Kusmi Tea

Waiting for lots of tea from different companies so I guess I’ll put a note about this one for now. I have no idea if it “works” or not but I liked it.

It was the 10th anniversary for this tea in 2017, and Kusmi Tea said it is a rejuvenated recipe to be “even fresher and more intense”. The leaves were so tiny that I kind of wished I got the tea bags, the leaves were everywhere hehe. The wet leaves had a really strong lemon aroma, but the taste was green tea with a light lemon taste along with lemongrass. It wasn’t sour at all, but just a reminder that I’m one of those extreme sour lovers. Those toxic sour candies (forgot the name) are the type of candies I like, and I also love raw sour tamarind to snack on.

I brewed it western style for 4 minutes, close to the way they suggested it. I actually liked this better than the Zerotea one (I would bet most would prefer that one though since it tastes like warm Christmas-y cider). As for the “detox” function, no clue yet. I mainly wanted to try it because I sampled it a long time ago at work, and liked the taste and it said it was a new recipe that was more intense. Didn’t seem like it though.

Discovery Tea box – Tea #13
I actually had to add this one to Steepster so at least it’s a rare one for the teabox! But it also isn’t on Kusmi’s website anymore. The oolong was very tightly bundled and had plenty of flavor. All three steeps were very consistent, probably because of my vastly different steep temperatures. A light oolong with definite milky, buttery flavor. Delicious.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon // 22 minutes after boiling // rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 12 minutes after boiling //2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 minute steep

Ooh, smells like Vlad is a spicy boy.
Got this from Cameron B.! Thanks again!

Going to have to keep this short since Mondays are so busy. Anyway, bright citrusy notes of orange peel, spices, and something earthy. Something about the earthy note puts me off and makes me wish this was Constant Comment. Others are saying they taste popcorn? I kinda get that.

This is the first Kusmi tea I wasn’t impressed with.

Yay, another Kusmi sample from Cameron B.! Thank you! I love Kusmi but have never really dug into their catalog.

So, I needed something powerful this morning and the dense, tiny leaves of this tea promised to pick me up. They’re nearly black and smell lovely, fruity in a way I can’t really place, but also bright with bergamot. Of course it brews up very dark and makes me question my three and a half minute steep time. That’s something Young Tabby would have never said… Adagio had taught her black teas need five minutes. Five minutes! WTF?!

Anyway, once steeped, this smells very sweet. Like dessert. The flavor reminds me of a raspberry earl grey, with notes of caramel and vanilla. Mmmm, this is lovely. Just the thing I needed today. The black tea base is smooth and malty with surprisingly little bitterness considering the way it looks. This is a real pleasure – a combination of so many flavors I love. Glad I have a little more left!

Made my last tumbler ever today. Rest in peace. I guess this means I’m going to have to find another good caramel tea. Any suggestions?

Sipdowns in 2019: 22

Couldn’t keep this one unopened for long. After a rough night last night (someone crashed into my parked car), I wanted something I knew would be comforting and good.

This is back in my stash again for the last time. Sad to see it go. I’ll be leaving this one in the shrink wrap for a while while I focus on other teas.

HEADS UP! THIS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED!

I just grabbed one of the last boxes on Amazon after speaking with a Kusmi rep. I asked when they were going to restock the loose leaf tins, and she told me this blend is about to be gone forever. So, if you love this tea like I do, you better stock up! Go now!

I forgot that Kusmi’s cloth tea bags look like little pillows. So cute. I got this one from Cameron B.! Thank you very much! I have been meaning to try this one for a few years now. Very excited.

The smell both dry and steeped is heavenly. Straight up caramel. Not caramel syrup, more like the actual old fashioned cubes. They have used a hearty black tea as their base, and it goes dark quickly. It adds a layer of bitterness (that I kinda like) to the tea that makes me think I’ll go with a shorter steep time on my next cup. The caramel flavor is toasty and creamy, with notes of marshmallow and honey. Definitely has a burnt sugar vibe, in a good way, especially on the exhale. No notes of butter or vanilla like some caramel teas. No, this is one for the caramel purists.

I really appreciate the change from all the fruity tea I’ve been drinking lately. Comforting and yet energizing.

I added a little extra ginger and cinnamon this time – just a little bit, three tiny bits of dried ginger and part of the outermost layer of a cinnamon stick. But that little bit apparently was enough to turn ginger into the dominant flavor – the other flavors were still there, but pushed into the background. So, I think the idea wasn’t wrong, but I’ll be adding an even smaller amount of ginger next time.

First thought: Smells nice. Second thought: There are a lot of tiny crumbly bits in this, couldn’t Kusmi have used something a little closer to whole leaf tea? … Okay, I managed not to get any of those in my teacup, that’s a good thing(I made a whole pot of it). Now, the taste. Orange is there, also licorice and anise, but where are the ginger and cinnamon? … Ah, there they are. Just barely. It seems like Kusmi made a chai that needs some extra spices ??

Home – 7:00 PM

With my head still hurting, I wanted a comforting tea that I was sure to enjoy. And I happen to have not written about this one yet! Perfect.

It came out a little bit bitter, next time I’ll be sure to shorten the steep to 2-2.5 minutes. Or perhaps I’ll try it at 175. Anyway, this is very tasty. I am a big fan of the original Anastasia and this one is just as tasty. The bergamot is strong enough to make itself known, but it doesn’t taste perfumey as bergamot sometimes can. The lemon adds a nice brightness and lifts the blend a bit. There’s just a little bit of floral, and it complements the other flavors well without being overpowering.

I would like to taste the white tea more, but that could be my own fault for slightly oversteeping this!

Anyway, extremely tasty. Would highly recommend!

I saved the last of this sample to share with my youngest daughter when she is home from college, and today is the day! She has been enjoying Twinings now-discontinued Blossom Earl Grey, so I was sure she would like this. I don’t have any of the original black tea version for her to compare it with, but the flavors in the white tea version are the same.

The verdict – she likes it! Now I need to order both kinds for us to drink when she is home! Thank you, Cameron B for the Kusmi samples! (And all the others, too! We will be drinking a lot of tea over the next few days!)

Cameron B sent some Anastasia in a swap and I was swept off my feet by it. When I expressed interest in trying the white tea version, she said she owned that one, too, and generously volunteered to send me a sample of that…as well as a ton of other great looking teas!

This is everything I wanted it to be. I am not a fan of many Earl Grey teas but I like bergamot done right. Anastasia was captivating, and White Anastasia is just as good. Even hubby liked it when I offered him a sip, which is great because he doesnt drink much black tea as he always wants milk and sugar in it and he wants to forego those to be healthier.

The white version has the same lovely flavors, a hint of briskness, possibly from the tea but also likely from the citrus, and is soft and gentle at the same time that it is flavorful and commands your attention. There is room for both on my shelf. I love the addition of orange blossom in this.

Funny thing – I was reading a novel (The Weed That Strings The Hangman’s Bag) while I was drinking my tea and the main character goes into the St. Nicholas Tea Room, which boasts a silver samovar they call Peter the Great that supposedly made tea for “Tsar Nicholas and his unfortunate daughters.” One of whom was Anastasia, of course! Isn’t life funny with its many coincidences?

Thank you enormously, Cameron B! A Kusmi order is on the horizon, and will probably include both Anastasias as well as Troika.

Work – 2:00 PM

This is the last of Kusmi’s three Detox blends (having already tried their Detox and BB Detox). This one is a green/maté/rooibos blend with pineapple flavor.

Hmm, well it definitely tastes spa-ish, which is what I think of when I see a blend meant for “detox”. The base tea is a muddled but interesting combination of grassy, earthy, a bit woody. It tastes like an herbal blend, really. There’s definitely peppermint, and it has that musty herbal peppermint taste. The pineapple is pretty mild here, and it almost tastes like there’s coconut as well (even though there isn’t). It’s definitely not zingy pineapple.

Overall, it’s inoffensive. Interesting that it tastes so much like an herbal blend. I could do with a bit less peppermint and a bit more pineapple.

Out of the three blends, I would definitely recommend the BB Detox version.

Work – 5:00 PM

For some reason I have a mini tin of each of Kusmi’s three Detox blends. I’m not sure if I ordered them to try or got them during a promotion…?

This one is rather unusual. The green tea is quite smoky in an almost ashen way. That sounds way worse than it is! :P It also has a strong mineral note.

Anyway, there’s an herbaceous lemongrass flavor as well, and the taste of dry autumn leaves (sort of reminiscent of hojicha).

Definitely odd, but not unpleasant. I bet this would be an interesting one cold-brewed.

Another sample gone and I am really happy with how the sipdowns are going!

I had this with breakfast today, and while it was tasty enough, it isn’t one I would buy again. I prefer Troika and Anastasia and a few other Kusmi blends to this one, but if you like holiday tea with clove in it, you might love this one more than I do.

I had this tea with breakfast and again with lunch. I am trying to cut the stash but I am resteeping things that resteep well, because there is no need to be wasteful, especially with something good!

I have enjoyed the Kusmi teas I have tried, and thank goodness this one is good but not one I feel I have to order, becasue I am already cringing at the tea I am wanting to buy. Anastasia, White Anastasia, and Troika are on my list and I don’t need to want another! Ha ha!

The black tea base is good, the bergamot is at a nice level for me and not sharp and overpowering, and lemon stands out in this one to me. I don’t really do lemon in tea much unless it is super softened with other things, so maybe that is why this one is a like and not a lovelovelove. But it was good! And it was a good companion for my breakfast. I definitely would prefer this one with food rather than on its own.

This is the final tea from my swap with Cameron B. After I fed the dogs and the chickens and cooked my own breakfast, I sat down and suddenly felt overwhelmed at how blessed I am and how thankful. I looked at my teacup and thought, “I have this tea because of the kindness of someone far away.” And my heart just felt all gooey and happy. I think fall weather makes me extra sentimental, but I like it!

The Prince had a lot to compete with, following Anastasia’s magnificent performance yesterday. I enjoyed my cuppa…well, cuppaS, because I resteeped!

It is a medium black tea base with moderate orange and clove flavor. Nice for breakfast, and would be good on a chilly afternoon as a pick me up. Not astringent but only mildly and barely brisk, there is no need for milk or sugar. It cut through the sweetness of the maple syrup just right. While I enjoyed it, it didn’t blow me over like Anastasia did.

Face it, we all do a little bit of mindless tea drinking and we have certain teas for that. We reserve the good stuff for times when we can concentrate on the tea experience.

I didnt mean to have that mindset when I started making breakfast. I am dogsitting my daughter’s pekeapoo and every morning I fix Sam and Hugo an omelette and as a special treat they get a tiny slice of summer sausage. I made waffles for myself. And it got busy, just all the little tasks that go with making breakfast for three when you are all having different things.

When I was choosing my tea, I thought, “Cameron said Anastasia is her favorite” and pulled out the sample and made it, then set back to work putting out the dog’s breakfast bowls nice and far apart so Sam couldn’t finish quickly and go eat Hugo’s as well.

I sat to eat, mind a million miles away…until I sipped my tea. I had completely forgotten what I had made, but it got my attention.

Oh law! Yes, I have to declare Anastasia my favorite of the four as well. In fact, she will be the reason I place a Kusmi order myself. She grabbed hold of me and told me to PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE THERE IS LOVELINESS RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW.

Wow. That was a good cuppa. I resteeped because come on. You have to. I want to make this sample last. And now I want to try White Anastasia as well.

Thank you, Cameron B. It made my morning.

I had odd dreams last night and when I woke up this morning I had that weird feeling like resembles dread in my gut. For some reason, it made me want Troika for breakfast. I know! I know! Queen Catherine is my strong lady, but I have had her for the past couple of days and Troika was on my mind.

There was a moment of panic as I pawed through my samples stash but I finally found it. And finished it.

When I tried the Kusmi teas that Cameron B. sent, I told her that Troika and both Anastasias were on my list to order. I guess this is confirmation that I need to get Troika.

It has bergamot but doesn’t come across as an Earl Grey. Too many Earls have Ceylon bases with high lemony notes that over-sour the cup for me, since bergamot is really just a sour citrus fruit already. But Troika has a little more depth, more bass notes, in the tea so it balances nicely. I only had a scant teaspoon left so I double steeped in a Kamjove and combined the two steeps for a really nice breakfast experience.

Now to shake off those bad dreams…

ETA: bad dreams shaken off and a third steep of this tea was enjoyed this evening and was absolutely delicious. Must order.