ElaineMH Send Message

I need to try more of this and update my rating, but the one sample bag I had was light and refreshing. The rose petal scent had me saying “aaahh” after each sip. Yes, out loud. It’s like taking a nap without falling asleep. I have one more tea bag, but I am saving it to share with a friend. This is my first white tea, and my first rose tea. I will probably make it stronger next time.

I am consistently satisfied with the quality of Numi’s teas. As distinctive as this tea is, I feel like it is versatile enough to pair well with almost any small plate or dessert. But it may be overwhelmed by a heavy meal. It is smooth and satisfying with a sophisticated air. The bergamot is much kinder to the palate than other orange-flavored teas. I foresee this being a staple of mine.

I wanted smoky, and I sure got it. The aroma is so strong you can taste it – reminiscent of smoked salmon. Add sugar & milk (I used almond milk), and its a bagel & lox in a cup.

One tea bag can yield 16 oz of mild tea suitable for sipping straight, which is plenty for me. I like it, but only like one per sitting. I feel like having some green or white tea directly after.

One should definitely follow the instuctions regarding “waking up” the tea leaves; otherwise, you will want to dump the first pot as it will be decidedly non-delicious.

The first steeping following the initial “wake up” brew is tasty, but strong. I steeped in 10oz of filtered water for about 2 minutes, and it was still stronger than expecteed. I prefer a milder taste if I am tasting it straight, without milk or sugar. And I prefer to taste it straight.

The 3rd & 4th steepings were right up my alley because I generally prefer a milder tea that also retains max flavor – a tall order, I know. The first two steepings tasted like generic black tea – which I am not a fan of. I much prefer the subtleties of the later steepings.

The fantastic aspect is that just one broken-off bar can produce a solid 30 – 36 ounces of liquor. Even though my husband had 2 cups and I had 4, I have refrigerated 16 ounces to have in the morning. I hope that doesn’t decrease the probiotic benefits.

It is certainly a good tea, but my ideal taste would be to steep 4 times, in more water than recommended, and then combine all 4 resulting liquors into 1 pot. I will update this review once I try that.

Found this at the local Asian Market. I have a different (far less expensive) brand coming in the mail, so it will be interesting to see if the quality is there. I have no complaints about this tin from maecha-en. The expected flavor and strength were there, even though I did a poor man’s brew – just a vigorous stir in the mug with a fork. Adding coconut sugar, almond milk, and ice was also tasty. I can’t wait to try this properly blended, in smoothies, in baked goods… yum.

The Toasted Rice is delightful compared to Numi’s Gunpowder Green, which I didn’t like at all. Rather than gulp it down, I am enjoying each sip along with the aroma. It’s like a non-alcoholic sake.

EDIT: I added a dash of salt to my second cup of this. Is that weird? I don’t care. But then, I happily sip veg broth and miso broth. And that is what the salt did – turned this tea into more of a broth. And it was delicious! I will try cooking with it at some point :-)

Pleasantly surprised! I am a fan of puerh (pu-erh), but I wasn’t sure I would like this flavor, especially in the morning. I wondered if it would be too sweet or overwhelm the tea. However, the balance was wonderful. Some teas are under-flavored or over-flavored, but this was just right. If Goldilocks drank tea, this would be it :-)

Compared to a “regular” green tea like a jasmine green like I had most recently, the flavor here is stronger and more astringent. I only steeped it in 8oz of water for 3 minutes, but it was quite bitter. I don’t think even adding cream & sugar would help, and I don’t think a good green should need it. The aroma is more like that of a black tea, and the aftertaste reminds me of a cheap grocery store brand. To say it tastes like compost would be generous, because it’s not that complex.

This is my first gunpowder, so I don’t know if the same applies to other brands, but I won’t be buying this. Glad I got just a sample to start.

I would sip this on a front porch in Spring, or at breakfast in lieu of a mimosa. The aroma has bite, but the cardamom taste is so subtle I wouldn’t have known it was there.

2 steepings of 5 minutes each in 16 oz water. Much milder on 2nd steep, probably because of the amount of water I used.

Tried some almond milk & coconut palm sugar in the last few ounces. Did not enhance the natural flavor.