Kusmi Tea

Rather than go through work emails after vacation, I’m sitting here with a new cup of tea and browsing steepster. It’s about all my brain can handle right now.

While I was in Canada, I stumbled upon this great little tea shop and simply had to pick up a sampler pack. These tiny tins are adorable. I think I prepared it right, since the directions are in metric units; regardless, this is a tasty cup of tea.

The leaves have a sort of musty rose scent, not at all what I expected. I’ve only had rose tea in black, not green, so I was a little surprised when I opened the tin. The tea steeps up really light, too; I almost thought I hadn’t used enough leaves (have to guess what 3g is in teaspoons) or I didn’t do it long enough. But I certainly did. It’s definitely a green tea, but has almost a subtle smokey taste to it. As it cools it’s slightly sweeter, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it sweet. It’s just not… intense.

For someone who’s still downing the same mint green tea she bought from Teavana eons ago (why did I buy so much?), this is a nice change of pace. Still my trusty green, but the rose really adds a unique flavor to it.

We were having dinner with some friends last night and was given a cup of this on arrival. GOSH that was awesome following some very easy-difficult ring shopping (easy for me, difficult for him) and a whole lot of walking.

I’ve had this one before in a sample tin and I had some difficulties brewing it right. I found it very finicky. This is also one of the reason I tend to prefer Chinese blacks. You can get away with a lot more abuse with those.

Last night, though, it had been made just right and I was surprised at how sweet it was. Although the Kusmi info about it doesn’t say what sort of teas it’s blended from, apart from country of origin, I’m still convinced that it contains Darjeeling, or if not Darj, then something very similar. I find both Sikkim and Dooars to be similar to Darj, and I don’t really care for either.

Another decupboarding.

I still don’t know if I’ll purchase a tin of this one. I like it when it works, but it’s too easy to make it not work. I’ve seen they’ve got a tea called Russian Afternoon ETA: Evening too or something like that. I wonder if that might not be better for my tastes?

This is all together too Indian. It seems like I like Indians and Ceylons best when they’re blended, not so much on their own, but this one is a little too Indian.

When it’s good, it’s really really good.
When it’s bad, it’s awful.

No, I don’t think this is deserving a purchase. As good as it is when it works, it doesn’t weigh up against the difficulty of getting a good brewing.

I was inspired to try this one again. In my previous attempts I’ve had some difficulty in getting the steeping parameters right. It doesn’t seem to be a very forgiving blend, and I have a strong suspicion that it’s the Darjeeling that I’m nearly certain it contains that is mocking me. Indian blacks can be so stubborn sometimes.

I think I’ve got it right now though. The aroma is very sweet, honey sweet, and there’s a subtle spicy note underneath. It’s still a very dark brew, but it doesn’t look like coffee this time.

Ah yes, the taste is much much better this time too! I think I said my original guess as to a rating would probably be around 75-80 points, but I think I’ll give it a little more than that. As horribly bitter as it can get when not done right, as lovely it will be when it is.

There is an Assam-y/Ceylon-y note and there is also the one that I think is Darjeeling, but it’s under control here. Instead of being overwhelming with the grass-y bitterness as in the two Fail pots, it’s lying under the surface, lending the blend a little freshness. Perky, even.

I’m not really sure where the Chinese blacks are in all this. I suspect they’re bullied out by the Indians and the Ceylon, cowering somewhere in a corner. There is a cocoa-y note somewhere in there, but it’s not very pronounced. It’s like a stealth note from the Chinese that doesn’t really come to its right.

It’s a nice blend if you can figure out how to brew it best, but given the amount of Fail it can be when not done right and how much experimenting I’ve had to do so far, I don’t think I’d ever really want to buy a larger quantity of it. Maybe a sample tin now and then, but that’s it, really. Give me a Chinese black any day. They’re less finicky.

I’ve tried changing the leaf dosage and the steeping time back to my ‘old’ brewing pattern for this one. The new one didn’t seem to be ideal for it. If this doesn’t work either, I’ll try a combination of the two.

It’s still as black as coffee (nearly) and the flavour is very close to what I found the first time around. I think I’ve got the leaves right. I’ll just have to try a shorter steep time.

Still not giving any points on this one. Not yet.

I got a sample of this at the same time I found the great big tin of Kusmi’s Caramel. It was Lena’s recent post about it that made me want to try it out. I want to see how it holds up to Kusmi’s Samovar (which they also had a sample of btw. I didn’t have to go to France to get that one after all, apparently. Except I think I’d still have wanted a full sized tin of it).

It’s been standing around in my kitchen for a while because I wasn’t really in the right mindset to do a first post type post. They take much more thought activity to write than other posts. (I’m also, as you may have noticed, currently spectacularly rubbish at keeping up with the follow list these days. Sorry about that)

Anyway, I pried open the little tin with some difficulty and took a look at the leaves. They had that sort of dusty black look to them and looked just like your average tea leaves. They had a nicely fresh aroma, though. Kind of Darjeeling-y greenish grass-y fresh, nearly. Kusmi isn’t very forthcoming about the exact contents of the tin apart from black tea from these countries. Not even the district. So I don’t know if there is Darjeeling in it, but it definitely smells a lot like there is. Interesting.

Due to the nature of the cup I can’t really say for certain but it looks remarkably dark. Almost as dark as coffee. Interesting. It may have something to do with my brewing though. Lately my pattern has changed a bit in regards to steeping time and leaf usage.

The aroma after brewing is fairly far away from the aroma of the dry leaves. Gone is the Darjeeling-y character, and instead there’s a very very sweet note. Honey-y even. That rather smells a bit like Assam or Ceylon of some sort to me. It smells as if it has been sweetened with a generous amount of honey, to be honest, but I swear I’ve added nothing to it. Interesting.

Okay, this is a little bitter, which again brings Darjeeling to mind. It definitely has a hint of overdone Darjeeling. I need to mess with the leaf dosage here, I think.

I’m pretty sure there is some smoke in there too, but the bitterness is masking it somewhat. That’s a little annoying. It also doesn’t taste even remotely as sweet as it smells at this point, but I think that’s also there underneath the little mishap from above.

This definitely has the potential of being a really awesome tea, but I’m going to hold off on giving it a rating for now. I need to play with it a bit first and see if I can get that unruly Darjeeling note to step in line.

It hasn’t turn so bitter at this point as to be undrinkable, and a dose of cane sugar helped immensely. (I have this nice sugar dispenser thing which is much easier and much more decorative to keep on the table than a bowl of sugar) With that sugar in it the bitterness is pushed way back and the other flavours are coming out to play.

There’s a fair amount of astringency in this actually. (I think. Could also be I’m just thirsty) I can definitely pick up the Ceylon-y parts of the flavour at this point. Strangely the hint of the honey-y sweetness hasn’t really been brought out by the addition of sugar like you would think they would. Instead they seem to have almost disappeared… Odd.

I don’t have any milk, but if I had, I’d definitely have tried it with a bit of milk too. I’m certain this is strong enough to be able to carry milk, even if it hasn’t been a little overdosed like this particular cup has.

Considering how it turned out once I added some sugar and the promises it makes if NOT overdone, I’m thinking somewhere around 75-80 points-ish. But without a better brewing, I don’t really feel comfortable giving it a ‘real’ rating yet.

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act V scene 3

“This is the short and the long of it.”
The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act II scene 2

This bagged tea is like a distant relative of an ancient and powerful tea that’s the embodiment of Christmas smells. It’s nice and has good qualities. It’s also another one of those that if someone gave me some I’d be delighted to have it, but I’m not going to go out and track this down for my cupboard.

This tea I dub The Merry Wives of Windsor. This play is sort of a spin-off of Henry IV Part 1 and a pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-prequel to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Both this tea and play don’t take themselves seriously. They’re nice and there’s nothing wrong with them, but they’re not the best out there. NE

This was perfect with a berry scone as my birthday breakfast. The green tea had a nice asparagus flavor that highlighted the sweeter rose. It was a sample from a friend who had one pot’s worth left and decided to share it. And my “to buy” list multiplies threefold again…
Great if you want a floral green tea or something that you can smell brewing acoss the room. I’d like to say more but I’m aware my sample was a bit dated.

SIPDOWN and backlogging….

Chocolate and Spices sum this one up…and I’m finishing up my stash today! Sigh…

Not as spicy today but that is ok…it tasted what I wanted it to taste like for my mood! :P

Angrboda really is a sweetie!!!! She sent me 3 sampler tins and a hand designed mug and card today! It was a WONDERFUL surprise!

I am revisiting this one…since I only took enough for one cups-worth before the replacement TTB! This is even better than I remember it! Upping the rating a bit…

Thanks again Angrboda!!! You are wonderful!

This one is going in the TTB (take 2) box that will be sent to Jason tomorrow THANKS TO AMAZONV!!!! She told me I could sample it before sending off! Woot! Thanks girl!

It smells like a Chocolate covered coffee bean with a bit of spice!

It’s a nice medium brown with a slight orange-ish hue.

I’m getting more spices than chocolate but it’s an interesting taste. The spices are certainly tolerable enough. I would love to taste more chocolate but I must say this is pretty good as is.

I’m so glad I was able to try it! Thanks AmazonV!

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act V scene 1

Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides:
Who cover faults, at last shame them derides.
King Lear, Act I scene 1

I chose not to look up this tea’s ingredients when I pulled this teabag out of the box. I didn’t even really smell the bag itself until after it steeped. The smell surprised me quite a bit. It reminded me of Bigelow’s Constant Comment only more subtly orange. Even as a bagged version (I’m still blown away by Kusmi’s bags) it’s still complex, but I have a feeling that its complexity is muted. I get the orange, the sweetness of vanilla, and hints of almond and spices. This one also moves to the forefront of “bagged teas I’d like to have on hand.”

I was a giant “Errr…” when it came to where in Shakespeare’s cannon this tea would fit. I was pleasantly surprised at how pleasant it was. It was an honest upfront sort of tea with a bit of what Morgana calls the “French Thing.” Aha! Honesty and even a little bit of French: Cordelia from King Lear! She’s honest, doesn’t play silly games, and eventually marries the King of France before being executed. Er, she sort of sets off the whole tragedy…

But this tea isn’t a tragedy! Hooray! So perhaps Cordelia isn’t the perfect embodiment of this tea, but it’s close enough. NE

Another sampling from TeaEqualsBliss – thank you!

This is one that I’ve been most interested to try. I’ve read a few very positive reviews on Steepster for it and it peaked my curiosity.

The aroma is delicious – I do love caramel! A sweet, browned sugar scent.

The tea base is strong and I’m getting a little bitterness from it, but not so much that it’s unpleasant. Not as sweet tasting as the aroma lead me to believe but it is tasty (although, I must admit that I do prefer my own caramel blend)

Sipdown no. 193. But only a sample tin. Yay, so glad I have more of this!

First tea this morning. I have a tiny sample tin that is almost gone and fortunately, I found an unopened regular size tin in my stash. I rated this 84 before, but I really like it better than an 84. Bumping it up some. Kusmi excels at fruity blends, and this is a very nice one.

I neglected to pick up any coffee yesterday. Too much going on after work. We’re trying to replace the exterior lighting on our house and the lighting store was open until 8 p.m. so the BF decided we should go there and eat dinner nearby. The kids normally go to sleep at around 8:30 so they were pretty overdone by the time dinner was over.

In any case, not to worry as the magic was back this morning. It’s interesting that Kusmi’s ideal time for preparation on this is afternoon because I think it’s wonderful in the morning. Strong blacks sometimes hit my stomach wrong first thing in the morning. This one is very mellow but flavorful, and today I’m getting a lot of cherry and grape and plum-like flavors that integrate really nicely with the tea flavor instead of tasting glommed on.

Bumping it up in points for rising to the occasion.

I’ve said it before, but yum. Just yum.

Out of coffee! It’s always what I reach for first thing in the morning, but today, I realized I hadn’t replenished my stocks. In the past when this has happened, I’ve not fully appreciated the tea substitute because I’m annoyed that I didn’t get my coffee.

I must make a note to myself: When the coffee runs out, drink St. Petersburg! No disappointment at all today. I forgot how much I liked this.

Today I’m tasting mostly the red fruits in this blend. There’s something plummy about the taste. Everything else is coming through as a single, really nice blend of caramel, citrus and vanilla, in the aroma and at the front of the sip.

Yum. Just yum.

My second at-work tea bag experiment of the day. This one also came as a sample with a Kusmi order.

In the bag, the tea smells pretty yummy. I can smell the caramel, but it isn’t overwhelming, and there is also a fruit smell, so that the main impression is of caramel apple, or caramel dipped berries.

The tea smells delightful. I can smell the vanilla as well as the caramel as well as the fruit.

The taste is smooth, and really interesting. There’s a lot going on, but it manages not to be confusingly busy. The flavors blend nicely. In fact, it’s not so easy to pick out individual flavors once you’ve progressed to the tasting point. Though if I concentrate, I get all the same things I smelled. I got vanilla, then caramel, then fruit. The aftertaste is a mild, sweet tea with berries.

I have a tin of this in loose leaf form, and I expect it can only taste better. Something to look forward to!

Sipdown no. 86 of 2018 (no. 442 total). Sample tin.

I didn’t think I’d put samples in my cupboard, but every now and then I come across one. I definitely have a lot of samples that aren’t listed in my cupboard, though.

This won the lottery as the lowest rated black tea currently in said cupboard and so I put the rest of it in to cold brew, along with the second lowest rated to make up the 4 spoon deficit, Golden Moon French Breakfast.

It makes a perfectly fine cold brew. I liked this one hot more than a lot of other people did, and I could even see buying it again some day. But not until I’ve sipped down a lot more in my current stash.

I’m actually rather proud of the progress I’ve made this year. I’ll definitely hit 100 sipdowns at this rate, and surpass that number. Even though some are samples, when it comes to making room every little bit helps.

I’ve been drinking a lot of the same things over and over working them toward sipdown. Sometimes there’s something new to say, but often there isn’t—so I haven’t been writing notes on everything I drink.

Today I’m drinking this from a teabag at work (I have a handful of Kusmi teabags of this and St. Petersbourg). It’s really different than I recall it being on any previous occasions.

It’s rose! That’s what I’m smelling, and that’s what I’m tasting. There is a slight citrusy note, too, but mostly it’s floral and mostly it’s rose.

Which is fine with me because I heart rose teas.

As it cools, it becomes more of a melange of indistinct floral, and not quite as enjoyable as it was when hotter.

It has been a long time since I had any of this and when I had it way back when it was in teabag form at the office, so not particularly expertly steeped.

This is apparently one of Angrboda’s favorites. Kidding! Her note about this cracked me up. I have to say that although I don’t remember my grandmother smelling like this, I get what she means. There’s something about the smell in the tin, the musty floral spice scent, that reminds me of antique shops, and I suppose that could be extended to antique people.

The aroma of the steeped tea is very similar to the aroma in the tin—spicy but not savory, floral, and very very vaguely Earl Grey-like. I don’t get any soapiness. The underlying tea is sweet and pleasant.

It’s not my favorite, but not because there’s anything wrong with it. More because it just isn’t very distinctive. Still, I’ll enjoy drinking it more than some others I’ve tried recently. Bumping the rating.

Today’s at-work sample tea bag experiment.

The Kusmi bag is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s fabric (looks like some variation of muslin?) and looks like a gauze square that was folded over some tea leaves and sewed up on three sides, then had a length of braided thread attached to it with a tag at the end.

They weren’t kidding about the flowers. The fragrance of the bag is terrifically floral, overlayed over some citrus. It’s a very deep floral, a musky floral, a perfumy floral. Doesn’t smell a lot like Earl Grey, but perhaps it will after steeping.

I don’t know how hot my water was because I forgot to bring my thermometer to work yet again, but it seemed hotter than yesterday for some reason. The aroma is very similar to the smell of the dry leaves, but more open, with some tea shining through. Still not getting an Earl Grey feel, though.

It brewed up nicely, certainly strong enough compared to my Lupicia bag experiments of yesterday. It has a very solid, sweet, black tea taste, with a sweet floral accent. The more I sip it, the more Earl Grey I get.

I like it, but it is heavy and hearty, like a heavy perfume or a hearty stew, and the sort of thing I’m likely to drink occasionally rather than frequently. Fortunately I’ll have an opportunity to get to know it better as I have a small tin of the loose leaf at home.