Duchess' First Love

I’m completely new to tea reviewing (in fact, this is my very first review), but I’ll try to be specific about why I love this tea so much. I first bought some at a tea shop in Woodstock, NY… was incredibly sad when I ran out… and then incredibly relieved to find it for sale online. This tea has the perfect amount of sweetness and a lovely, subtle, caramel-y flavor. I’ve never added any sweetener—it doesn’t seem to need it—but you definitely could (maple syrup might actually be good, or raw sugar) to heighten the taste. Very delicious in the afternoon (it has a little caffeine, but not much, and I’m sensitive to caffeine after noon), and also wonderful iced.

A tea I haven’t written a note for yet in StarFevre’s generous box from a while ago. Thanks so much! I like that the description mentions a “chilly day” first, since that is why I’m drinking this today – I figured it would be cozy. A mix of black tea, rooibos, hazelnuts and bergamot with caramel. Sounds cozy to me! I would have preferred not to have the rooibos here, but it isn’t a terrible rooibos. I was wondering what it reminded me of, and then I realized it’s David’s Cream Earl Grey which I’m really not a fan of, with it’s odd taste that swings a bit towards licorice to my tastebuds, and then that became all I could think of. The Davids has really been the only Earl that has tasted like that to me anyway, well now it’s two. Luckily this sample is small! Even though there were actual hazelnut pieces(!) there were only hints in the flavor, and not really any in the second steep.
Steep #1 // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3-4 min

Tea Advent Calendar – Day 6

This blend is such an interesting concept! I never would have thought of adding rooibos or caramel flavors to Earl Grey. Though I love caramel flavors in tea, I don’t love how it combines with bergamot. Honestly, I think I prefer just a normal Earl Grey tea, but I enjoyed giving this one a try!

It seems weird that I have no tasting note for this tea, but maybe I discovered/rediscovered it while I wasn’t logging things.

Anyhow, I adore this tea, one I received in an Amoda box years ago. Black/rooibos blend, cream earl grey, caramel. Dessert in a cup. The flavouring is just the right amount, and very smooth; it probably wouldn’t be offensive to bergamot-haters. It’s another I’d pick up again in a heartbeat.

Going through some older teas that only have a sip left in the bag. This is from an Amoda subscription several years back and surprisingly still has great flavor. I enjoy the combination of black tea with rooibos. The tea has body and richness. I don’t taste hazelnut but the caramel is delicious.

I ended up buying a tin of this from Amoda Tea, so I’m happy to report that I still like it. :) I’m getting more of a bergamot flavour in this than I did with the sample I tried earlier, balanced against the cream and caramel. I made it up with sugar and milk because I was in the mood for something sweet, but it’s also lovely plain.

Backlog:

Revisiting this tea makes me miss Amoda! I really did enjoy getting their boxes each month.

This was a lovely Earl Grey creme with an interesting twist – the addition of rooibos to the base and a hazelnut cream caramel flavor. A very memorable Earl Grey creme!

The dry leaf smells scrumptious – strong with notes of vanilla. The flavors work very well together in this blend. The bergamot has a pleasant tangy quality that is softened by the vanilla, and the caramel and hazelnut enhance each other very nicely to create a really decadent, dessert-like tea. It’s one of the more unusual twists to the classic Earl Grey that I’ve tasted, but it’s also one of the most indulgent! I really liked this.

Cheri sent me this from the TEAlephone. It’s a pretty good chocolate rooibos tea, especially paired with a chocolately dessert. The chocolate flavoring is strong enough to leak out of the baggie and outdo the woody base. It also has a roasted, borderline burnt, quality after the tea’s cooled a bit.

I’ve never seen a black tea/rooibos blend before. I’m intrigued! The dry leaf smells like caramel and citrus. I would almost say orange, but I know it’s not. The color of the brew is definitely orange, though. The rooibos is very assertive. Woody. It’s tempered by a hint of caramel and citrus. The citrus peeks out at the end of the sip. It’s a generic sort of citrus flavor. I wouldn’t know what it was if I didn’t read the label. The creaminess comes out in the aftertaste and lingers pleasantly long after the sip is over. Caramel builds up in the aftertaste as I near the bottom of the mug.

This tea is ok, but nothing special. I’ll probably get my dad to drink the rest.

Interesting! Not one I would have bought directly but it’s good. It’s only partially an EG with subtle bergamot notes and creamy caramel and rooibos woodiness. I think of creamy lemon custard even though that may all just be in my head!

It’s Friday, you guys! Friday!
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