This is another of my free samples from Butiki! Almond is one of my favorite flavors, so I of course had to try this one. I accidentally steeped it for a touch longer than the steeping time on the package, but it didn’t seem to hurt the tea. The color is a nice medium orangey-red. The first smell that hits me is sugar cookies, followed by cinnamon, the earthy aromas of the black tea base, and a bright hint of citrus. Taken all together, the smell once again really reminds me of the candy-encrusted roasted almonds you find at fairs (same as the almond cookie from Joy’s Teaspoon). I get very similar notes from the taste; this one does a pretty good job of actually tasting like those sugar-cinnamon coated almonds too. However, I’m more getting a feeling of almond than an actual taste; I’m sure the almond pieces and flavoring is contributing to the overall experience, but this tea just doesn’t have what I consider to be strong, pure almond notes. I get a slight bitterness from the tea, but it actually works well because it melds just right with the flavor. I think I lose some of the bakery-cookie notes in the taste, but that’s ok with me. I must have a somewhat different idea of what an almond cookie tastes like, because to an almond cookie basically just tastes like almond—no cinnamon, or spices, just plain, delicious almond. In any case in the “almond cookie” genre of teas, this one is quite good, if a bit less almondy than I’d like.
Preparation
Comments
Interesting that you bring up that the almond isn’t as strong as you would like. I just so happen to be making a new blend of this tea using a flavoring that is much more concentrated almond almost cherry like (or at least that’s how I describe it). Additionally, the tea base will be of higher quality and organic. The tea should be completed in a few weeks after I do a blind taste test with some tea friends.
I really hope I asked for this one for my Butiki reviews!
Interesting that you bring up that the almond isn’t as strong as you would like. I just so happen to be making a new blend of this tea using a flavoring that is much more concentrated almond almost cherry like (or at least that’s how I describe it). Additionally, the tea base will be of higher quality and organic. The tea should be completed in a few weeks after I do a blind taste test with some tea friends.
Cool! I’ll definitely have to try the new blend!