Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tea Description:
A Darjeeling from the Margaret’s Hope Estate that has a delicate tending astringent cup with the distinctive ‘Muscatel’ character. Hints of currant create an almost wine-like taste. A bright tending light cup of tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do love Darjeeling from the Margaret’s Hope Estate. To me, it’s one of those Darjeeling teas that are a perfect example of what Darjeeling should be. The cup is light and crisp, the muscatel so well-pronounced, and a sweet, wine-like finish. Delightful!
This Margaret’s Hope 2nd Flush from Culinary Teas tastes remarkably fresh. The flavor is indeed wine-like, and since I’m not much of a drinker of alcohol – wine or otherwise – I have to say that I’d prefer a cup of this Darjeeling tea over a glass of wine any day.
The sip starts with a sweet, fruit-like taste that develops on the palate from a sort of generic “fruity” taste into a more well-defined muscat grape flavor, and by the end of the sip, has become more like a black currant. Throughout the sip, I notice other flavors too including some wood notes and hints of spice. The finish brings astringency that gives it a dry sort of sensation much like what you’d experience from a dry wine. The aftertaste is reminiscent of a sweet grape taste.
An excellent Darjeeling!
Ying Ming Yunnan Tea from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Product Description:
An exotic black Chinese tea from Yunnan Province with “lots of tip.” Ying Ming has excellent fullness and a subtle sweetness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Typically, when I think of a Yunnan, I think of a full-bodied tea with spiced undertones, a wine-like quality in the background and hints of earth and sometimes a touch of smoke and a pleasant sweetness. And this tea did not spoil those expectations.
This tea is indeed full-bodied and delivers an incredibly well-rounded flavor. There are hints of spice to it, but, I am finding those peppery tones to be a little more understated than with other Yunnan teas I’ve tried. In fact, I’m finding this Yunnan to be – overall – much more mellow and understated than other Yunnan teas I’ve experienced. And that is what sets it apart.
I taste all of the aforementioned qualities in this tea but I taste them in a less distinct way. The flavors are more seamless and smooth here. And I am really enjoying this Yunnan for the differences it offers.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore Yunnan for all its distinct qualities but, sometimes, it’s nice to have those qualities delivered in a smoother way … and this Yunnan does just that.
Keemun 3 Monkey from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Product Description:
Keemun 3 Monkey has a complex yet subtle flavor. Aromatic and penetrating without being lush or floral. It is said you can compare this to a fine burgundy wine because of it’s superb bouquet. The flavor is best brought out with the use of milk. This Chinese black tea has a bright tending reddish cup.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
For me, no other black tea variety says “winter” like a good Keemun. It has such a delightfully cozy flavor to it, like something I would want to cozy up with after waking up on a chilly morning, or curling up with on a cold, winters afternoon.
I think it is what I would call the “trademark” characteristics of a Keemun that make me so fond of this type of tea when the weather turns cold. It has a warming quality to it that I liken to the warming effects of a liquor that has been carefully aged in oak. It has a very pleasing, yeasty baked bread kind of flavor, full-bodied, with notes of smoke and leather and the faintest hints of spice. All of these qualities make for a warm, cozy cuppa on a chilly winter day.
But even though this tea inspires one toward warm and comfort, it has a stoutness to it, a invigorating quality … GUSTO that will also get you going if that is what you need. For that reason, this Keemun would make a fantastic choice for a breakfast tea. And it takes to the additions of milk and honey well, if you like to add them to your breakfast cup.
There are a lot of Keemun teas out there from which to choose, and some can be quite expensive! I think that this Keemun 3 Monkey from Culinary Teas is good for those who seek an exceptional value for their tea dollar. It is also a good “starter” Keemun for those who are new to this type of tea, to learn more about it and start exploring the nuances that Keemun offers. It has a good depth of flavor, and it doesn’t seem to be leaning toward any one flavor characteristic more than others… it possesses a really nice balance of those aforementioned Keemun trademark characteristics.
Cheers!
Sugar Plum Cinnamon Spice from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Product Description:
Our Sugar Plum Cinnamon Spice tea has a rounded sweet plum flavor fused with a blast of cinnamon spice!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Several years ago, I tried my very first sugar plum. It was a delicious confection that I found in an old time candy shop, reminding me vaguely of the sweet jelly candies that are covered in sugar … only tasting of plum instead of orange or lemon. Only a few days ago, I had learned that maybe that sugar plum I tasted back then wasn’t actually a real sugar plum, at least, not a traditional sugar plum. So, I’m back to the point I was before … I’ve never actually tried a sugar plum.
So, I can’t tell you from experience that this tea does or does not taste like sugar plums. But what I can tell you is that it is YUMMY!
The black tea base is a delicious black tea, fairly strong … I’d actually describe it as brisk. It isn’t an overpowering flavor but it manages to make its presence known along with the other flavors without attempting to overwhelm them. It tastes smooth, it isn’t bitter, and it has a moderate amount of astringency to it. A very pleasant black tea providing a solid background of flavor.
The cinnamon is really interesting in this cup, because even though it would appear to be the strongest note in the cup, it isn’t really what I would consider a strong cinnamon flavor. Yes, it’s there, it’s gently spiced, but, it isn’t a powerful amount of spice. It’s more like the flavor of cinnamon you might experience from cinnamon-sugar toast: sweet yet warm, and quite delicious.
I think it is the way that the cinnamon mingles with the plum in this particular tea that makes it so interesting. The plum is sweet, but it doesn’t taste like a fresh plum. It doesn’t taste like a dried plum (or prune). It tastes… actually, it kind of tastes like the candy that I told you about at the start of this review – what I believed at the time to be a sugar plum. It has a fruit candy-like taste to it rather than a fresh fruit or even a dried fruit flavor. There is also a distinct tangy note that lingers in the aftertaste that is definitely plum flavor … it tastes quite a bit like my gramma’s homemade plum jam. Delicious!
What I like best about this particular tea – aside from the memories of my gramma’s delicious plum jam – is that it is incredibly warm and inviting. I found myself shivering a bit this morning, as the temperature has dropped … and this is the tea I reached for. It warmed me from the inside out. This tea is a very comforting experience, like happy moments from childhood warming my very soul.
Brandy and Winter Peppermint Tea from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Product Description:
Our Brandy and Winter Peppermint tea has the fruity taste of a good Brandy with the cooling zing of Peppermint Schnapps. Perfect for an evening Hot Toddy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve confessed this before, but I’m not really big on alcoholic drinks. I’ll have an occasional drink, but it is a rare event, but I am certainly no expert when it comes to alcohol.
But I am usually intrigued by alcohol flavored teas. Usually, but I have to admit that I wasn’t terribly excited by this particular tea. Somehow, the combination of brandy and peppermint just didn’t sound like it would taste very good. Boy, was I WRONG. (But don’t tell my husband I admitted that! We can’t have him going around thinking I was wrong about something)
This tea is really INCREDIBLE. The peppermint is really vibrant, it tastes more like peppermint Schnapps to me (which shouldn’t be surprising since it’s mentioned in the description). The peppermint is front and center with this tea, and it tastes very fresh, and I suspect it is the flavoring of the brandy that elevates the peppermint flavor.
The brandy flavor lies just beneath the peppermint, always there, making its presence known but without becoming too aggressive. It is very mellow and calm. It has a fruitiness to it that tastes reminiscent of sweet grapes, plum and tangy currants. There is also a hint of smoked wood flavor to it – not a strong flavor and I found that it was most prevalent in the first couple of sips and now, not so much as I am nearly finished with my cup. The brandy notes lend a very smooth taste to this cup, and evokes thoughts of a brandy that somebody’s rich uncle would keep in a fine crystal decanter for special occasions.
The black tea base is not to be overlooked here, as it is a key element to what makes this cup taste so astonishingly good. It has a bright, brisk flavor to it, but it is not an incredibly bold flavored tea, which leads me to think that it is probably a Ceylon.
Overall, an excellent flavored black tea. This is one that you’ll want to have on hand this holiday season, because it would make a great alternative for someone who wants some of those festive holiday flavors without imbibing alcohol, a fantastic substitution for the traditional “hot toddy”!