Hello tea friends!
With Christmas almost here and the cold weather set in I’m drawn to the festive teas. This one was from my late November tea club box and I’m only just getting around to trying it.
Ingredients: Rooibos, Almond Pieces, Pistachios, Orange Peel, Coriander, Flavouring, Pink Peppercorn.
Opening the packet I am drawn in by the scent of ginger biscuits. It’s the most ginger biscuity thing I have ever smelt that was not actually ginger biscuits. It’s incredible! Ginger with baked bread and sugar but also a touch of spice.
Steeping instructions: 1tsp // 100°C // 3-5 mins
Once steeped the tea is golden red in colour and bares a sweet yet spicy ginger biscuit and Rooibos scent. Very similar to that of the raw scent.
The first few sips reveal a very sweet and gingery note that lingers in the after taste. When I say ginger it’s more like a ginger candy than raw ginger, sometimes blends are too much on the ginger front but this is such a sweet ginger and it’s very nice. Very biscuit like! Also a touch of dryness in the after taste.
After those initial first few sips it remains sweet and with a touch of actual Rooibos flavour with a creamy orange and ginger and peppercorn spice. The whole blend was well done, it doesn’t taste too much like Rooibos at all which is favourable with me.
I can’t say much other than it tastes like sweet and creamy ginger biscuits with a dry after taste. It truly does.
Bruu Tea have done some good blends but this may be my favourite so far. It’s very delightful and festive.
Until next time, Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos blend
Where to Buy: Bruu Tea
Description:
The rich, naturally woody taste of rooibos is already a perfect treat for cold days, but the added tastes of gingerbread and orange in this blend allow you to truly spoil yourself. Caffeine-free and incredibly festive, this decorative infusion makes a wonderful gift – for others or yourself!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rusper Black Tea From Edgcumbes Coffee and Tea
Hi Tea Friends!
Recently I received two wonderful teas from Edgcumbes Coffee & Tea shop to review for you guys. I have a bag of Rusper and a bag of Blend No.45. Both are black tea based blends from different regions to achieve a desired flavour. I’m going to be reviewing Rusper today so keep your eyes peeled for the Blend No.45 review.
What is Rusper? “Top quality Assam and Kenyan teas have been expertly blended by Edgcumbes to produce a rich, full and malty brew. Our most popular House blend”. This was the information from the front of the packet.
Here is a little information about the company that coincides with this tea.
Back in 1981, Frank Edgcumbes Rendle retired from his job as a jute and tea trader in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and moved back to the UK.
He was distraught to discover he couldn’t find any decent loose leaf tea. So he sat at the kitchen table with a set of scales, and blended some high-quality Assam and Kenyan tea leaves.
He called the blend Rusper after the West Sussex village where he grew up, decided to sell a few bags, and named the newly formed company Edgcumbes – our traditional family name.
We still believe that locally, fresh-roasted coffees and hand-blended loose-leaf teas ALWAYS taste better than commercially packaged products.
The packet by the way is a brown paper food style bag with bendy wire clips on the top to keep it sealed. It also has air holes for the tea to breathe. I would recommend moving the tea to a canister/caddy to make the freshness last which is also stated on the front of this packaging on the label.. Otherwise it’s good, basic packaging with the following details on the front:
Origin – Assam, India. Kericho, Kenya. Grown 1000-7200 ft above sea level.
Ingredients – Premium black teas.
Flavour – Rich Assam Malty notes with the characteristic brightness of top quality Kenyan teas.
Brew Guide – 2-4 mins, 1 cup, 100C.
Opening the packet I can see very finely chopped leaf remnants in brown and red colours. It bares a dry, sour wood scent.
I will be using the steeping parameters as recommended above. Once steeped a drop of milk will be added.
The resulting tea liquid is mahogany in colour (before milk) and bares a rich, malt and wood scent.
This tea is hearty and heavy, filled with rich flavour and strong enough to call itself a true British cuppa. Malt and wood tones dominate the strong yet dry tea and it has a slight sour after taste.
Adding sweetener reduced the sour after taste though ti is still present. It also smooths and blends the malt and wood a little better. Meaning that milk and sweetener make this a very nice builders cuppa.
As a fan of strong tea in general I like the strength and classic quality that this blend offers. Simple yet tasty and sure to win the heart of any tea lover, Brit or otherwise!
Until next time,
Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Edgcumbes Coffee & Tea
Description:
Rusper tea is our original house blend of tea and it is perfect for your everyday cup of tea! It is a blend of Assam and Kenyan teas and makes a very easy to drink cup of tea which still has a great taste!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cocoa Rouge by The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co
Hello tea friends!
Today I will be drinking Cocoa Rouge, a herbal blend from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co. Two of the ingredients are organic (Cocoa nibs and Rooibos) so it’s a partially organic and mildly caffeinated blend. With the cold weather on the way I have the desire to drink hot chocolate, that is why this blend caught my attention. Cocoa with vanilla and chicory sounds like a warming and sweet blend.
Opening the sample packet I can smell toasted chicory with a sweet vanilla undertone. The Rooibos is also rather heavy in this blend, in appearance and smell.
Steeping Parameters: 13g of loose leaf tea in 600ml of boiling water for 3 minutes.
Once steeped the tea bares a very dark brown tea liquid with a sweet vanilla and Rooibos scent. Not as toasted or chicory like as the raw scent.
The first few sips reveal a sweet and creamy vanilla tone that balances the natural sweetness from the Rooibos. Behind that there are dark, toasty cocoa nib and chicory notes that quickly lightens in the after taste. A few more sips bring out some dryness in the after taste but the velvety vanilla makes up for that. It is a Rooibos heavy blend but it’s not the main flavour and a lot of it has been toned down, so while I can taste it it’s not too sweet or chemical like which it tends to be. If you’ve had Rooibos before you will know what I’m talking about. As it cools slightly I am getting a real hot chocolate vibe from it. It’s sweet and the cocoa is thicker, plus the vanilla makes it more chocolate like.
Overall it was a pleasant blend, though I admit guilt for underestimating it from the start. As soon as I saw it was a Rooibos blend I immediately thought it’s either going to be too Rooibos heavy (which I severely dislike) or too chicory heavy to block out the Rooibos taste. I was wrong on both accounts. I can taste the Rooibos but the vanilla keeps the sweetness creamy and the chicory and cocoa give it depth and flavour.. The ingredients work well together to give an imaginative hot chocolate tea. It goes to show that you can never judge a tea by it’s ingredients alone.
Until next time, Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: The Jasmine Pearl Tea
Description:
Cacao nibs and hearty roasted chicory add lots of body to the rooibos base in this rich, satisfying blend. Vanilla extract helps give the mixture its warm flavor and adds depth to its enticing aroma. As a dessert blend, Cocoa Rouge can be drunk by itself, but the addition of milk and sweetener makes for an extra-delicious treat. Due to the cacao nibs, the blend does have some caffeine in it, so best to enjoy it well before bedtime.
Ingredients:
Cacao Nibs, Rooibos, Vanilla Beans, Carob, Chicory Root, Vanilla Extract.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blend No.45 From Edgcumbes Coffee and Tea
Hello Tea Friends!
My last post mentioned this tea in brief as I received a sample to review from Edgcumbes. Today I will review it after a wonderful introduction to the company. This particular tea, Blend No.45, boasts a gold star from the 2016 Great Taste Awards.
Blend No.45 contains Assam, Darjeeling, Keemun and Laspsang Souchong. It sounds like a finely tuned blend of black teas, and the Lapsang Souchong makes me thing of smoke and fire. This is all pre-tea, at least this is how I am perceiving it before I try.
The packaging has a little more information:
Origin – India and China
Ingredients – Luxury black orthodox leaf tea
Flavour – Rich, strong and flavoursome
Brew Guide – 3-5 mins, 1 cup, 100C.
Opening the packet I get a waft of smoke and wood, strong and dark but also beautiful at the same time. For those that have yet to smell Lapsang Souchong I liken it to a bonfire. The leaves themselves are large/partially broken and are a collection of brown, gold and red colours.
I will be steeping this with the recommended guide above.
Once steeped the resulting liquid is golden red in colour and bares a smoky, wood scent with some sweetness.
Let me start by saying that the Lapsang Souchong smells much stronger than it tastes. It’s fragrant with sour wood and dry smoke notes that lighten to leave a slightly sweet after taste. Smoother than I anticipated and it doesn’t need milk nor sweetener. Strength is medium but still strong enough to use as an every day ‘pick me up’ tea.
This was my favourite blend out of the two. It had a lot of flavour and charm, particularly the Lapsang Souchong not overly dominating the other teas. It puts a perfect twist on the classic black tea. It’s also perfect for this time of year, no doubt I will have a pot or two of it on Bonfire night.
Until next time,
Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Edgcumbes Coffee & Tea
Description:
A unique blend of Assam and Darjeeling Second Flush, with Chinese Keemun and a hint of Lapsang Souchong. A pinch of this tea will add that exotic touch to your favourite daily brew.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Brew Is Out There by Geeky Teas
Hello Tea Friends!
I’m guilty of sometimes picking a tea for it’s name and that pretty much describes why I’ve gone for this blend. In the 90’s I was a huge X Files fan and I would faithfully watch every episode when it aired. It was one of the only tv shows that me and my mother both liked so we would spend the time together watching it and I have some wonderful memories. Not to mention some of the gripping, jaw dropping story lines in the show that left me awe inspired. When you’re young the likes of camouflage monsters and brain eating aliens are enough to cause playground chatter. If you’re not an X Files fan or have no idea what this tea has to do with it then let me clarify – The Truth Is Out There was a common slogan used on the show. That same slogan has since been featured on UFO posters and various other merchandise.
This tea is a blend of Green tea with vanilla, orange peel, natural lemon and orange flavour and sunflower petals. At least that is what the website says. So as I open my sample and give it a sniff I can smell an uplifting lemongrass, citrus scent with a creamy vanilla undertone. Looking at the blend it’s loosely chopped with some fine pieces of green tea and notable sunflower petals. In my sample I cannot find any orange pieces that are shown in the picture on the website but I must stress this is a small sample so that’s probably why.
Steeping Parameters: 4g loose leaf, 600ml teapot, 80C water temperature for 2 minutes. Ps. Also using my Ghostbusters mug.
Once steeped the resulting tea liquid is honey in colour and bares a sweet and creamy citrus scent.
The first few sips reveal a toasted grass base with a wave of creamy vanilla and a burst of fragrant lemongrass and citrus. It’s like a fire, once lit it burns brightly and gets more intense until it finally dies out. That is pretty much the strength and character of this blend at first. The tea plants the green tea base before becoming creamy and stronger which leads to a refreshing citrus before it all dies down into a distant memory. I like the combination of citrus and vanilla, it sounds rather odd but it does go very well together. Instead of the citrus being too sharp or sour the vanilla softens and sweetens it, to create a very relaxing blend. I also like that the green tea (which I believe to be Chinese Sencha from it’s appearance) comes through in the blend so that the flavours don’t dominate it completely. It’s also not too strong considering the small, broken down leaf pieces from the green tea (which is why I gave it a 2 minute steep ie smaller leaves usually means shorter steep).
Half way down the mug (with memories of Mulder *swoon* and the X Files theme tune in my head) the citrus has become a little stronger, which could be because it’s also cooled slightly; to a more waxy taste. Also the vanilla has become more neutral whilst the green tea leaves a slight dryness on the tongue with each additional sip. But my mouth is perfumed with the melody of citrus.
I enjoyed this blend. The mix of citrus and vanilla actually match Mulder and Scully in the show. Mulder is vanilla with his sweet yet smooth charm and Scully is citrus with it’s powerful, refreshing and clear essence. The two work well together and each balance the other, citrus stops vanilla from being too sweet and vanilla stops citrus from being too sour. The green tea adds depth and the overall blend leaves a wonderful, perfumed, I said it was perfumed which is because of the dryness and it’s overall strength, but in reality it tasted natural rather than synthetic. I also want to add that this has given me a little energy boost as well.
It’s inspired me to have a re-watch after all of these years, I will have to break out the X Files box sets. For now at least I can have faith, for The Brew Is Out There!
Until next time, Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea Blend
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Description:
Green tea with vanilla, orange peels, natural lemon and orange flavor and sunflower petals, goes great with honey from hybridized bees. Brews up a lovely green color.
I want to believe!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!