basement 5 years ago. Like that corsage, this tea is secure and nostalgic, but you’ve moved on already to the point where it’s not worth getting sentimental. It’s a “That’s now, now let’s get down to the business of the day” kind of tea. Not one you’ll be reminiscing about later, but an amiable way to start your morning.

Full review here: http://snooteablog.com/2013/04/20/snooty-tea-review-chateau-rouge/

I was in the mood this morning for something orange pekoe-ish. I dug through the recesses of my Darjeeling tin o’ samples, and came across this again. I hadn’t touched it since my initial review, and it was just as wonderful as I remembered. Maybe even more-so since I changed up the infusion a little.

Full Review Here:

http://www.teaviews.com/2010/07/22/review-chateau-rouge-sikkim-temi-1st-flush-ftgfop1-2/

Chilled the last bit of this.

Steeping the last of the small amount of this tea that I had. It was definitely a pleasant drinking experience for all the times that I have had it.

Anti-oxidant boost!

I love the way the silvery white leaves intersperse between multitudes of green leaves. This truly is a beautiful tea. I started out by steeping a teaspoon of leaves in a cup of water heated to the proper temperature for green tea. Three minutes later, I strained the tea from the gaiwan to assess the aroma.

The steeped leaves have a bright and clear scent, like a strong white tea. There is very little grassiness in that aroma. The steeped tea smells the same but with a hint of something spicy, almost cinnamon like. I wonder if my nose is going insane, or if this tea managed to pick up a scent from something else, like chai. I figure my taste buds will be more reliable (though I am still enjoying the nice clear scent to this tea).

The taste is just as clear as the aroma. The liquor is thin and slides around the mouth well, yet the flavour lies strongly on the tongue. Still not grassy, yet vegetal, in a way that stands out, but is not overwhelming.

I very much enjoyed this tea, and I think that makes for a very enjoyable sipping green tea.