1578 Tasting Notes

75

This is the only green tea that I wasn’t excited about when I ordered the Kusmi green mini-tin set. I’ve never had a ginger tea before, and I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m not a big fan of ginger and I was afraid it would be overpowering. The dry leaf smells like lemon drops! There is a ginger scent also, but it is not as strong as the lemon. Brewed this at 175 for 3 minutes.

The aroma of the finished cup is similar to the dry leaf but more subdued. The chief scent is lemon, with the ginger as a close second, and I can also smell the vegetal green tea. The taste itself is a good marriage of lemon, ginger, and tea flavors. The ginger isn’t too sharp – it’s more of a ginger ale kind of ginger. When I tasted it piping hot, there was a definite bitterness that lingered after each sip. I added about half a teaspoon of sugar in an attempt to reign it in. This definitely reduced it a bit, but I think I may have steeped it a little longer than it liked. As the tea cooled, the bitterness lessened even more and the lemon and ginger flavors really started the meld together beautifully.

Overall, I think this is a well-balanced tea, even though it’s not my favorite flavor profile. I think next time I try it, I’ll reduce the steep time by 30 seconds or so. This one seems like it might be a good one to try chilled also!

Flavors: Ginger, Lemon, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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85

Yum yum yum! I cold steeped this one for about 12 hours (1 heaping tsp for 8 oz) and it came out very tasty indeed. It’s very refreshingly spearminty – I don’t really taste green tea at all to be honest. I added some syrup because I like my minty things to be a little sweet. This would be amazing after you’ve been outside on a hot day, it’s so cooling and relaxing.

I think I may try this one again with a shorter steep time just to see if I can get a combination of green tea and spearmint flavors, but I am finding it very yummy as is. I’m going to bump up the rating a couple points. :)

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
sherapop 11 years ago

Great suggestion for iced tea—thanks!

Cameron B. 11 years ago

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :D

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80

Trying this one as a cold brew today. I put this and some spearmint green in the fridge last night before bed (about a heaping teaspoon in 8 ounces of water for each one). Thanks again to Stephanie and Cheri for sharing your cold brew wisdom! Before taking it out, I made a simple syrup to sweeten with because trying to stir sugar into iced tea is one of my biggest pet peeves! >:|

I’m actually a little bit disappointed with this as a cold brew. The tea flavor is there, but I’m not getting nearly as much strawberry as I would like, even with sweetener added. There’s also a tiny bit of bitterness there, so I’m not sure if I shouldn’t have let it steep as long as I did (it was around 12 hours or so I think). Overall, it’s not bad but I definitely prefer this tea hot. I’m not going to change my rating because I feel like when a tea is also good iced, it’s a bonus rather than an expectation.

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
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boychik 11 years ago

im not good with cold steeps. But sometimes i make it like iced tea, hot and chill.

Cameron B. 11 years ago

Yeah I might try doing this one that way and see how it compares. That might help with the bitterness.

yyz 11 years ago

Bitterness could be caused by either too long a steep or too much leaf. I usually steep mine 6-8 hrs overnight,but I am definitely not a regular cold steeper. I cold brew my flavoured greens and some of my Oolong’s.

Cameron B. 11 years ago

I think I’ll try this one again with both of your methods – the chilled hot brew and the shorter cold steep. Thanks for your comments and advice! :3

Stephanie 11 years ago

Good luck…you are good for not getting frustrated and trying again!

Cameron B. 11 years ago

@Stephanie – If it had been horrible I wouldn’t try again. :P But it wasn’t bad, just underwhelming.

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drank Paris by Harney & Sons
1578 tasting notes

Taking a wee little break from tasting all of my new Kusmi teas and relaxing with this. From all the first-time notes I’ve been writing the past couple of days, it’s nice to just sit back and sip without thinking too hard about the flavor profile. I’m having it with sugar and whole milk this time around, and I think next time I try this I might do two sachets if I’m going to put milk in.

Do any of you lovely people have a good method for making hot or cold tea lattes? Please share if so, I have several teas I would like to try this way! :D

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
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Cheri 11 years ago

I have my comfort teas that I like when I don’t want to think to hard or I just need something stable and normal and to turn out right.

But I am curious to hear the answers to the latte question.

boychik 11 years ago

Sometimes i add condensed milk. But i can eat it right out the can. pls dont judge…

Cameron B. 11 years ago

Hah, I am definitely not one to judge when it comes to indulging! I have the most horrible sweet tooth ever, especially for creamy things. :P

Cameron B. 11 years ago

Dear Boychik,

http://iamafoodblog.com/sweetened-condensed-milk-recipe/

With love, Cameron B.

boychik 11 years ago

Drooling…

Cameron B. 11 years ago

I haven’t tried it yet but I might have to… I never though of adding it to tea! What have you done?! :P

boychik 11 years ago

i think its better than milk and sugar, and i never buy cream. its the best consistency. but dont overdo, while its hot it seems not enough and when it cooled could be sickening sweet. in my country we dont add anything to a tea, drinking on a side with cond. milk, or preserves,or pastries. BTW many yrs ago i was in Russian Tea Room with my hubby. thats where i got my first cup of Prince Vladimir with red currant preserve on a side.

Skulleigh 11 years ago

I use half & half and splenda. I put them in the bottom of my cup and then froth them with a battery powered milk frother. Once it has frothed up, I add the tea.

Cameron B. 11 years ago

@boychik – Yeah I noticed that the sweetener is more and more effective as the teas cools when I was trying all those Russian blends. Luckily they all tasted better warm anyway!

@Skulleigh – Do you use less water when you brew the tea or do you do it normally? I could see it making sense to reduce the amount of water proportionally to the volume of the milk you’re adding.

Skulleigh 11 years ago

Not generally, but I tend to use a little more tea than I really need to, so it’s probably stronger anyway. I use big mugs.

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85
drank Troika by Kusmi Tea
1578 tasting notes

Another Russian tea from Kusmi! I’m rather surprised I haven’t been dreaming of bergamot after trying all of these over the last couple days… The dry leaf on this one has that familiar strong bergamot scent, but I can also pick out a whiff of orangeyness (I’m not sure I can discern the difference between orange and mandarin).

Brewing up the cup, the liquid has a lovely bergamot aroma with just a small sidenote (is that a thing…? I think it is) of a sweeter citrus. I tasted it hot and got the usual generic flavor that I’ve gotten from almost all of these teas when they’re freshly made, which is black tea with bergamot and maybe a wisp of something else. So I went the usual route, added a small amount of sugar and did some dishes while I waited for it to cool down a bit. I was definitely rewarded for my patience – like its brethren, this tea becomes much more interesting when it’s warm or room temperature. The black tea base seems quite mild to me, and smooth. The bergamot flavor is prominent but not overpowering, and the orange is not so much a separate flavor as a harbinger of better, more juicy bergamot flavor. I feel like this would be a good choice for those who enjoy a plain Earl Grey but want the bergamot to have that little… je ne sais quoi.

After trying all of these teas, I became curious what the difference is in their bases. I could definitely taste that a couple of them had a slightly stronger or bolder black tea flavor and some were more mellow. So after checking the ingredients lists on all of the tiny tins, this is what I’ve come up with: St. Petersburg and Prince Vladimir are both exclusively Chinese teas (it does specify “teas” as a plural so it is a blend), Anastasia is a blend of Chinese and Ceylon, and Bouquet of Flowers and Troika are both blends of Chinese, Ceylon, and Indian teas. Interesting. Good to know I’m not crazy for thinking the bases tasted different. :D

Aw, this is the last of the five Russian Blends I have. I’ve really enjoyed tasting and comparing them all – they are all similar enough but each has its own little personality added. Next project: try them all iced and as lattes!

Flavors: Bergamot, Orange

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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70

This is the third free sample I received with my Kusmi order, and I was actually kind of excited because I had seen this tea on their website and thought it sounded interesting. Hooray coincidence! The dry leaf in the tea bag smelled delicious – it had a very strong and sweet marzipan or almond paste scent. I brewed it for 3 minutes at 175.

The brewed cup also had a fairly strong marzipan scent, but I could also smell the green base. I added a very small amount of sugar right off the bat because I couldn’t resist with the marzipan flavor. After tasting the fresh brew, I was a little disappointed by how light the almond flavor ended up being. I don’t know what kind of green tea this is, but it tasted pretty mild with a little bit of bitterness. I let the cup cool, trying it every so often, but I was never really satisfied with the level of marzipan flavor. I think I would prefer a more strongly flavored black version of this.

Flavors: Almond, Marzipan, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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85
drank Prince Vladimir by Kusmi Tea
1578 tasting notes

I have to say, I was rather shocked when I smelled this tea. The other Russians I have tried from Kusmi have smelled overwhelmingly of bergamot. I was therefore not prepared for this one to have such a spicy smell. That being said, it was a very pleasant surprise – as soon as I got a whiff I was very excited to try this. The dry leaf has a very strong scent of spice (anise maybe?) along with a heavy bergamot smell. There are also notes of vanilla and other citrus present.

I was surprised that the brew smells strongly of black tea with added bergamot and spice scents (the spice is a little bit different than in the tin, more of a clove maybe?). The first thing I noticed is that the black tea base of this tea tastes much stronger or harsher to me than the other blends I have tried. The tin simply says it’s a blend of Chinese teas. When the tea is hot, the predominant flavors are bergamot and a surprisingly mild but warming spiciness that I would categorize as a blend of different spices. I added a very small amount of sugar. As I let it cool, I really started to taste the vanilla and the lemon, which I must admit are perfect with the spice. The bergamot became more of a background flavor than I would expect. There is supposedly grapefruit in this blend but I could never seem to pick it out, which I actually am glad of. I don’t feel the extreme tartness and bitterness of grapefruit would mesh well with this.

Overall, I enjoyed this tea very much and I just know that it would be fantastic with milk or as a latte. Must try!

Flavors: Bergamot, Lemon, Spices, Vanilla

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
TeaBrat 11 years ago

This was one of my ex boyfriend’s favorite teas. Sadly he passed away earlier this year. :(

boychik 11 years ago

i’m so sorry for your loss

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80

Trying this one again with a shorter steep. The first time, it was delicious but with a little bitterness and I didn’t think it fair to impose a rating when I’d obviously steeped it incorrectly. So this time I lowered the steep from 3:30 to 3 minutes.

The aroma of the cup remains the same, a sweet and tart fresh strawberry scent among that refreshing “greenness” of the tea. It seems 3 minutes was the secret weapon because there is next to no bitterness in this cup but there is still plenty of strawberry yumminess. Trying it hot, it’s a lovely vegetel green tea taste with a mild but obvious strawberry flavor. I kept trying sips as I let it cool and the strawberry became more and more prominent, and it began to have the most interesting tangy effect on the back of my tongue. This really made me believe the strawberry flavor, and it lingered after each sip. I can only imagine how delicious this tea would taste iced – that will have to be the next thing I try. If anyone has any cold brewing tips, I would greatly appreciate your input!

Flavors: Strawberry, Sweet, Tart, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
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Stephanie 11 years ago

I bet this would be really good cold or ice brewed, you’re right. I’m no expert on cold brew though, sorry. I’ve only cold steeped a few flavored senchas so that might work for this tea actually. Usually I do 2tps per 16 oz in the fridge overnight.

Cameron B. 11 years ago

So you use the same amount for a cold steep as you do for hot then?

Stephanie 11 years ago

That has worked for me so far! If it doesn’t seem strong enough you can always throw in another tsp or 2 and give it another day. That’s the nice thing about cold steep- can’t oversteep it really.

Cameron B. 11 years ago

Okay, thanks for your help! I appreciate it. :)

Stephanie 11 years ago

Hope it turns out well for you! Makes me want to make some again soon. It is totally iced tea weather ;)

Cheri 11 years ago

I do about the same amount for cold steep, or maybe a little more, depending on the tea. It’s something fun to play around with.

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78
drank Rose Green Tea by Kusmi Tea
1578 tasting notes

Another adorable tin! This one is a pale pink (not quite pastel but not bright either) accented with a lovely mint green. The dry leaf has a very strong and somewhat sweet rose fragrance, but I also smell a bit of mintiness. It’s a tad bit perfumey but after my experience with Kusmi’s spearmint green, I knew it wouldn’t be this strong in the actual cup. I’m unsure what type of green tea this is, it’s apparently Chinese and the leaves are thin, twisted, and a dark sort of mossy green with some shiny silvery bits. I brewed for 3 minutes at about 175 degrees.

The aroma of the brewed cup is equal parts “green” and musty rose, with a hit of mint in the background. I tried this straight up first. I do enjoy the flavor plain, there a light bitterness in the green tea and the rose flavor is very present, but it does not overpower. The mint note is there at the back, mild and lingering, and it creates a slight cooling sensation after the sip.

After I had let the tea cool and kept trying it to test the flavor, I added a small amount of sugar and I feel this helped the rose to really shine. The bitterness subsided and the now sweet rose flavor melded perfectly with the mint (I tend to prefer sweet mint flavors so keep this in mind). This tea makes me think of lavish afternoon tea parties with petit fours and tiny, delicate finger sandwiches. Yum!

Flavors: Bitter, Mint, Rose, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Show 1 previous comments...
Stephanie 11 years ago

Those tins are so cute and tempting!

TheTeaFairy 11 years ago

Yummy!

Cameron B. 11 years ago

I am such a sucker for cute packaging! Luckily, I’ve really been enjoying the teas inside these cute tins. :D

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90
drank Anastasia by Kusmi Tea
1578 tasting notes

This is third for me to try out of my Russian blends (thanks again to Boychik for setting me straight on how to brew these :)). Like the previous two, upon opening the tin, the smell of bergamot is overpowering. I think I can catch a little whiff of lime though, which makes me excited to try this. I did the usual brew of 3 minutes at about 200 degrees.

The aroma of the brewed tea is mostly bergamot, but I am able to pick up on some sweet orange and a little note of lemon. I’m not sure whether the lime is there because I find it difficult to separate all these different citrus scents from one another. I had fully intended to try this one without any sugar (I feel I should wean myself off of sweetening my teas in general because I feel like, in some cases, it interferes with my tasting of all the flavors). However, I don’t think I can drink a bergamot tea straight – I found it unpleasantly bitter or something. So I added just under a teaspoon of sugar (foiled again!).

When I first tasted this as it was still very hot, I could mostly just taste black tea with bergamot. I’m beginning to see this as a pattern with these Russian blends from Kusmi. I let it cool, taking a few sips every so often to see how the flavor was changing, and it’s interesting to note how the effect of sugar becomes more and more apparent as a tea grows colder (at least, in my opinion). I found that I enjoy this tea much more when it is just warm as opposed to hot, and I can now pick out the flavors of lemon and orange, and possibly a slight floral note (I take it this is the orange blossom). The lime seems to manifest itself as a kind of aftertaste on the back of my tongue. Overall, I really like the combination of citrus flavor in this tea.

(thanks again Boychik for all of your helpful advice)

Flavors: Bergamot, Floral, Lemon, Lime, Orange

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Show 9 previous comments...
TheTeaFairy 11 years ago

Yay to shared knowledge, boychik is awesome :-)

And don’t worry about the fact that you “foiled again”. I personally very rarely add anything to me tea, but it is recommended to add a bit of sugar sometimes to bring out the flavour in flavoured tea. The beauty is, you’ are your own tea master, you get to choose what you like best. After trying with and without sugar, if you like it best with sugar and it helps you appreciate more whatever tea you are drinking, then what’s wrong with that? :-)

ohfancythat 11 years ago

So true, TeaFairy!

TeaBrat 11 years ago

yes the bitterness is one reason I don’t really care for bergamot.

Cameron B. 11 years ago

@*TheTeaFairy*: Yeah, I tend to prefer tea with a little bit of sugar, but I think I will definitely try to taste everything without sugar for at least a few sips just to see the difference. Bergamot may be an exception, I find it a little offensive without sugar.

@*TeaBrat*: For me, it depends on the level of bergamot, but sweetener definitely helps to cut that bitterness. I can’t imagine drinking an Earl Grey without it…

boychik 11 years ago

Anastasia + Napoleon is best combo. this is how napoleon looks like. never made it, I’m baking challenged
http://letthebakingbeginblog.com/2013/07/best-napoleon-cake-ever/

Cameron B. 11 years ago

I love to bake so I might need to try that recipe. :P

boychik 11 years ago

just for the record, i didnt do anything special,just suggested parameters that work for me.

Cameron B. 11 years ago

Well it was very helpful, whether you think it was special of you or not! Don’t worry, I’ll stop mentioning you in posts if it’ll make you feel better. :)

boychik 11 years ago

you can mention my name all you want. its just the place i came from i have to be humble. we grew up not being praised no matter what

TheTeaFairy 11 years ago

Awww, that’s sad… Well here, it’s the opposite…you’ll be praised, no matter what :-)

Cameron B. 11 years ago

While that sounds like a hard upbringing, humbleness is a quality that I prize in people. :) That being said, it’s okay to accept praise every once in a while!

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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-year-old software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, bento, baking, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is collecting hobby related-things… ;)

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I will often sweeten iced tea. I brew Western style, and fluctuate between using mugs or teapots with small cups depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I also use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Current Subscriptions:
52teas
Bird & Blend
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Sips By

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, and oolong varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially mango and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura and chamomile. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Purveyors:
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Kusmi
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre
Yunnan Sourcing

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age.

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/cam...

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