Kilogram Tea

A more expensive offering from Kilogram.

Brewed in a 100ml gaiwan with a few pinches of tea to cover the bottom sufficiently.

Aroma: Graham cracker, malty, malt o meal

1st infusion: intense graham cracker and malty notes. Very strong flavor. Slight honey sweetness with a very mild stone fruit finish.

No development of flavor after the 1st infusion. It’s goes off with a bang, then fizzles. Light body with a short finish. Subtle lasting sweetness after drinking.

A little disappointed because I would have expected a little more out of a tea costing $250/lb wholesale, but it’s not bad. Worth trying because the 1st infusion is very intense.

A very solid Earl Grey that is a bit too strong for me. Very malty and astringent. The bergamot is really well balanced, but the black tea base was overpowering for me. And again, not a huge fan of the package price.

A little partner that joined me at the Chicago Field Museum, and I was hoping for it to be mediocre. Intelligentsia is the retailer of the Kilogram Tea Company, and the price is around 8.99 per bag lowering the temptation. But it’s actually a higher quality jasmine that did impress me. The Jasmine is strong and almost sweet in scent and taste. However, it was by no means overpowering and I got two solid cups, each soaked for 3 minutes with a fainter third cup that should have been steeped longer. Worst of all, it’s actually pretty creamy.

I’ve gotten Jasmine pearls the same quality for cheaper, but this is a really good bagged jasmine tea. I don’t think that I’d flock to buy it soon, yet it certainly made me slightly curious to try more of Kilogram’s and Intelligentsia’s offerings. So I’d recommend it, but not the $8.99 plus shipping.

I tried this tea at the Intelligentsia coffee bar in New York. It’s the best earl grey tea I’ve ever had. The black tea base is smooth and the bergamot oil complements it perfectly, neither overpowering the tea nor hiding behind it. It’s delightfully citrusy with a taste that blooms in your mouth and goes down easy. I want this in my cupboard.