Xanadu Fine Teas
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This tea was mine to try thanks to a swap from Brandy.
The smokiness in this tea blew me away. I’m not a huge fan of smoky teas, but I was curious to try this as it was blended with raspberry flavor, and I tend to enjoy berry teas. The smoke was a bit more than I can handle, but I am happy I had the opportunity to try this tea.
Preparation
I’m not sure if Xanadu actually makes this as a loose leaf as well, but the boxed and bagged version isn’t bad. On par with a lot of other common chai blends, but a little stronger on the spice end (probably pepper?) than I am necessarily used to. Neither good nor bad, just nothing particular. Meh.
Brewed it strong, no sugar crystals in the bag as the description implies there is, and added milk and stevia. No bitterness.
Excellent for mid-grade, low-price sencha. Great value for an everyday drinker (I think I paid ~$8 for 4 oz). Nice and rich vegetal flavor. Notes of spinach, sea weed, and freshly-cut grass. Good leaf size, but still a fair mount of dust which contributes to a match-like cloudy brew in the first couple of infusions.
I think it makes a fantastic cold-brewed iced tea as well. Really brings out the subtler, sweeter flavors and virtually no bitterness that way, only downside is that you don’t get as many infusions this way before it becomes it really watery. I’ve even blended with a few lighter greens for giving them more “edge” when making iced tea.
Everyone I’ve offered this too has commented about how much they loved it. Would buy again.
Preparation
Another tea that I got courtesy of brady3392. It’s has a nice aroma. No actual raspberry pieces so I wondered what the flavor would be like. The brew is a nice dark black. A great raspberry aroma. The best part is that it’s not too sweet. Even a little smoky like afore mentioned not too shabby.
AMAZING! This tea has attitude!
Wow. I have to say, it has a super strong aroma, but the taste is NOT overpowering as one might expect. Rather, it’s perfectly bodied. Let it rest on the tongue and swallow slowly to enjoy it’s lingering flavor.
If you haven’t tried Lapsang Souchong, go to the local tea shop today and do so. This is my first ever tasting of this variety. I’ve smelled it before in loose leaf jars, but the barbeque aroma never appealed to me. Until today.
I have a feeling that this tea will replace a lot of my coffee drinking. Like coffee, it’s full, incredibly strong, and leaves you tasting it later, long after you’ve finished the cup. But it’s wonderfully spicy, smoky, and satisfying.