Tea Embassy

A strong aroma, yet quite mild flavor. Smoky, to be sure, but not as “teethrattling” as other Lapsang Souchongs I have tried. An excellent tea for contemplation in the early morning chill as the rest of the world wakes.

I’ve tried this several times in the past several days and liked it much more than I did when I first got it. The French Breakfast tea is much more of a favorite, but this has hit spot on several times.

This is okay, but I don’t like it as much as French Breakfast tea.

I tried this tea yesterday by brewing it in a tisaniere. It was good, but not great. Today, I fired up the Breville and really liked it. The instructions on the package directed me to use two tablespoons of the tea and to brew it at 180. I think the increased amount of tea helped quite a bit from yesterday’s approach, as did the slightly higher temperature than the hot valve on the water container in the office.

I like the viscous feel as I drink the tea. It is a pale yellow color; the flavor and fragrance is delicate and light. I’m getting some of the astringency that I associate with black teas, but not nearly so much. I’m guessing this is even less than some of the oolongs I’ve had.

Today, I like this tea enough that I’d add it to my regular cabinet.

Good white tea. Maybe the white teas aren’t for me, though, as I missed some of the stronger tastes I’ve gotten used to in the black and oolong teas. I’ll have to try this one again soon!

Monday May 9, 2011
2nd Steep of the Day
Steeped a Pot of Almond Cookie
Great Almond Flavor with a Green Tea Base.
This Makes a Great Sipping while Reading Tea.
The Pot Was Good for 2 Chapters.
Keep on Steepin

Thursday Dec. 23, 2010
1st steep of the Day.
A Good Hot Pot of this Fragrant Almond Cookie
This Makes a Great Breakfast Drink Sweet and Light
It is Different from my usual Black tea’s but very Good.
Glad there’s more then 1 Cup in this Pot.
Keep on Steepin

Wednesday Dec. 8, 2010
2nd Steep of the Day.
at 7:30 PM did a 2nd infusion of this Tea
6 Hrs. after the 1st steep.
The 2nd pot is JUST AS GOOD and STRONG.
Another 3 min. steep with 205’F Water.
It will be to late to try a 3rd steep today.

Wednesday Dec. 8, 2010
1st Steep of the Day.
This was my wifes choice at the Tea shop
She enjoys light/Green teas more then my Blacks.
But the smell was what sold her on this one.
The Dry Green is so Strong with Almond.
You can’t wait to steep it.
A 3 min Steep in 205 (not boiling water)
Starts your flavorful journey.
Liquor is Clear Green.
with the same rich Almond smell as Dry leaves.
And the Strong Flavor infuses into the Cup.
My better half still knows best.
Keep on Steepin

I was exceptionally careful to make sure I did not steep it any longer than 4 minutes. I used exactly a teaspoon per cup in order to make sure the lavender was not too overpowering. A medium amount of sugar to taste as well. All in all, I really liked it! The bergamot is not exceptionally strong, and instead is a more smoother, subtler flavor. The lavender is prominent as well, but not too astringent or “soapy”. I would describe the two flavors blending very well with each other.

It’s a really rich chocolatey tea. The rose flavors are hard to taste, but I believe that’s where the sweetness of the tea comes from. I find it comparable in taste to a good tootsie roll.

Brewed gong fu style (amateurishly). Sweet peach flavor very noticeable. Increased the steeping times and got very solid floral notes.

Yum! Peachy, juicy, and tasty.

Just another really lovely basic oolong.

Just spent two hours in meetings with this. Very tasty! A great basic oolong with a taste of almost syrupy, juicy peach.

I didn’t drink tea all weekend. My stomach just couldn’t handle it. Turns out I might be trying a bit too early – I literally took one sip of this and the caffeine went straight to my head. Proceeding with caution…

Good, comforting morning tea.

Tasting a bit soapy today.. maybe I steeped too long? I just need hot hearty tea because my office is FREEZING. It’s in the teens outside but apparently our heat has not been turned up accordingly.

Tea Embassy, one of the shops I visited in Austin, had four or five different Earl Grey blends, including a berry version that had almost no smell of bergamot. I’d had a version of most of them – I would never betray my beloved SpecialTeas Earl Grey de la Creme – but had never tried a lavender Earl Grey. (By the way, did anyone else notice that Adagio now has an Earl Grey and cream blend called Earl Grey Moonlight? I placed an order for more filters today and saw that.. I’m scared to try it based on my terrible experience with their Earl Grey Bravo.)

The lavender is definitely most apparent in the smell, not the taste of this, which is fine. This has a nice strong bergamot taste without being soapy.

Yummy almondy mate goodness.

Man, this tea smells SO. GOOD. Still tasting that sort of marzipan-like flavor.

This is kind of an odd duck. Greenbelt is a mix of green yerba mate, green tea (unspecified kind), coconuts, cherry, and some flowers including cornflower blossoms and roses. I swear that at the store or on one of their websites, marzipan was listed as an ingredient, but I guess I’m wrong. There is definitely a strong smell of marzipan in the dry leaves, though.

This brews up to an almost radioactive yellow, I guess from the green yerba mate. I can definitely taste an almondy/coconut flavor similar to marzipan, but not as syrupy or sweet. Then the cherry, and a slight floral finish. I can barely taste any green tea; this tastes more like an herbal than anything else.

It’s soothing and relaxing. It’s definitely a tea to think on.

This tea is so frustrating. The smell of the dry pieces is TO DIE FOR – just like thick, creamy, sweet apple butter. But the taste just doesn’t live up. I steeped for 10 minutes, the longest recommended time on the package, and it’s still pretty weak. Sad.

Didn’t feel like doing a note of this last night..

This is kind of odd. By the end of the pot, I was enjoying it, but I don’t get apple butter at all. It has a unique taste that combines apple with some heartier fruit flavors like raisin. Good herbal for nighttime (I need those desperately), but weird.