Nous Tea

Aboslutely not-amazing and thus very boring green tea. I kept the steeping temperature lower as recommended: Infusion Temperature: 65 to 71℃ to avoid astringency and bitterness, steeped for 3 minutes and well that’s it?

I know my senses could be affected by my cold or whatever this sickness is (not Covid).

It was grassy and mellow. But that’s all. Many other green tea bags or sachets do the same. Maybe even a bit better. There is nothing that I would say, yes, this is specififc for Vietnamese tea. But yes, it has got promised golden colors. But if that’s all that this tea offers, it is not much.

Not recommended for its price.

A sipdown! (M: 2, Y:2)
A sipdown prompt! A malty tea.

I had only two sachets, but sipdown is sipdown!
For first time I had it during my IATA DGR training and I little regretted that I had my travel mug only (with plastic inside) and that one is not a great vessel for all the nuances of tea.

But today I prepared it at home with my standard teaware and yes, it is huge difference. The tea is mostly citrusy actually. Quite strong and robust, with hints of stonefruits. And because I chose it as malty tea sipdown prompt, it is malty as well. However not so pleasant maltiness here, actually rather a bit on the bitter and metallic notes. A shame…

However tea from Rwanda… I am looking to try more from this region!

Sadly, I have to say this tea is the worst from Nous Tea I had. Usually I don’t mind hibiscus — afterall it is in almost every fruit tea blend here.

But, this tasted like ultimately watered hibiscus water. Nothing from the fruits and berries mentioned in their text. And as it was hibiscus only, it was tart. But nothing else. I steeped it for long and never get the colour as on their image.

I have one sachet left. I think I will be able to drink it easily, but not with pleasure.

My first tea since I came home from the training. And I have passed that training (IATA DGR) with distinction. It doesn’t mean anything real, but it sounds nice. 96/100 points. Yes, now I can be called Mr. Hazmat at least for air transport. In November I will go for training for a road transport (similar to DOT HazMat training).

But coming home being aware that my father and brother caught Covid isn’t much fun. Yes, I have been moved again from my room, as my brother needs his computer to work.

But this website is about tea, so here it is.
First of all, it’s sipdown and very easy one, as I had only two sachets. One I have prepared yesterday for my father and second one I am drinking now. First of all, the aroma of dry sachet was amazing. It seems fresh rooibos was used as it was honey-like, combined with citrus notes and all together it reminded me Halls cough drops but in a good way! Beneath those citrus notes there was a mint coming through.

Taste isn’t that good sadly, but still very good. Honey-woody-rooibos-taste takes precedence. Then lemon taste along with lemongrass. This note luckily stays long in the mouth and coats all mouth with nice feeling. And it is a little refreshing as spearmint in.

By the dry leaf aroma I have been expecting a little more. It’s not bad, however, the rooibos honey-woody flavour is maybe a bit too strong, while the citrus flavours and spearmint are weaker than it deserves. Maybe it wasn’t just a good ratio. Maybe it needs more of the herbs and less of rooibos.

Song pairing (maybe used before): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJkaZ8hQM60

Omg the astringency. I’m getting images in my head of an old person who really needs a drink of water, got that lip and tongue smacking going on. Underneath that, I get some apricot, hot hay and light smoke on the sip, honey mid-mouth and a finish of bitterness and yeast. Because Martin said 180F preparation wasn’t the best and 195F was better, but knowing greens can be very temperamental, I went with 185F. I wonder if a brewing temp of 175F or lower would kill this astringency. Otherwise it has ok flavor but I won’t be seeking out Mandalay Spring again.

There wasn’t much tea leaf in the sachet so I only did one longer steep of 5 minutes. Very pleasant mostly spearmint aroma with a little bit of mentholated peppermint and a very clear copper liquor. For someone who can be put off by lemongrass, I found it was an excellent proportion, giving a nice herbal quality to an already bright (Nilgiri?) black tea. The mints were probably stronger than the black tea and the spearmint offered some sweetness. Medium body that finished with a barely perceptible astringency. This was a great tea to have first thing in the morning when I was feeling congested.

Thanks, Martin!

Oh Martin, another Nous Tea sachet :)

It was unfortunate that my attention was whisked away by pressing matters and I have not much to offer. Himalayan Repose was smooth, with citrusy-orange zest brightness mingling with a base of darker maltiness and wisps of cocoa and maybe some wishful spice. I didn’t get any of the wine fragrance that the company notes but I do recall it being moderately fragrant. A second steep was significantly weaker. Nice for a one-steep black. So far, I prefer the Kilimanjaro Sunrise.

First tea of my swap with Martin, thank you! All the way from the Czech Republic to California. I enjoyed the nice handwritten note on a large post card featuring images of your city and another personal touch of including a homemade herbal blend.

Kilimanjaro Sunrise was a nice tea hailing from Tanzania. I was able to get two steeps. The aroma and taste were an uplifting, sunny mix of cherry-citrus-flowers-peach with a malt undertone. The florals really opened up when I swished the tea around in my mouth. Good body with a satisfying swallow and very clean finish with a touch of good astringency. This was a very bright black tea with an appropriate name.

Thank you, Martin Bednář, for doing an intercontinental swap! Earl Grey Salute was the second tea I’ve sipped of the sacheted Nous Tea collection he sent. A review for the first tea I had will likely come tomorrow. I’m busy going through all this glasswork stuff in the garage and was itching to take a break to write a short review.

I have 2 things to say about Earl Grey Salute:

1) O Bergamot, Bergamot, wherefore art thou Bergamot?
2) Looking past the complete absence of anything resembling citrus, It’s an otherwise average, moderately malty breakfast-type tea.

I have found last tea bag! Best Before 12/2019. Whoops.

Anyway, this tea was pretty boring. Apricots were gone, not much smooth… quite drying.
No floral notes at all, rather flat tea which reminded me mostly hay.

But maybe it is just too old.

BTW, my B and B subscription arrived today, but not with order… which was placed earlier :/ And sadly it doesn’t include any new teas!

Another cuppa, hotter water.

It changed quite a lot. It still smells like jasmine. But in taste there were some notes of stonefruits and now even bit of apricot and/or honey. It is smoother than last time, with little notes of jasmine as it colds down.

Colour of liquor is darker, rather orange, but tastes like green tea. Maybe better batch than last time? Or temperature of water changed it so much? Interesting though, better than last time!

Last one from them and unfortunately worst one. The only one green, from Myanmar.

Hay colour. In tea bag mixture of bigger leaves and grain sized leaves.

Taste is bit hay, nothing very distinctive. Then I thought it is with jasmine but apparently it isn´t; but certainly it smells like jasmine one. But also it´s bitter and astringent which made me unhappy. I am dissapointed with this one. But this was really nice series of teas.

Unfortunately, I didn´t noticed any of advertised tastes – no honey smooth, no apricot sweetness. At least now. I have three bags left, so we will see.

5/5 of their Discovery colleciton from Etsy

Finally I slept for more than few naps.

Thursday was completely weird day for me. I get another panic attacks and I think I found out the cause. Worst thing I can not do anything with it I guess.

I woke up at 6 am, going to University with starting panic attack. I knew it. I was with therapist in Tuesday and it was good! But this Thursday… I was at Uni till 3 pm, then going home, after that going for new haircut. After new haircut I have to leave my hometown agian to go to part-time job. Inventory check in clothes shop. It was okay, but I haven´t slept much. Then being in 6 am Friday at home, I have to finish one assigment due in Friday noon. I made it well, I can go to exam now! But the panic attack is going stronger and stronger. And all of it because my nieces and nephew coming over for weekend (10, 7, 5 years). Whyyy?

Prepared this tea as random choice by my hand. I don´t care which tea to drink, as long it is hot and good. This was not bad. So, I am looking forward.

I steeped it for 4 minutes maybe, result is dark brown (I have a mug though) – clear, liquor.

The aroma is strongly lemony with little notes of mint. Taste is similar, the lemon taste is kinda overpowering the black tea base. But I do not mind, because as result it is nice. It is also very smooth, which I appreciate especially today.

Have better days than I did.

Black tea with mint sounds interesting, so let´s try it.

Colour is bit cloudy gold; but without dust. tea itself in bag is mostly mint dust and lemongrass pieces, not so much tea in. Similiar in aroma, bit overpowering mint and lemon notes.

The taste is though very nice, mostly minty with lemon aftertaste. Of course a little of “tea” taste is there and it´s again some good blend on itself, because it´s nicely smooth and bit of honey.

I have enjoyed it, but mint is bit too storng for my taste. Or are my tea buds ready for just plain black teas? I don´t know :)

4/5 of their Discovery colleciton from Etsy

A sipdown! (M: 14, Y: 76)
Just logging a sipdown. Nice and mellow black tea with cocoa and orange zest notes.

Drinking tea on business trips seems hard. My hotel room has got no kettle. Tea offered for breakfast is bad — called as that as I want to be polite :) No tea on training facility either. But kettle is there, but I have only my travel mug which isn’t the best vessel to notice all the nuances. And moreover, no time for noticing them because training itself.

Anyway I had it today morning and I am writing in my notes a major plus point. It is high in caffeine as it woke me up. That certainly counts.
However, in flavour profile, from that I have noticed, I noticed only strong dark malt flavour and orange zest somewhere in the background. It wasn’t much complex.

And then, packing instructions for hazmat overfiled my mind completely.

I put out a tea from my stash completely random and this is it. Why not. A black tea, perfect for cold morning.

It smells indeed like a Darjeeling, which is probably later date, not a first flush as I had few weeks back. Yup, indeed some orange notes are there. Maybe little of spicyness.

The visual is same as last time. Bright orange; rather bronze colour, clear. And tea is hot :/
Wanna drink it so badly. I haven´t got a proper cuppa for few last days; I was so busy, but still keeping a tea for a day. Yesterday it was some quite cheap green tea in café (they spend a lot on coffee, but getting a good tea is hard). Okay, Ahmad Tea – green tea. It wasn´t bad, but not really hurray tea.

And day before? Oh, that was that long day. I don´t even recall what tea I had. Ah, I know – a green tea from store, even worse; but with mandarin and orange. But it was bit plain. But I am making a TASTING NOTE of HIMALAYAN REPOSE. Soo,…

… it is same as last time. If you combine mine and derk´s reviews, you get a good idea what is this tea about. Easydrinking, bit orange and malt black tea. I was clearly affected that it was my third tea that day because I don´t think it is so great as it was back then. Still good tea to drink :) Lowering a rating just a nibble

Three cups of tea in one day? Well, it´s really cold over there and I need to focus on studies.

It smells like Darjeeling I had earlier with little of orange peel notes as they advertise. There is no malt notes this time.

Colours are very similar to orange bar on the box, so it is brighter copper and clear, without dust.

Taste is smooth, bit orange zest and easy drinking. I do not notice any spices. Flavour remains for long. Bit sweet – but not sugar sweet, rather like mild liquor, which heats you inside. So far from them nicest tea I had; a little better than Tanzania.

3/5 of their Discovery colleciton from Etsy

A sipdown! (M: 5, Y: 25) Prompt: A tea ordered online — I am not doing sipdowns so well this month.

Anyway, It seems this tea must be drunk really fast after it’s production as today it was again very weak in the bergamot. However, the base was fine, but that’s not what I am looking for in Earl Grey in the first place.

I am happy to see that another tea-mail came today and with a few teas I have been drinking already. It was almost 4 years ago, when I was Steepster greenhorn and I remember ordering those teas just because outer wrappings.

Since then, they left Etsy completely and they have their own website, where I have ordered it. They have some new flavours and I look forward to try them, but looking back on some blends doesn’t hurt.

I vaguely remember that it lost it’s citrusy notes very fast for no apparent reason, so I hope it won’t happen again. I was in a mood for flavoured black tea today and this seemed like a good one to start afternoon with.

The memories have arisen when I smelled the dry bag and as well the brewed tea. It isn’t strongly aromatic after bergamot, but luckily it is there this time. The taste of this Earl Grey is rather pine-y to me than bergamot, quite sour too. The base was strong, but not overpowering the flavours and somehow coppery, bready and mostly malty.

I think that 70 is good rating for this tea. Could be, of course, better.
On the leaflet I have received with tea box, they say they have used Ceylon and South Indian teas.

I am sorry, but I have to downrate this tea. Quite a lot.

I wanted black tea. This is a black tea. An Earl Grey, full of citrus notes.
Where are THEY?

Derk said it just right, it is a good breakfast blend. But not a Earl Grey blend!
What happened to this tea? It is different sachet in by mistake?

Weird, really weird. Something went wrong.

The tea has still same characteristics though.

I was looking for some simple Bergamot tea tis morning and took this one again.

It was again very nice, blend of teas was carefully selected so it was smooth with little of citrusy taste. But this time it was not malty at all. Aroma was very different too; completely different than first time. It smelled like campfire and smoke. I did not noticed any fresh citrus aroma this time. Colour was dark copper without oil flecks. Probably less oil on these leaves?

But still it was nice blend – so I would not change my rating.

Another black tea by Nous Tea; this time with bergamot oils.

Nice blend of teas, with dominant bergamot smell and taste. There is some aroma behind the bergamot, but I don´t know what. Maybe slight malt? Or other citrus fruits?

Colour is even darker copper than in Kilimanjaro Sunrise, still clear though. On the water level there are spots of oil, so oil were used for bergamot flavour.

In taste it´s again mostly bergamot, but blend of teas were selected well, as tea on itself isn´t bitter, but is full-bodied and smooth. When bergamot disappears from tate, some slight notes of limes appear. Maybe bit of pear or stone fruits – which I really find interesting and unexpected in Earl Grey blend. Great one!

2/5 of their Discovery colleciton from Etsy

Apparently I had four of those? Two I already drunk, one sent to California, and now… fourth? Weird. Creepy weird. And more over I have mess in my tea bags. We will find out later.

But this tea was not opened. Original foil wrapping. Really weird.

But that hopefully won’t change my taste buds. At least less than this cream vanilla yogurt I have for breakfast. While preparing this tea, my mother wanted a “very good” green tea. So I prepared her Touareg from DF. And thus – two sipdowns in one go.

It is like half an year ago. Mellow, bit of smokiness and cherries. It was great as last times. Sad to have it gone.