Kusmi Tea

March Sipdown Madness

This was an honestly really nice mug of tea, but sadly it still lost its most recent match up with Arthur Dove’s Moonbeam. That was my gut feeling for what I would decide – I think it’s just asking a lot for an Earl Grey/bergamot blend to make it to the end given that it’s one of those flavours that I don’t love and kind of need to be in a pretty specific mood to want a mug of it…

This is possibly my favourite bergamot blend in my stash though, so all things considered it really was nice having it several times this month.

March Sipdown Madness

I’m not a big Earl Grey/bergamot drinker, but of the EG in my cupboard this is the one that realistically I’m most likely to gravitate towards drinking. I actually expected this to lose against the tea it was matched with, Tea Runner’s Evening in Missoula – I just love wintergreen so much and bergamot is more meh to me…

However, between the lacking wintergreen flavour in the Tea Runner blend and the just calm gentle profile of this more citrusy and lime tinged EG on a soothing delicate white tea base!? Well, it was a surprise to me as well – but this tea won out and move on!

First time being able to log into the site in days – I’m frustrated with the lack of communication about the ongoing issues surrounding Adagio’s takeover of the site. I think it’s fair to expect some hiccups transitioning, but this is going on far too long with far too little communication…

Anyway I’m gonna try to keep tasting notes brief because I have a nasty backup of them; so jot notes it is – at least for tonight. I’ll reassess tomorrow.

- Hot mug of this during my work day today (a work from home day)
- Not normally an “Earl Grey”/bergamot drinker…
- …but there’s admittedly a nice quality to beginning your day with a mug of it
- Like the white tea base and the lime; it’s adds brightness and softness

Like a lighter, fresher feeling Earl Grey – which is, actually, sort of what this is!?

I had is yesterday because I was in the mood for that kind of profile and I found it fit my craving and mindset very well. Today, thinking about the flavour profile of the cup, I actually feel a bit grossed out – bergamot isn’t usually my thing. It’s funny how flavour prefences can ping pong so quickly like that.

Had this one over the weekend – I’ll do a bigger write up at a later time since my laptop battery is about to die, but I just wanted to capture that I really enjoyed the flavour of the tea. It was a little astringent, but I think that’s from the temperature of what I used. However, the flavour was bright and lively with a crisp lime note and bold bergamot. Floral undertone; but fruity feeling overall!

I had it with strawberry macarons – and the combo of lime and strawberry was really delicious too!

Another tea from exchange meeting – and exchanged this one. So, I do not know how old it could be. Hopefully, not so much, but when it is wrapped in foil, I hope it would not be bad.

When brewed, it smells nice. Mostly orange zest and bit of spices. In taste t is similar, but I expected much more pronounced spices. It was like earl grey, but with quite weak base black tea and little bit of spices. Nothing very distinctive. I expected much more stronger tastes. But overall it was nice, mellow tea..

This was a lovely cold brew. Very refined and succulent peachy flavor. Reminds me of the fruitiness of a good quality dan cong. Natural tasting and not overly strong. White peach was the dominant flavor here; I couldn’t really taste the blackcurrant. If it’s there, it’s subtle and doesn’t try to compete with the peach. Mind you, I always blend my flavored teas with a straight so that could be why it was so faint.

Although I love peaches, it’s been a while since I’ve actually had a peach flavored tea. Teavana’s Peach Tranquility was a favorite of mine back in the day. It was good but had a lot going on. This tastes more similar to Lupicia’s Momo Super Grade oolong, a baozhong subtly scented with Japanese white peach. It’s got a purer flavor that tastes just like ripe summer peaches.

Not a tea I would have picked out on my own but was seduced by its divine aroma. I ambient brewed it today blended with a mellow green tea, then poured over ice for a really delicious and refreshing iced tea. The taste reminded me of fresh baked blueberry pie. The blueberry flavoring is very well done here; light and totally natural tasting with a gentle coconut accent in the background. I’m usually not a fan of coconut flavoring and appreciated the fact they didn’t go overboard with the coconut.

Note that I have yet to try this straight or hot brewed since I find most flavored teas too overpowering on their own. All 3 of the teas I bought from Kusmi turned out to be winners. I really appreciate the subtle, true to life flavoring and after writing off flavored tea a while ago, it’s made me give them a second look.

Discovered this colorful, brightly lit tea shop at one of the Paris metro stations. The brand looked vaguely familiar although I don’t think I’ve ever had it. The store seemed like a French version of Teavana with a large selection of blends and straight teas. This was one of the samples they offered me and I liked it so much that I ended up buying it along with a couple of other teas.

This tea is an example of a well done blend. White tea because of its delicateness can get overpowered or lost with other flavorings. But here you can still taste its soft texture underlying the subtle tropical flavor. The passion fruit and mango mingle together beautifully to add a sweet, pleasing tang. I had this iced and it was fantastic…the perfect summer refresher.

Part 2 of my mini tin gift pack that I received last Christmas or so. It came with Spicy Chocolate, Anatasia and Boost. Weird combo, I know lol.

So… I liked this one. I had my doubts after reading some of the reviews. If you don’t like strong ginger or cinnamon, this will be your nightmare. The label says a blend of maté, green tea, cinnamon bark, and ginger. It’s a robust, full taste, unlike the Spicy Chocolate. It’s a smooth tea, and I can still taste the ginger and cinnamon well after finishing the sip.

I drank it hot. 2 tsp in 10 oz, 175°F. Steeped for 3 min. Says it is good iced but today was the first time trying it. I have like 20g to go so maybe I’ll try it iced next time.

It’s 16:07 here, and felt a little tired before I drank it. I definitely feel the anti-fatigue effects. So, that’s good. :) I recommend it if you like ginger.

Sipdown. I had received a cute little gift set that included this. The little tin cans are adorable. Girly girly moment I guess.

I liked it as suggested but it was far better with splashes of milk and ice cubes. Is that a latte? I know nothing about how you all prepare your lattes… Etc. lol I just know that the cardamom, cloves, cocoa… Etc. melded together better with a little milk and ice cubes. Maybe because it is so hot outside.

Alone, it was good too. I wouldn’t classify it as rich though. Very light taste. Unflavored black teas have stronger notes. I could taste (as usual) only a hint of the cocoa. The cloves were more prominent. It’s a light tea though, no matter how long I brewed it. Desert tea, for sure.

I didn’t find a whole lot to note about this tea. I did get citrus and what I think is muddy bergamot but it was a bit bitter/acrid and nothing was distinctive. All the flavours were too blended together to make out distinct flavour profiles.

Coca-Cola and vanilla notes (scent/taste) in the beginning of the first few sips that gradually change to a more robust black tea with a hint of bitterness. The sweetness and vanilla flavours increases over time. I must say that I get a nice boost of energy after drinking 2 to 3 cups of this tasty tea. There is a definitely weak bergamot scent and taste – I think the vanilla overwhelm the others flavours, so it can be hard to distinguish the others savour of this tea like for example the citrus tang. WATER USED: Nestle Pure Life – Each additional cup I added 30 sec.

This one kick off by showing coffee bean taste that go away as the temperature cool down and disappear at the subsequent brew. A very soft tea with a touch of bitterness, the intensity of the other flavours (malt, sweetness, dark chocolate…) varies as you drink. A really good black tea without dryness and I really like the intensity of the sweetness of this one. WATER USED: Nestlé Pure Life.

Smell: Bergamot

4 min 30 Sec., 210F, 1.2 spoon of loose leaves put in a tea bag.
Served in a glass vessel, a red brown liquor

I used a different bottle water this time.

Sweet bergamot slightly bitter with a grounded pepper flavour — a slight dryness that increased over time. If brew for around 3 minutes with slightly less tea leaves the bergamot will be weaker and probably without the grounded pepper flavour (see previous tasting note).

Water Used: Naya Natural Spring Water.

A straight well balanced earl grey with citrus, bergamot and slightly bitter taste, good for 3 infusions. For me, it is strong enough. A tea can you can drink on a daily basis. Kusmi Tea offers other earl grey, for example the earl grey intense. WATER USED: Nestlé Pur Life

Medium bodied with a little bit of dryness. Light notes of smoke damp earth and subtle bitterness. As it cool down and brew more cup, malt flavour appear with some sweetness. WATER USED: Nestle Pure Life

This is a mandarin pu’erh tea bought in canada, Ontario, Ottawa at the rideau center, it is very sweet, mellow, malty with subtle tangy citrus mandarin notes and a bit of dryness. Usually it is a mandarin fill with pu’erh tea. However, this one is mix with either mandarin chunk or maybe they flavouring it with mandarin. WATER USED: Nestle Pure Life

This tea came in a swap from Cameron B! Many thanks! Now that I know that Kusmi likes special prep, I am loving their blends!
http://sororiteasisters.com/2019/03/07/caramel-from-kusmi/?fbclid=IwAR0Y7NhFUKmqaTBQfrO3TErZZ3Hq6xFsfq6xsRkPOtuiwZum8qrDpzM-Nh0

I am taking a wee break from work to enjoy Mardi Gras cookies – delightfully almond flavored and sweet – and a hot cuppa. This new-to-me caramel struck my fancy, and I am delighted with the pairing.

You might think sweet with sweet wouldn’t be awesome together, but this black tea from Kusmi is from China, lacking the lemon/citrus notes one gets from most Ceylon tea and the caramel is not overly sweet but instead is almost a burnt caramel. Honestly, if I hadn’t prepared this myself and someone had told me it was a tea from China with natural caramel notes, I would have believed them.

Put together, it makes for a wonderful tea to pair with sweets or to drink on its own. As usual, I have added no milk or sugar and it is smooth and delicious, but I would say that this tea would handle milk and sugar VERY well for those who prefer additions.

I have the muslin tea sachets, and I have steeped twice and literally forgot I was drinking a second steep. There is no sourness, but a mere hint of briskness and the flavor of the black tea is lingering. I think this would make an excellent breakfast for folks like me who are not looking for a big brown boot of a builder’s tea to kick start them in the mornings. This has all the strength I need for a day starter or an afternoon refreshment.

Kusmi Tea White Anastasia, the special blend for the celebration of its 100th anniversary. Since I’ve already used to drinking Taiwanese black tea and oolong tea, my palate can’t take the strong British style black tea nor the special blend tea ( like sea salt caramel oolong tea from Dammann Frères).

Dry leaf: The strong citrus aroma rushed into my nose. It should come from bergamot essential oil.
Taste: High note of citrus took over the first 3 seconds but the subtle freshness of green tea appeared. After one or two sips of this tea, you can feel the vibrant lemon aroma lingering in your mouth.
My Brewing: I first fellow the instruction, but the second time I used 3g of tea with 500ml water. This is just about right for me.

More tea review? Check my blog! Hit my profile for the link. OR,
https://www.youandtea.club

Before bed tea! I need to stop oversteeping – gets a bit too licorice-y

Whoa, there’s 9g of tea in this sachet. I didn’t even think of cutting it open to brew a smaller amount. Instead, I made 3-12oz mugs, taking note of how I felt after the first cup since yerba maté often doesn’t agree with my disposition — I think Mastress Alita termed that effect as ‘Wanting to Punch a Baby.’

I was cooking like a madwoman (roasted acorn squash, black bean and chipotle enchiladas with sautéed onions, bell peppers and summer squash on the side) with a dog who has clearly never worked in a kitchen in her life and 2 very sick people in the house who were arguing with each other. Despite this whirlwind, I didn’t lose my cool and drank all three mugs of this Blue Detox.

The dry bag smelled pungent and musty with some faint whiffs of pineapple. Brewed up it was nice and light non-cooling mint and pineapple tastes. Some grassiness and earthiness from the yerba maté and green rooibos? I have never had it. There was more going on underneath it all. Surprisingly tasty! And no punching of babies but now that I’m sitting down, I am feeling a bit irritated.

Thanks for sharing, Kawaii433 :)