Queen Catherine

Sneaky tea!

I smelled no smoke in the dry leaves. Now, after steeping, it smells like cocoa and tastes like barbecue. I think it could grow on me, despite being smokier than I like. It’s dry in the mouth but I may have oversteeped slightly. It is excellent with cream – smoothes out any rough edges and takes away some of the smoke.

I keep reading amazing comments about this tea, so I’m having a quick cup to see for myself before leaving for class. I was surprised at the aroma of this tea. The dry leaves smell earthy with a hint of rich cocoa. The tea liquor smells malty with a little hint of smokiness. The flavor is very robust with a light smokey aftertaste. Adding a little sweetener brings out some nice honey notes. I like this tea, but probably won’t purchase more than this little sample pack. I like the honey and malty flavor, but not the smokiness.

-Dry blend has medium black and brown tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell like earthy black tea with a hint of cocoa. Tea liquor aroma is malty with a little smokiness.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium golden brown color.
-Strong and robust flavor and finish with honey notes. Light smokey cocoa aftertaste.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Good tea. Malty and smokey flavor.

Made a cup of this while I was getting dinner ready (pineapple chili). I’ve been in the mood lately for lots of black tea, and I’ve been sipping on Harney’s Malachi McCormick blend just about every day for the last week.

This is both surprising, and delicious. I was not expecting the smoky flavor at all. Having just recently tried a lapsang souchong, I was instantly reminded of that flavor but toned way down. No campfire sensation, just a hint of smoke. On top of that there’s a dark cocoa flavor along with a bit of honey-like sweetness and the slightest hint of malt. This is not astringent at all. Like the Malachi McCormick, this doesn’t knock my socks off, but it’s a really well done black tea blend.

Dry: Medium length black, dark bronze, and golden-tipped black loose leaf. Nicely aromatic and malty with a tiny hint of smoke.

Steeped: Clear medium-brown liquor. Rich and balanced aroma with honey and smoke undertones in the steam rising from the teacup. I’m not getting any spice, but that works for me because I am not a fan of pepper notes anyway.

Taste: I only ordered a sample of this one, but I am kicking myself because I really like it. This is smooth, balanced, and flavorful without being too potent for a peaceful Sunday morning. Malt and soft smoke meets subtle cocoa and rich honey for a lovely tea experience. I definitely note the contributions from the Keemun and Yunnan, but this blend is very nice and doesn’t need anything added to make a great cuppa. If you like Chinese blacks, this one might be a good choice to try out. I will be ordering a full-size tin next time I place a Harney order for sure.

I’ve been wanting to try this for a while now. I’ve read so many rave reviews about this blend. Thankfully, my book club swap buddy Josie Jade had some to share. :)

Heavy and earthy. Reminds me a bit of keemun and yunnan. Smokey and sweet. Like rock sugar and raisins. Savory umami flavor as well. This is an intriguing blend indeed. I have to say though, I don’t like it all too much. Too much savory for me. I’m still learning so much about black tea. :)

Now I get to compare a french press brewed Queen Catherine to one brewed in a tea ball. The liquid is much darker now. It is a nice rich red-brown. Almost approaching the brown I see off of dark beers. It smells even better. Deep and rich. It reminds me of the happy feeling I get off of smelling coffee, only you can tell that the smell is tea.

Now to the taste. It is definitely richer and fuller in the press than it is in the tea ball. I am just getting a hint of cocoa, but I am getting a richer almost smokey thing going on. Not as smokey as Lapsang Souchong, but it definitely has that quality. It is really, really smooth too. No hint of bitterness.

I have been trying to get up earlier to brew tea before class, but I didn’t make it today. Luckily, my teacher cancelled class and I was in the mood for the Queen. I am so glad I made her too. The only bad thing is that I am now out of my sample that Ashley was kind enough to send me. I wonder if I could convince my mom to help me order tea? I think that will work better if I drink up most of the teas I have left. Then I can get more of the Queen.

Finally feeling a little more competent about tea-making, so doing some more sampling today. (Will keep notes short though, to limit time at computer, after a few days ago with swelling that’s left a new set of bruises on my wrist!)

Was unimpressed with H&S Paris, really unimpressed, so didn’t have my hopes too high for this one (though it was sent by cteresa, so they weren’t low either), but really like it a lot. The flavouring is so gentle that it could almost be just the blend of Chinese black teas themselves, which works well for me – especially as I often find cocoa flavours get out of hand. Will try this again, with milk, just to see, but am definitely taken with it! Thanks, cteresa!

Oh, Queen Catherine, I am so glad I got a tin of you and not a mere sample! Because I must admit that you have become the magic morning black of my absolute first choice since my first cup of you. You are witty, charming and sweet and I hope I will never have to experience the darkness of your absence. Your servant forever, Kat.

From the Here’s Hoping Tea Box 3

This black is a straight blend of Keemun, Panyang, & Yunnan with golden tips. Whoa, this is good! Rich, almost cocoay and spice. Really smooth and lots of flavor with no bitterness or dryness. There’s a great sweetness to it, like honey. The tea has a nice fluffy texture. The keemun here adds so much depth. yum!

Thanks to Ashmanra for this sample! This was a light and pleasant tea- I was not suprised to learn that it was a blend of Chinese tea. However, as I would typically drink this in the morning, I may prefer a bolder blend to start my day….I still have some left so I need to give it a try one more time…