Elmwood Inn

Sipdown (616)!

A share from VariaTEA!

I don’t know if this is a company or an actual inn/hotel – but regardless I’m almost certain I’ve never tried any tea from them. I wasn’t sure what to except from this one; I’m not a big green tea drinker (but slowly becoming more open to them) but I do LOVE rose blends. Turns out this is a really good happy medium for me because even though I thought it had a medium bodied and present grassy/green bean quality the flavour was dominated by top notes of fresh, floral seeming rose notes and a soft, delicate lingering rose flavour in the end of the sip as well. Not much in the way of cherry; but hints of it in the body alongside the green tea.

It made for a very peaceful and relaxing mid-afternoon cup of tea, which it turns out is exactly what I needed to stay focused enough to complete the baking/cooking that I had to do for our staff meeting last night. So thanks a lot for the share VariaTEA! This was really lovely!

I purchased this tea while visiting the Boston Tea Party Museum on a trip to Boston. This tea has a deep color and smells like you’ve just open a fresh loaf of bread, with a hint of smoke. Once brewed, the color is a deep golden-brown. The flavor is smooth and not too bitter. In fact, it has a hint of sweetness to it. This tea would make a good everyday tea to have as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Tea Swap
Sipdown

Work tea session

A smoky glass of bourbon without the burn. Slightly bitter, yet smooth?

There is a large display of teas from Elmwood Inns at the local International Market I frequently shop at. I decided to take a chance and purchase one just to check out the brand itself. Elmwood’s website appears that they take the tea craft very seriously which peaked my interest. Elmwood’s “Tea Maestro” owner has written 14 books on Tea and frequently lectures around the country at Tea events. They even seem to have a “Tea School” or “Master Class” seminar offered in Kentucky which is where they are headquartered. I decided to try a Green Tea and, sadly, the only one I could find not full of additives was a Sencha and Hyson. I decided to test my luck with the Hyson having never tried that particular style. It was marketed as “The American Revolution: Boston Tea Party” in reference to this being one of the main teas thrown overboard in Boston harbor in 1773. It evidently was also a favorite of Thomas Jefferson. It is a “Young Hyson” which is what you want to see as well from all that I have read. Sadly, after all that build up, this tea completely failed to impress. That is actually the kindest thing I can say. It smelled terribly musty which I don’t think I have ever experienced with a Green Tea. It smelled almost like a poor quality cooked Puer. When I brewed it, I found that I needed to wash the tea which I normally only have to do with select Blacks, Puer and Oolongs. There was so much tea dust in the tin that it created an absurdly dark brew within seconds. Almost like I was brewing from a tea bag. I did a 2nd infusion and it really didn’t improve much. The third infusion was the only one I really was able to drink the tea from. The taste was very astringent despite the gentle brew of 175 °F / 2 Min 30 Sec. The musty scent was also infused in the taste and I found it completely off-putting. I had a little more success when I switched from a single serving mug/infuser to a cast iron Japanese tea pot. I eventually started to get some green tea flavor with a slight citrus aftertaste using this method. The irony of this being marketed as an American Revolution Tea is that is tastes like it has been sitting in a basement since the 18th century. I’m sorry if this is not a good representation of what Elmwood has to offer. I would be embarrassed to sell this if I was them.

LOVE this tea.
It has a touch of Lapsang Souchung … somewhat like a Scottish Breakfast Tea I once found in San Francisco…
Great stuff if you like a good stout cuppa!

Lovely and fresh for this appallingly hot and humid day. Rose, cherry, and sencha go remarkably well together, especially when one is wilting rapidly.

I love black tea and I always wanted to try a rose tea, so if you are looking for both of those things like I was…then this tea is for you! The rose scent and taste overpowers this tea, but I find the taste and smell pleasant and romantic. I would buy this tea again.

This is a full-flavored tisane, or caffeine-free infusion, with lots of yummy berry flavor. Perfect warm or iced, good for kids, and also ideal for baby showers where the mommy-to-be is probably going caffeine-free.

Please see my full review here:
http://thirstyfortea.com/2013/07/24/elmwood-inns-blueberry-caffeine-free-fruit-infusion/

I think I put a little too much honey in this; I could barely taste the tea itself. I’ll have to try it again.

This is my favorite tea. It’s great on its own, but I also like to make it iced with honey and ginger. Delicious!

I LOVE this tea. It smells wonderful and has pretty pink rosebuds to make it aesthetically nice as well. I like the natural sweetness of the cinnamon and it isn’t overpowering. It is a pale amber color when steeped, but not real good for multiple steepings. I’m lucky to steep twice before it’s just colored water, pretty normal for an herbal blend. Good quality tea, excellent price considering it comes in a tin to keep it fresh. Highly recommend trying if you like the herbals.

This is a white tea with a more substantial flavor than some. Some white teas don’t seem like tea at all. This is a good one for people who find most white teas a bit too timid.

This is my go-to Earl Grey tea for daily use. I like it not only because the company is based in my native Kentucky, but because the tea is very well-balanced between the bergamot and the black tea. As much as I love bergamot, I was drinking Earl Greys with too much such that it was ruining other types of Earl Grey for me. This was a good compromise. I enjoy with a bit of German rock sugar from Teavana.

This is a such a treat for a black tea. It has just the right mixture of delicious orange peels that awakens the senses and plenty of creamy floral notes of the Sri Lanka Silver Needles, not to mention an added small jolt of caffeine from the Golden Yunnan black tea. Delicious!

This one of the cleanest and most refreshing white tea that I have tasted! I truly like having the light and refreshing flavor, along with a great engulfing aroma of the Darjeeling white leaf. This is a a must have any serious tea drinker.

I tried this one in a little tea shop. Very berry. I left the bad in and it never got too strong. Very lite and fruity. A great afternoon tea!

Got it as a Christmas gift. I usually like stronger read but this one is so smooth and full. I love it! Its my new morning favorite!

It’s December 1, which means I start getting into the Christmas spirit. I thought I’d celebrate with a Christmasy tea. This is a tea I’ve had forever… I bought it years and years ago. It’s been in a tin all this time, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s diminished in quality. At least the dry leaf still smells pretty cinnamon-y.

The steeped tea smells pretty much like cinnamon with a brightish black tea base behind it. I don’t get much orange (there is orange peel in the blend), but I never remember this one having much orange flavor to start with. I remember I loved this tea way back before I was a tea addict. I also think I used to drink it sweetened. This tea is still remarkably pleasant to drink after more than five years. The black tea base is pretty smooth and the cinnamon is festive and spicy but not too strong. Still, overall it’s a bit meh, which is likely due to it’s extreme age. I bet that I would drink this one more if I took it home, brewed it really strong, and drank it with milk and sugar.

10 minute steep is very similar to the 5 minute steep. Strong on the blueberry, not too sweet, and not really tart either. Just very berry.

Slightly tart, definitely berry. Not really sweet at all, just berry. I wouldn’t say that the blueberry is the star of the show, but is definitely a main character. The currants and hibiscus are much more prominent.

I brewed for 5 minutes. Next time I’ll brew for 10 and see if I get a stronger tea.

I mostly purchased this tea because it is a rare merging of my two favorite things, tea and mountain biking. I’m normally not that crazy about Yunnan teas, but this one has deeper flavor than most. The aroma is wheaty, and the tea is very smooth and rich.

Wow. WOW. Definitely my favorite straight black tea. The flavor is strong, malty, and very unique. The smell is kind of smoky, but the taste isn’t. Filling too. I will definitely be buying more than this!