Petit Tea

It says Om Tea on the box, by my recollection it is a division of Petit Tea.

If you are afraid of spicy tea, you’d most likely pass on this and that would be a shame. It is assam black tea, cinnamon, and black pepper. When the pyramid hits the water the aroma convinces you this is going to be a powerful blast of flavor. It is but not as the scent suggests. Yes, its cinnamon, and yes the black pepper has adds a little heat hit at the end, but neither are overwhelming, and most importantly you can taste the assam tea. I find that balance pretty impressive.

Haven’t been around much lately. I have been way too busy lately. Part of it is some physical therapy I’m taking. I kind of have to program my time around it. I am so sore all over at the moment. I hurt in places I didn’t even know I had. Anyway, tea – so this one is the last of my Petit teas. Based on the name, I was expecting something akin to Harney’s. This sachet is a kinder gentler cinnamon tea. The cinnamon itself is not like the dull stuff found on your grocers shelf. It is full of rich flavor. It smells intense when dry but once steeped you can actually taste the assam base. I can’t recall the last cinnamon tea where I could taste the tea, so kudos Petit. I prepared this sans additions. After tasting I added sweetener per the label. The cinnamon flavor and heat were intensified yet still remained far below scary levels. Finally I added a splash of milk as recommended on the label. This took the cinnamon taste down a notch or two. The heat level remained. The milk and assam base blended together while the cinnamon danced around the edges and the heat warmed my tongue. While a bit more grown up than the Harney version this was still plenty fun. I enjoyed this one.

Decided to depart from my normal heavy-builder breakfast tea routine. And a departure it was, with this very scented, very flavorful sachet from k s. It’s a cross between something very floral and very chai. Lots of cardamom. My unintentional overuse of the word very evidently implies subconsciously that everything in it is strongly defined. Probably not something I would choose for myself, but a very welcome change of pace. (Thanks, friend!)

Easter is over. Why haven’t I been able to have some down time yet? I just want to sit quietly with multiple cups of tea and get lost in them. Since that apparently isn’t going to happen soon, I am glad I have options. The Petit Tea sachets are actually pretty good options for days (week?) like these. Listing at $5.95/15 sachets = $0.40/mug. Cut that in half with a resteep. The sachets do not contain dust. The scent and taste are nicely balanced.

I prepared this chai with boiling water and steeped two minutes with sweetener added (because chai), then added hot milk and steeped two more minutes. I don’t have a stove top in my den so I couldn’t cook the tea in the traditional manner but close enough.

The taste is a medley of flavors. The cardamom drives with the clove close behind. Pepper, ginger, and cinnamon all pop in and out at different times. After some research, I decided I was tasting a mix of mace and anise late in the sip drifting into the aftertaste. It is a kind of sweet taste and kind of spicy floral but not really. I don’t recall having mace before. I like it, assuming that is what I am tasting.

More complex than I was expecting.

Another of the infuser teas from Petit. These are single serve aluminum sticks. They come 12 in a box and each contains 2.5 g of leaf.

This smells so good to me. This from someone who normally just tolerates chai. It has all the typical spices but it just comes off different to me. The cinnamon is warm and sweet, reminding me of some gooey treat. The clove and cardamon blend in well without dominating or overwhelming.

Without additions this tasted lighter than expected. To me, it had almost a light rose note along with the gentle spices. Next I added some sweetener. This brings out a pepper note that wasn’t fully developed before. Finally, I added a splash of milk. Yes, definitely add the sweetener and the milk. So smooth and good that my cup was empty before I realized it. That never happens with me and chai.

The other day I reviewed Petit’s Opulence version of Cashmere Saffron that is an aluminum infuser stick version. This is from the Om series and is a silk pyramid sachet.

The dry aroma of both is nearly identical. It is a floral that reminds me of lavender talc. Here I also catch notes of the cardamom. I steeped two minutes in 175 F water. The color kind of reminded me of sunflowers (wishful thinking I guess).

The taste is as different as it is similar to the infuser. This one leads strongly with the floral saffron without being perfumey. I taste the green cardamom under the saffron. It supports and fills out the flavor. This trails into a mild bite from the green tea. The bite is much less intense than I experienced with the infuser. I don’t really taste the cinnamon at all here, which is surprising as it was the leading edge of the infuser cup.

At first I was not sure what I thought of this one. It is very different than anything I would normally drink. The more I sipped the more I began to get it. I think this would appeal to floral lovers and possibly the chai fans. Very different.

This is another of the aluminum infuser type teas from Petit. The ingredients are listed as green tea, cinnamon, and cardamom. However, their pyramid sachet lists ingredients as green tea, natural saffron, natural cardamom, cinnamon & other natural flavours. I believe the same ingredients are in the infuser. As soon as I removed the outer plastic wrap, I noticed a floral scent that kind of reminded me of a lavender talc powder. After steeping 2 minutes this mellows way down and I now also catch cardamom in the aroma. The taste is completely different. I first notice cinnamon. It is a pleasant adult level (not over sweet, not grab you spicy). Next I catch the cardamom with its light clove like notes. I catch the green tea briefly just as the aftertaste kicks in. All this blends in the brain with the floral aroma for a kind of exotic experience.

It snowing. I hate snow. Its cold. I hate cold. OK, maybe hate is too strong a word. I confess to being very ready for spring, though our winter hasn’t been that bad. It just feels forever since I was able to sit on my porch, at dawn, with a cup of tea, sipping, while the world wakes up. So here I sit instead, in my den, dreaming of sunshine.

On to tea – I grabbed this one today because… well, because. The box says use boiling water. I didn’t. It said to steep 3 minutes. I was typing and went 4 minutes. My opinion might be stronger if I followed directions.

I like these infusers. They are great for the lazies. I just didn’t feel like messing with the pot today.

The tea is a delicate green color. It is like a white tea in that respect – you look at the cup and wonder if you made it correctly (of course I didn’t – but you know what I mean). Dry it had a light grassy scent. Brewed, I’m not getting much of any scent. The taste is delicate. It is quite grassy, just very light. There is also a citrus like bite that gives it character.

I would never guess this is a Darjeeling green. It reminds me of Tazo green tea (but lighter) which I believe is a sencha. It has a sweet grassy aftertaste.

I did add sweetener halfway through the cup – my recommendation is don’t. It takes sweetening fine but tastes better without it. Take that Splenda monkey.

I tend to love just about everything. One that I have so far hated and avoided is lavender. I can’t stand the smell of the actual flower and find it is soapy perfume in tea – until now. This is one of the blends included in Petit Teas Opulence Variety Pack.

When I opened the infuser package, I could smell the lavender and it was a bit soapy but not in an overwhelming sense. Steeped it for 2 1/2 minutes in 195F water. The liquor is lightly colored green with a bit of yellow tint. To look at it is one of those cups you think won’t have any flavor. The scent is lightly floral, sweet, and not offensive.

I took my first sip, and batted my eyes because I’m momentarily confused. Quickly took another sip. This I am actually enjoying. The flavor is kind of midway between a lotus (that I love) and a light jasmine. The green tea is what sets it apart and probably why it reminds me of lotus. It quickly rises mid sip with a kind of earthy presence and pushes through holding its own until the end. Does not need sweetened. In fact that just muddies the cup.

I once hated jasmine until I experienced it blended correctly. That is the same feeling I had with this one. Good job Petit Tea!

Fell asleep around midnight, and awoke at 4:00 am. I’m not sure how much caffeine is in this but with a name like American Breakfast, I am hopeful it is significant. I really like these aluminum infusers. Less mess than a teaball and far tastier than a bag while just as convenient. This one is a blend of Darjeeling and Assam. Not a big fan of Assam on its own as even the better stuff just tastes like tea. Here it adds that classic bite that a good morning cup needs without a pucker factor. It is just good clean bite. It is the Darjeeling that is the real interest here. Even before steeping the leaf has a nice woodsy scent. The steeped cup has that grapey muscat flavor along with a woodsy (maybe nutty or earthy) element that just makes this tasty to me at the moment.

This is an infuser system that comes 12 to a box. Each is individually wrapped and contains 2.5 g of leaf. The infuser appears to be aluminum with rows of holes. It is intended to be an upgraded replacement for bags. I used one infuser in a mug of boiling water. The dry stick has a strong bergamot scent. Once infused it is much more calm and refined. The tea base is a blend of Darjeeling and Assam. That makes a pretty solid combination. Where as my normal Earl has a harsh Ceylon edge, this is smooth and you can actually taste it. The bergamot is natural, bright and citrusy. Strong enough to know this is Earl Grey without assualting your senses. Yeah, so a little bit of a straying from my normal barbarian cup. I added a little sweetener halfway through the cup and in addition to being sweet, I think it broadened both the citrus and the base notes. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m actually pleasantly surprised. It easily made a second cup.

I like this tea. It has a nice mild flavor. I think it has a tiny flaw. The flavor is boring and it can get bitter. It is a good morning tea.

I will say that I am a sucker for packaging. If the packaging catches my eye in some way, especially in food products, I will probably buy it once just to try something new or to experience the new packaging. So this “bagged” tea intrigued me because it was this foil “stick” form. I got the sampler pack to try their tea and this “stick” concept. Each stick is individually wrapped in the box and the flavor is on the flag part on the end of the stick.

It’s not good. It doesn’t smell like jasmine. It doesn’t taste like darjeeling. Or anything having to do with jade.

It smells musty. It tastes musty. Like musty dried flowers. From last century. The kind left behind in the back corner of a museum of dead dry musty things. I couldn’t even finish the cup.

Um, no thank you. Maybe it’s the foil? I wonder if the tea is old? I don’t know. A little disappointed, I hope the other three flavors are not like this too.