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This is the first white tea from Kusmi that I have tried and I think it might be the last. This tea both dry and brewed smells just like passion fruit and I was hoping it would taste like it smells. Unfortunately that is not the case. I find the tea almost has a bitter chemical taste to it that is obviously not very appealing. Now I have 75g of this that is going into the swap box. Sorry Kusmi, but this one is just not very good.

This makes an amazing latte (aka a London Fog). I had some of my roommates and it was deliciously creamy with just the right amount of sweetness.

I got a sample of this from Dexter3657 and unfortunately I don’t think this one is for me. I can’t quite put my finger on why but one of the spices (I believe it was the cardamom) was too strong for me liking and so it was hard to get passed that. Thank you for the sample though, Dexter3657!

Thanks Lovelylotus for the package of Sweet Strawberry. Unfortunately this was not quite the success Cookie Dough was. I thought it smelled great and my first sip really like a sweet strawberry. However there was nothing to tone down the overwhelming sweetness so as I continued to drink it just became too much. I plan on experimenting with this one because I think it has potential.

I have a lot of issues with this tea and I am not sure why. Basically the first time I had it, I made a pot with a friend of mine. At first I thought it was great because you can really taste the mango but then as I kept drinking something just really started bugging me about it. I found myself noticing flavors that I felt took away from the mango as opposed to complimenting them. Then, the longer I sat there smelling the tea, the more the smell began to really bother me.

I always wanted to give it another try to see if my initial impression was right or if I actually did not like the tea however I was always a bit apprehensive about doing so given my first experience with it. What finally convinced me to give a try was a saleswoman at David’s told me it made a great latte (which makes sense given lassis are creamy) and then today when I asked my roommate what tea I should make as a latte she just happened to pick this one randomly. I took that as a sign it was time to try it again.

I first tried the tea without the addition of milk and at first only tasted the mango but upon the next sip the other flavors crept in and I found myself being put off yet again. So I frothed the milk and give it a try that way. Yet again the flavors just did not sit right with me and this latte went down the drain (second of the day I poured out :P). Now I have 15-20 g of this that I will probably never drink again which means there is one more addition to my swap box.

I got a sample of this, distinctive flavor, from Sil!

Having never tried matcha before I was so excited to have this new tea experience. I assume this probably does not resemble the taste of a true matcha much but I was still super excited given all the positive things I have read about the different flavored matchas. Thanks Sil for giving me the oppurtunity!!

Anyways, as soon as I opened my package from Sil I ran upstairs with my tea and asked my roommate how to make it. With her guidance I was able to successfully brew a cup and I am a fan. This tasted just like a creamy raspberry treat!

I actually tried this a few different ways:
1. I had 1/2 tsp straight in hot water just so I could try it without any additions. It had a nice consistency – I frothed it with the milk frother since I don’t have a matcha whisk. I thought it tasted great. The raspberry flavor came through quite nicely with a hint of natural creaminess.
2. I then took some of the tea and added it to frothed milk to try this as a latte. This, as would be expected, brought out the creamy flavor and complimented the raspberry quite nicely.
3. I added a bit of Teavana’s White Gold honey to the latte. The tea did not particularly need it but my roommate suggested it might be good. The honey enhanced the sweetness but not to the point that it was too sweet.
4. Because I liked the honey in the latte I tried some in the little bit of the plain matcha I left in the cup. Here too it added just a hint of sweetness that enhanced the flavors of the matcha.

Every way I had it, this tea was great! I am excited to try all the other samples I have from Sil. If they are as good as this was I will probably be placing a Red Leaf order soon.

Also I think it would be interesting to try out some plain matcha to see how it compares to the flavored stuff.

Once again, Thanks Sil!!

This is one of the four teas I picked up at Kusmi today. The dry leaf smells delicious – like chai with a hint of chocolate.

Brewed the smell and taste of black tea really come through with notes of cinnamon, pepper, and chocolate. I think a couple months ago I would not have been a fan but the more tea I drink (even though I predominantly drink flavored) the more appreciative I become of the tea flavor. I think my favorites will still be the flavorful teas, at least for now, but this tea is definitely a good choice when I want something simpler.

Just a side note – Kusmi Tea has a 75 g minimum. WHAT?!?! I was going to try a couple of other teas too but I didn’t think I needed so much of teas I have never tried before.

ETA: Cold this has more of a spice to this but it is still good.

I have been conflicted all day today as I want to go take advantage of their 2/$5 deal and pick some of this up (if they have it) as well as some White Chocolate Frost and some more Jessie’s Tea. However, I know I won’t just stop at that so I have been avoiding David’s Tea. Unfortunately, walking home I had to pass right in front of Kusmi tea and with a tea shop right in front of me I caved and went in. I know have four more new teas from Kusmi.

Anyways, onto the tea. I had this as a latte and it was delicious! The creaminess of the milk helped to bring out the flavors of this tea and it was amazing!

I thought this might be good as a latte. I was wrong. It wound up down the drain. I ended up lowering my rating because the licorice was much more evident to me and I am not a fan. Something in my brain interprets licorice as a burnt taste and that is never pleasant in a drink. This is definitely going in the swap box.

On another note, my roommate got to use the frother for the first time and I think it may be her new kitchen utensil. She decided to try frothing a bunch of different things. If you were wondering the frother DOES work on milk, almond milk, and for mixing matcha tea. It does NOT work on plain tea (in case you could not have guessed that).

No latte needed for this one. Just straight Jessie’s tea. Perfect as always!