Kusmi Tea

I got a sample of this from Cameron B.! Thank you!

Upon first sniff, this seems like your average Earl Grey. Perfumey, romantic bergamot and that’s about it. Not that I mind. However, the flavor has a very noticeable lime note in addition to the usual citrus bergamot brings. That’s interesting! I’ve never had lime in my Earl Grey. Others are saying they taste lemon, too, but I’m having trouble distinguishing that from the bergamot.

Anyway, I’m really enjoying this. It makes perfect sense to add more citrus to an EG. I haven’t had many lime teas because artificial lime isn’t really my thing, but this tastes natural enough. I’m happy with my choice of daily work tea, and I’m happy I got to try this. It’s yum.

Added notes: Sip down. Wow, it took me two full years to finish this? >.< I did buy the biggest can and it was huuuuuge. I guess I was once serious about detoxing. haha. Overall, it’s still my favorite detox for whatever reason lol. I’ve tasted others that taste better per se but sometimes I just like a pleasant boring, errr mild tea :P, for whatever reason and I reach for this the most if I need a quick detox. I love lemongrass so that’s probably another reason.

I can not stand their blue detox and can barely tolerate the one in the yellow can but this one tastes pleasant to me. No mint for one and the other two have a lot of mint. I put a few shakes of True Lemon powder in it or put a TeaVivre Lemon slice in it. I’ll probably order more.

Thinking of all my tea friends here and hoping that you and your loved ones remain safe during this trying time. I’m okay here <3.

3rd note on this. I got the tea bags for a trip and it tastes different. Still good, similar but different. I had noted that they changed it for their 10th anniversary in 2017 in my first note, and I didn’t notice the difference. Now I do. The bitterness seems to be toned down (different mate blend), little more woodsy. Either formula is good for me because it’s a simple morning kickstarter.

So the last time I reviewed this I wrote about the taste but didn’t know how it worked. Been starting off my day with a cup of this plus 1 or 2 infusions since then and it works if any of you are wondering lol.

I recently read that Kendall Jenner drinks 12 cups of this a day. First, I had no idea who she is. I don’t live under a rock, but I don’t watch tv much I guess. I wondered are they 12 × 3g servings/tea bags or is she counting resteeps… Because if she is actually using 12 servings daily (and this works), she’d always be in the bathroom. o.O

My artbitrary thoughts for today. lol

Waiting for lots of tea from different companies so I guess I’ll put a note about this one for now. I have no idea if it “works” or not but I liked it.

It was the 10th anniversary for this tea in 2017, and Kusmi Tea said it is a rejuvenated recipe to be “even fresher and more intense”. The leaves were so tiny that I kind of wished I got the tea bags, the leaves were everywhere hehe. The wet leaves had a really strong lemon aroma, but the taste was green tea with a light lemon taste along with lemongrass. It wasn’t sour at all, but just a reminder that I’m one of those extreme sour lovers. Those toxic sour candies (forgot the name) are the type of candies I like, and I also love raw sour tamarind to snack on.

I brewed it western style for 4 minutes, close to the way they suggested it. I actually liked this better than the Zerotea one (I would bet most would prefer that one though since it tastes like warm Christmas-y cider). As for the “detox” function, no clue yet. I mainly wanted to try it because I sampled it a long time ago at work, and liked the taste and it said it was a new recipe that was more intense. Didn’t seem like it though.

Discovery Tea box – Tea #13
I actually had to add this one to Steepster so at least it’s a rare one for the teabox! But it also isn’t on Kusmi’s website anymore. The oolong was very tightly bundled and had plenty of flavor. All three steeps were very consistent, probably because of my vastly different steep temperatures. A light oolong with definite milky, buttery flavor. Delicious.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon // 22 minutes after boiling // rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 12 minutes after boiling //2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 minute steep

Ooh, smells like Vlad is a spicy boy.
Got this from Cameron B.! Thanks again!

Going to have to keep this short since Mondays are so busy. Anyway, bright citrusy notes of orange peel, spices, and something earthy. Something about the earthy note puts me off and makes me wish this was Constant Comment. Others are saying they taste popcorn? I kinda get that.

This is the first Kusmi tea I wasn’t impressed with.

Yay, another Kusmi sample from Cameron B.! Thank you! I love Kusmi but have never really dug into their catalog.

So, I needed something powerful this morning and the dense, tiny leaves of this tea promised to pick me up. They’re nearly black and smell lovely, fruity in a way I can’t really place, but also bright with bergamot. Of course it brews up very dark and makes me question my three and a half minute steep time. That’s something Young Tabby would have never said… Adagio had taught her black teas need five minutes. Five minutes! WTF?!

Anyway, once steeped, this smells very sweet. Like dessert. The flavor reminds me of a raspberry earl grey, with notes of caramel and vanilla. Mmmm, this is lovely. Just the thing I needed today. The black tea base is smooth and malty with surprisingly little bitterness considering the way it looks. This is a real pleasure – a combination of so many flavors I love. Glad I have a little more left!

Made my last tumbler ever today. Rest in peace. I guess this means I’m going to have to find another good caramel tea. Any suggestions?

Sipdowns in 2019: 22

Couldn’t keep this one unopened for long. After a rough night last night (someone crashed into my parked car), I wanted something I knew would be comforting and good.

This is back in my stash again for the last time. Sad to see it go. I’ll be leaving this one in the shrink wrap for a while while I focus on other teas.

HEADS UP! THIS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED!

I just grabbed one of the last boxes on Amazon after speaking with a Kusmi rep. I asked when they were going to restock the loose leaf tins, and she told me this blend is about to be gone forever. So, if you love this tea like I do, you better stock up! Go now!

I forgot that Kusmi’s cloth tea bags look like little pillows. So cute. I got this one from Cameron B.! Thank you very much! I have been meaning to try this one for a few years now. Very excited.

The smell both dry and steeped is heavenly. Straight up caramel. Not caramel syrup, more like the actual old fashioned cubes. They have used a hearty black tea as their base, and it goes dark quickly. It adds a layer of bitterness (that I kinda like) to the tea that makes me think I’ll go with a shorter steep time on my next cup. The caramel flavor is toasty and creamy, with notes of marshmallow and honey. Definitely has a burnt sugar vibe, in a good way, especially on the exhale. No notes of butter or vanilla like some caramel teas. No, this is one for the caramel purists.

I really appreciate the change from all the fruity tea I’ve been drinking lately. Comforting and yet energizing.

I added a little extra ginger and cinnamon this time – just a little bit, three tiny bits of dried ginger and part of the outermost layer of a cinnamon stick. But that little bit apparently was enough to turn ginger into the dominant flavor – the other flavors were still there, but pushed into the background. So, I think the idea wasn’t wrong, but I’ll be adding an even smaller amount of ginger next time.

First thought: Smells nice. Second thought: There are a lot of tiny crumbly bits in this, couldn’t Kusmi have used something a little closer to whole leaf tea? … Okay, I managed not to get any of those in my teacup, that’s a good thing(I made a whole pot of it). Now, the taste. Orange is there, also licorice and anise, but where are the ginger and cinnamon? … Ah, there they are. Just barely. It seems like Kusmi made a chai that needs some extra spices ??

Sipdown! (30 | 519)

One last sipdown for 2021! And it was my oldest tea, too. Hooray! \o/

Anyway, I really like this one. Anastasia is a lovely tea to begin with, and the bergamot and refreshing citrus really go well with a white base as well. Apparently there’s a bit of green tea in here as well, and I suppose I can taste it a bit. The white tea is quite flavorful, with nice grainy hay notes. I love how the lemon makes the bergamot veer a bit more citrusy here. I don’t think I taste orange blossom?

I do still have most of a tin of the original Anastasia, so I’ll have to get through that before I decide which version I would rather restock…

Why hello there! ❤

Long time no see, tea frens. I have been drinking zero tea for the last month or so, as I just didn’t feel like it – I assume because of the hot summer weather. But now that fall is fast approaching, I’m hoping to get back into the tea swing of things! Plus there’s nothing like the sweet siren song of advent calendar season to tempt me back… :D

So I’m happy to be among my fellow tea nerds again!

As my first tea, I figured I’d pick something out of my “oldest teas” box and an Earl sounded like just the ticket, so this one won out. I’m surprised to see a lot of the notes have rather mediocre ratings, as I dig this one. I enjoy Kusmi’s bergamot – it’s present but not overpowering. I’m not the type who enjoys those double bergamot Earls, so a more moderate amount is perfect for me. The lemon makes itself known, and I do get just a wisp of floral that could be the orange blossom. I tend to find bergamot a bit floral, so it’s possible that’s making it harder to detect the additional floral notes. Not being a flower lover when it comes to tea, I’m quite pleased at the subtlety.

Anyway, it’s a lovely light Earl Grey. I’m not sure I would know that it’s a white tea if I wasn’t told, it could just as easily be a very light black tea. There’s an earthy note to it that’s unusual for white tea, and I don’t get much in the way of hay. A perfect choice for a little afternoon tea relaxation break!

Kusmi Advent Calendar – Day 11

Ooh, I like this one! I actually own a tin of it, but it’s in the cupboard so it might as well not exist… XD Sipping on this alongside my dinner of oatmeal with currants and pecans.

Yum, I really just adore Anastasia. The lemon really just lifts it right up and makes it so much more bright, refreshing, and citrusy than bergamot alone. And it goes just as well with this white base as the black version. This is light and airy, with soft hay and oat notes from the white tea alongside the yummy citrus. The soft floral note is lovely as well, and I feel I can taste it more here than in the regular version.

Couldn’t be happier with it at this moment, to be honest. ❤

And the oatmeal is delicious, too!

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIqcseIBxFX/)

Home – 7:00 PM

With my head still hurting, I wanted a comforting tea that I was sure to enjoy. And I happen to have not written about this one yet! Perfect.

It came out a little bit bitter, next time I’ll be sure to shorten the steep to 2-2.5 minutes. Or perhaps I’ll try it at 175. Anyway, this is very tasty. I am a big fan of the original Anastasia and this one is just as tasty. The bergamot is strong enough to make itself known, but it doesn’t taste perfumey as bergamot sometimes can. The lemon adds a nice brightness and lifts the blend a bit. There’s just a little bit of floral, and it complements the other flavors well without being overpowering.

I would like to taste the white tea more, but that could be my own fault for slightly oversteeping this!

Anyway, extremely tasty. Would highly recommend!

Sipdown

Today this is giving me Tangerine White from Revolution vibes. Most enjoyable and glad the final pot of this still shines even though it is a tiny bit past date.

January Sipdown Prompt – your oldest tea

I am not counting teas that age like pu-erh norma couple of ancient herbals. This seems to be my oldest camellia sinensis and I am a little peeved to see that I didn’t even have it listed in my cupboard after all these years.

I really like this tea and have liked all the Russian style blends from Kusmi pretty well. This is essentially a white Earl Grey. The best by date was in 2021 and here it is 2024 and still flavorful. The level of bergamot is really good for me as I don’t like it overwhelmingly strong. This is moderate, so if you don’t like bergamot it probably won’t be your cup of tea,

I guess I need to focus on this one for a sipdown since it is older than I realized.

I saved the last of this sample to share with my youngest daughter when she is home from college, and today is the day! She has been enjoying Twinings now-discontinued Blossom Earl Grey, so I was sure she would like this. I don’t have any of the original black tea version for her to compare it with, but the flavors in the white tea version are the same.

The verdict – she likes it! Now I need to order both kinds for us to drink when she is home! Thank you, Cameron B for the Kusmi samples! (And all the others, too! We will be drinking a lot of tea over the next few days!)