Rare Tea Company

This was a gift from my mother last month, said she saw it whilst shopping online and thought of me. :)

The tin that it comes in is attractive and has a secure lid so it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

In raw form this tea is dark brown and finely chopped (for the most part) with a strong wooden and floral scent. I can also see some large pieces of stem/twig amongst the leaves, quite a bit in this batch to be honest.

Once steeped the tea is dark brown in colour with a rich malted and wooden aroma.

Flavour is thick with very rich malted highs and an undertone of flowers and perfume. Sweet yet dry and a little smoky. It’s a very deep black tea but it’s also somewhat lightened by the hint of flowers. A little longer in the steep and it becomes smokier and more roasted.

I’ve been trying to think of what it reminds me of in flavour and I just worked it out… a Darjeeling. It has the same sort of characteristics as a Darjeeling but in a perhaps slightly stronger version.

Overall it’s been a surprisingly tasty, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the highly stemmed tea but whatever it lacks in quality it doesn’t lack in taste.

Another one from the traveling tea box! Thanks for including this one, TeaEqualsBliss! It seems you have included many RARE teas. This one has a unique flavor! It almost reminds me of a darjeeling but much much deeper in flavor. It also tastes like a really sweet and lingering yunnan. And also maybe a malty assam. So if I’m thinking there are elements of so many teas here, it’s clearly complex! I seem to be saying malty a lot, but I love malty teas. They are my favorite at the moment.

I needed a good – no – a GREAT kick in the rear this morning as I got up FAR earlier than I usually do and I have no idea why. Its cool and the wind is crazy today – leaves falling – perfect cuddle up and sleep all day type of day. HOWEVER I grabbed this sample from LiberTEAS and thank goodness this is a strong bold cup! Exactly what I needed!
Malty, oatmeal aroma, some strange fruit notes. When I wake up I will be doing a full review on http://sororiteasisters.com/

The cups are sipping two-by-two hoorah! Hoorah! The cups are sipping two-by-two hoorah! Hoorah! … The cups are sipping two-by-two – another down – another one brewed…The cups are sipping two-by-two hoorah! Hoorah!

See previous notes :)

LiberTeas Thank you for a bit of this!

This is a masculine, bold, sturdy type tea with a combo of black teas in the base – I do believe. The Darjeeling pops thru nicely but also mixes in very well, too. To the tongue it’s a bit malty, a little caramelly, a tad astringent but in a good way, and very pleasing to my palate!

A nifty morning cuppa or one to help with the mid-afternoon lulls!

Oh this is lovely. So very lovely!

I’ve had this tin of tea for a little while now (I got this and the RAF tea at the same time), but I wanted to save it for a little while. I knew I was going to love it, and that certainty was based only on the fact that I really loved the RAF tea and I then set my expectations very high for any other tea that I might try from them. I tend to do that… if I notice something exceptional about a tea from a company that I’ve not tried before, I then expect the exceptional from them… it sometimes leaves me vulnerable to disappointment … fortunately, it did not this time.

Something about the name of this tea suggested to me to steep it at a lower temperature … it sounded like a Darjeeling (even though it didn’t quite look like one) and since I typically steep my Darjeeling teas at a lower temperature, I did so with this as well. After tasting this, I am confident I did the right thing by this tea… because I can’t imagine it tasting any better… It’s really so good. Sweet! Light, crisp, uplifting. It has a delicious fruity quality that reminds me of Darjeeling, even a hint of muscatel is noted. But it doesn’t have the sharp astringency of some Darjeeling teas, this is smooth from start to finish, with only a slight tangy note toward the end … almost like it’s trying to mimic astringency but not quite getting there (if that makes sense)… I guess I’m trying to say that it is a very slight astringency. The aftertaste is sweet and citrus-y.

This is FANTASTIC!

These leaves remind me of Bay Leaves :)

There isn’t much smell to it but the taste is very unique. It’s VERY mellow and reminiscent of the grapeseed oil I sell, more specifically the lemon flavored grapeseed oil.

I think this would pair well with anything Italian or Greek :)
Very interesting cuppa!

OK, you HAVE to watch this video: http://raretea.m6.artlogic.net/news-and-reviews/videos/xaqGK6UTTQY Don’t worry, it’s short. But, it’s very funny.

And this tea is delicious. It does taste like tea. Delicious tea.

Rich, bold, malty, but I can taste the sparkling notes of the Darjeeling in this too. High fruit notes with a hint of muscatel. Very enjoyable!

SIPDOWN…well, sort of. I’m sharing this one as well. BUT…it had to be pried from my fingers!

ONE. MORE. CUPPA.

LOVE it!

Backlogging SEVERAL cups over the last week or so. Tea is really the only thing keeping me going! Eeeeeek!

I had a cup of this earlier when I was crazy-busy writing…see previous notes :)

Strong, Burly, and Bold! Darn hefty, even! This is Rich and Awakening! It has masculine and earthy flavors within, too! A Fantastically Bold Brew, indeed!

An excellent example of a traditional style black tea blend – sweet and crisp, with a good body that takes milk well. Equally good without milk – some citrus and floral notes are apparent, especially in the mid-palate. Slightly buttery on the finish.

Takes multiple infusions well.

I was really excited when a friend in the UK sent me a tin of this tea. It’s been on my wish list for a while.

The leaves are highly mechanically processed. The leaf fragments are very uniform and almost appear to be ground. There’s an even mix between dark and light leaf particles. The fragrance is clean and crisp; almost citrusy.

Once steeped, this tea produces a very dark, almost black cup. The fragrance takes on a more malty and caramel character. In flavor, this has a medium body and astringency and is well balanced, but the finish leans more towards a darjeeling.

I don’t dress my teas, but this could take some additives. It also stands up to multiple infusions. Pick some up if you make it to the other side of the pond.

I can’t believe I am going to say this…but…this one bored me. It wasn’t bad…but it wasn’t memorable or much of anything…it just…was. So…I decided to add Agave Nectar…didn’t add much flavoring to it actually…so I added some milk…again not much added flavor just a change in color to the liquid…then I added some cinnamon…that helped spice it up a bit! It was alright with some additives but it did take some effort. On to the next…

Oolong is a breathtaking tea. The taste is so unique. The tea itself is in between black and green tea in the oxidation process. I have had the recent pleasure of trying this particular Oolong and I must say its unreal. Its perfect. It has a sweet vegetal flavor. Drinking a cup of this fantastic tea will have you feeling very satisfied. Great job Rare Tea Company. Thank you for believing in quality over quantity. Thats what we believe at Pure Matcha as well.

Awesome! This is one of the very best Jasmine Silver Needle teas I’ve yet to try. So sweet, silky and smooth. Lovely texture to this one. Delicious.

I love this! I think I am going to need more of this!

Very refreshing, very lemony, with none of the over-sweetness you get from commercial bagged lemon teas. Tastes quite similar to, and is every bit as good as, fresh lemon balm tea.

Still yummy.

If you don’t do milk and sugar, keep the steep time around 2 minutes.

Uber-fresh tasting black blend. Very proper “British” style black tea that would probably go very nicely with milk and sugar. If you like your tea strong enough to make your spoon stand up, Royal Air Force should do the trick nicely.