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Firstly, a huge thank you to ::Nicole:: for the generous sample that sparked my fascination with this beautiful Russian tea blend! I loved it so much that I ordered a tin from Kusmi that arrived yesterday.

So, it’s a rainy weekend here in The Old Dominion. Rainy weekends just beg for a good book and good pot of tea to go with it. I am currently reading “The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra” by Helen Rappaport. Anastasia by Kusmi Teas was created around 1917/1918 in Paris after the company fled St. Petersburg at the start of the Russian Revolution. This tea was, indeed, named for the youngest daughter of the imperial family. Nothing like pairing an historical book with a matching historical tea!

But I digress. This tea is an amazing melange of citrus, orange blossom and honey flavors. The honey note really comes out with just a little bit of sugar. Lime is the dominant citrus flavor. The bergamot works brilliantly in the background. The Chinese and Ceylon base teas add breadiness and sparkle respectively. Strangely, there is an illusive scent reminiscent of sweet incense not unlike myrrh which is used in Russian Orthodox churches. Like it’s namesake, this tea possesses an element of mystery.

As I sip this tea it is quite easy for me to envision Nicholas and Alexandra, the beautiful grand duchesses and the young tsarevich at Tsarskoe Selo enjoying teatime together with a tea like this. It’s that good!

Flavors: Bergamot, Citrus, Honey, Lime, Orange Blossom

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 45 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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“Anyone who has used that comforting phrase ‘a nice cup of tea’ invariably means Indian tea.” – George Orwell

Darjeeling is the tea that inspired me to begin my beautiful journey through the wide world of tea and will always reign supreme in my tea pantry! My first tea love, so to speak. I positively adore a truly great Darjeeling – Especially a good muscatel second flush! Autumn flush Darjeelings, I believe, have been under appreciated. I quite love them as well.

Indian tea is my overall preference, and second only to Darjeeling comes my next great tea love – Assam. Assam tea, especially a great second flush, single estate Assam can be exquisite. A malty, fruity and sweet, high quality, tippy Assam with subtle notes of cocoa sends me into tea ecstasy!

Apart from Indian tea, I cannot resist an excellent Keemun or Yunnan Dianhong tea. I must also admit to an appreciation of fine Ceylon teas – Especially high-grown Ceylons and top drawer low grown Ceylons. Ceylon teas make superb iced tea, I think.

As far as scented teas go I particularly love Earl Grey tea blends as well as vanilla, caramel, almond and floral flavored teas. That being said, I seldom drink flavored blends on a regular basis.

I tend to enjoy rich and robust breakfast blends too – Love a nice English Breakfast tea. Though I generally stay away from most bagged teas, I think that Yorkshire Gold is a delicious British brew!

I’m quite fond of various herbal teas too – Crazy about rooibos!

Organic tea is my preference whenever possible.