August Uncommon Tea

A recent discussion thread peaked my interest in this company and since it was so close to home I decided to give them a go…. So they’re a little creative in their flavor notes (feels like soft warm mahogany) but wouldn’t you be too when your ingredients include Ceylon black tea, South American cocoa husk, Indonesian cinnamon, Chinese chili and Iranian safflower petals?? Man… I don’t want to think about the carbon footprint of this tea… (its also blended in Germany)… but doesn’t it sound delicious???

This tea is seriously like a big warm hug!! Its the perfect blend of cocoa and spice, no one flavor overpowers any of the others, they’re all in perfect harmony!! A splash of milk adds a delicious creamy mouth feel to the end of each of my sips.

This is a fine, dense little tisane so not much dry volume is going into the infuser. I haven’t tried a barley base yet, so I am a little uncertain, more uncertain with the strong odor of anise as it brews. I don’t like licorice. Not to worry; this is heavenly…

First steep: very light amber in color even after a relatively long steep (6 min). Slightly salty, slightly sweet, slightly bread-n-buttery, and anise is enough of an undertone that it adds and not distracts (whew!). This is my second sampling from this company, and again I am reminded of a comforting broth.

Second steep: let this one go even longer (8 min), even so just a of hint of color to the liquid . Less flavor, too; this steep tastes like a watery version of the first. Not bad, just underwhelming after the pop of the first cup.

I think this might be worth a reorder— do wish there was a size option between 14g and 100g. 100g is quite a commitment.

Very smoky aroma, also a slight musty smell, although the dry leaves are in perfect condition— not surprising considering the slow drying process— I can almost picture them damp and out of sight somewhere.

First steep is the color of light amber with a pronounced smoky flavor. Burnt hay, not in a bad way. Not getting any peanut or sweetness. As it cools more… brown butter, very buttery especially at the finish of a sip.

I let the third steep go extra long, and it is a little more bitter tasting, but wow even more buttery and some saltiness. Broth-like quality— I keep expecting to see a layer of sheen on top but there is no actual oiliness here. Less smoky, this is my favorite steep. Strangely like a gourmet popcorn now, with brown butter and a little salt.
Very, very interesting.

Beautiful, sophisticated tea. This one is for when you want to focus on the tea itself, not distractedly sipping it while doing something else. I say this because the flavors are complex, and not obvious. Best enjoyed when you’re in a more contemplative mood. Dry leaf smells lightly sweet, earthy, vegetal. The vendor states this tea can be resteeped (three infusions total), so that is what I did. First infusion was a bit tannic, definitely tasted the peanut flavor, along with a spinachy note. Second infusion didn’t have a tannic bite at all, well-balanced between the nutty, sweet and vegetal notes. This was my favorite infusion. Third infusion was light and sweet, with more of the molasses coming out. I thoroughly enjoyed this tea, especially how different each infusion was.

Reordered a larger amount of this tea a while back and I’m just getting around to brewing it again. Rich, earthy cocoa flavors dominate – almost like drinking a hot chocolate/tea hybrid – so delicious! This was one of their fall 2014 teas, and I am so glad I reordered – it’s still fantastic. I usually enjoy drinking teas in the appropriate season, so it’s strange that I don’t mind drinking this one now that it’s spring, but I guess that’s the chocolate fiend in me! I didn’t even add any milk to it, and both infusions were great. This one is such a winner!

I’ve never had tea from this company before, so I’m excited to review something new. Black tea with chocolate and chestnuts? Sign me up! Dry leaf scent was sweet with a little alcohol pungency. I followed the directions from the tea company and brewed it for 5 minutes, which was the longest time recommended. The brew was a little cloudy. Brewed tea aroma was chocolate and nutty – enticing! The taste of sweet milk chocolate was so THERE, with a creaminess even without milk added. This was complemented by a subtler nuttiness and earthiness from the chestnut flavor. I enjoyed this tea immensely. And to make things even better, it can take a second infusion! I’ve never had a flavored black infuse a second time so well. The flavor was only very slightly diminished in the second steeping. Impressive! The only question now is regarding consistency. Since I’ll definitely be ordering more of this, I’ll be able to answer that soon. I was also really impressed with the turnaround time on my order – it was shipped the same afternoon that I ordered it and arrived just a couple of days later.