The Gilded Teapot

www.tastethetea.co.uk

Aroma: Sweet, like plunging your face into a cheese cake.

Flavour: Delightfully light bodied and gentle, yet flavoursome. A little addictive, particularly for those with a sweet tooth. The initial hit of vanilla, which is so, so, so satisfying, is followed by a mild grassy undertone and a fudge like finish.

Final Thoughts: Sencha’s grassy notes are often considered the pinnacle of summer green tea vibes. Yet, the vanilla served well to tone down the typical imposing flavours of classic sencha, turning this tea into a cosy brew, that could easily become a friend in winter.

Aroma: Strong, brittle citric notes, punchy lemon scent.
Flavour: First taste, disappointing. Despite containing wakame, there’s no exotic pzazz. It’s a little savoury, sure, but mostly, it’s all lemony. However, the flavours feel organic and pleasing. All this is coming from someone who isn’t super into sencha and hates hot lemon!

Final Thoughts
For me, personally, I am so adverse to lemon, particularly when it’s hot, that Sencha Seaweed Wakame is really not a tea I would ever come back to. BUT. It’s so well created that I can completely appreciate the notes of the tea. The Gilded Teapot has turned a tea I would normally gag at the thought of, into something I could, almost happily, sip at.

FLAVOUR: Taken black and steeped at the recommended 3-4 minutes, Dorset Brew produces a strong, dark cup, with a bitter tobacco profile, a standard breakfast tea flavour. Perfect for those who love a strong black tea in the morning or throughout the day. I found this to be a bit too harsh for my own taste, the musty tobacco being devoured into the bitter citric notes the further through the cup you venture. To match my preference, I steeped this for 2 minutes to create a black tea that is lightly woody, almost floral, with a gentler tobacco profile.

EMBELLISHMENTS: As with many black teas, Dorset Brew is completely compatible with milk and sugar, creating a traditional all day British brew, strong and distinguished, yet smooth. Delightfully, the leaves of Dorset Brew can withstand multiple steeping’s, I used mine about 3 times. As mentioned, the first brew can be a little bitter, so if this isn’t your kind of cup, try steeping for less than the recommended 4 minutes. Each steep lets the flavour retreat into a lighter bodied tea, producing a delicious malty biscuit flavour. In keeping with the values of a good British cuppa, add a dash of sugar just to sweeten up the cup.

FINAL THOUGHTS: My favourite part of Dorset Brew was definitely the leaves, which are really pretty with light flacks of tea. As a former Dorsetonian (a term coined by The Gilded Teapot), having lived in Dorset for about 8 years prior to re-locating to London, I felt a kinship with Dorset Brew. I really wanted to enjoy this blend, but I just didn’t get on with the heavy, strong flavours when brewed for 3-4 minutes. This doesn’t mean to say that this isn’t a good blend. It’s inclusion of some classic breakfast teas could actually make this the ultimate breakfast blend, particularly for those who prefer a strong start to the day. I just much prefer a tea with that has is more gentle bodied , so really preferred Dorset Brew when I didn’t steep it for as long.

Partial review from www.tastethetea.co.uk ; I’ve been incredibly curious about trying Milk Oolong for a while. Surely not.. A tea that is naturally milky in taste? Hmm… Contemplation followed by the conclusion, in defiance, that this just cannot be… OH HOW WRONG. Gosh, opening this tea is like falling into a milk carton, head first. The creamy, milk aroma hits you hard, willing you back to childhood. Once brewed the creamy smells are sickly sweet, with a curious, light floral backing.

For tasting notes… http://tastethetea.co.uk/2016/02/10/review-milk-oolong/