Against my better judgment, I am steeping according to the directions on the sample packet. Five minutes. I suspect in subsequent tastings I’ll back down to four.
I like the addition of the little caramel bits to the mix. Gives it some visual interest. As I’m reading about this tea in the description here on Steepster, I realize I’ve already had a preparation fail. I did not shake the packet to assure consistent flavor across infusions. I suppose that may mean I’ll be writing an entirely different note in the days to come…
There’s definitely a caramel aroma coming from the dry leaves in the packet. Not so much after steeping, though. I mostly smell a sweet “tea” smell. The liquor does have a bit of cloud to it. I didn’t quite get garnet in color, more like a chestnut.
I’ve had other caramel teas and I tend to like caramel flavored teas as a category in general-even in teas such as oolong. I haven’t had another recently to compare this to, but it has an interesting quality that I’m not sure I’ve experienced in other caramels. There’s sort of a milky flavor to the caramel, like milk chocolate, only milk caramel if that makes sense. I get little pops of caramel flavor from time to time which must be from the little caramel bits saturating their immediate vicinity in the tea with their flavor.
I agree with others that this is a rather gentle caramel as they go. It doesn’t have that roasty carmelized sugar flavor that I expect in a caramel flavored tea; it’s more of a plain white sugar sweetness with flashes of caramel intensity from the caramel bits. It has a nice, sweet aftertaste with a hint of caramel to it.
I have to try it after shaking the packet though, before I reach any firm conclusions. Not rating for now.
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i LOVE caramel flavor in tea!! this sounds amazing… even if it’s a gentle caramel, that still sounds exciting lol…granted, something packed with caramel punch would also be welcome by me, i’m such a gourmand tea lover! u are single-handedly responsible for me putting this on my shopping list.
also: preparation fail…lol
Two caramels I really love are the Kusmi and the Dammann Freres caramel toffee.
i LOVE caramel flavor in tea!! this sounds amazing… even if it’s a gentle caramel, that still sounds exciting lol…granted, something packed with caramel punch would also be welcome by me, i’m such a gourmand tea lover! u are single-handedly responsible for me putting this on my shopping list.
also: preparation fail…lol
Two caramels I really love are the Kusmi and the Dammann Freres caramel toffee.