I love Kusmi’s packaging, I love Kusmi’s muslin tea bags, and I am loving Four Red Fruits!
I have tried a few Kusmi teas that ended up on my “must order” list. I can add one more now.
Four Red Fruits must be a “thing” overseas because I have had other teas and jams by that name, all of them from French companies.
First impression when I steeped this was….dark, rich aroma. Hallelujah, the tea base is going to be good on this one. I can tell by the smell! And it is.
It is so disappointing to get a great smelling tea and then find that the base is inferior and the tea tastes like watery disappointment with flavors added.
No disappointment here! The base has heft. I know I am drinking a good black tea.The company description talks about the pairing of sweet fruit against bitter black tea base, but I wouldn’t call this bitter. It is a great black tea with the nice, dark undertones you find in Keemuns and such. And it is the perfect foundation for adding these beautiful fruit flavors. They are not tart and not too sweet, just perfectly balanced. I can taste the tea and I can taste the fruit.
I have been disappointed that my favorite strawberry tea of all time was discontinued a few years ago. Now I can say I have found a tea that fills that void, even though there is more than just strawberry here. This is delightful, and I can see myself having it at breakfast and for tea time, or even with a late night snack as I am doing right now. Time to update the desert island list…
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kusmi
Description
An organic black tea with red fruit flavors that will remind you of your favorite pastries!
If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise!
If you go down to the woods today… you’ll be picking strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, and cherries!
We certainly didn’t beat around the bush when choosing these red fruits! We wanted them to be indulgent and delicious, delicate and refined… Then we combined them with an intense organic black tea to showcase their full flavors.
In a word, we went the extra mile – and it was worth it! Get ready for an organic Four Red Fruits black tea straight from the oven! Or almost… This tea is even better with a pastry or a biscuit for your afternoon snack.
Organic tea available loose because it’s good for the planet, and in teabags for when you’re on the go.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Caramel from Kusmi. . . . .
I am taking a wee break from work to enjoy Mardi Gras cookies – delightfully almond flavored and sweet – and a hot cuppa. This new-to-me caramel struck my fancy, and I am delighted with the pairing.
You might think sweet with sweet wouldn’t be awesome together, but this black tea from Kusmi is from China, lacking the lemon/citrus notes one gets from most Ceylon tea and the caramel is not overly sweet but instead is almost a burnt caramel. Honestly, if I hadn’t prepared this myself and someone had told me it was a tea from China with natural caramel notes, I would have believed them.
Put together, it makes for a wonderful tea to pair with sweets or to drink on its own. As usual, I have added no milk or sugar and it is smooth and delicious, but I would say that this tea would handle milk and sugar VERY well for those who prefer additions.
I have the muslin tea sachets, and I have steeped twice and literally forgot I was drinking a second steep. There is no sourness, but a mere hint of briskness and the flavor of the black tea is lingering. I think this would make an excellent breakfast for folks like me who are not looking for a big brown boot of a builder’s tea to kick start them in the mornings. This has all the strength I need for a day starter or an afternoon refreshment.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kusmi
Description
With its delicious aroma, this black tea from China flavoured with caramel is the perfect drink to enjoy a quiet moment. It goes wonderfully with pastries.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Prince Vladimir from Kusmi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kusmi Tea
Tea Description:
Blend of black teas from China flavored with citrus fruit, vanilla, and spices. A Kusmi tea that is simply too good to miss out on!
Prince Vladimir is a unique blend that was created by Pavel Kusmichoff in 1888 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the Christianization of Russia by Vladimir the Great.
We suggest to enjoy this tea during the whole day.
Main flavor: Smooth citrus and spice
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received some of this Prince Vladimir from Kusmi Tea from a tea friend, and I am sorry that I do not recall who sent it to me, but thank you whoever you are. I have not sampled many teas from Kusmi so wanted to give this a try.
This tea is somewhat reminiscent of a chai, but not spot on for one. It has far more citrus flavor than most chai and is far more mellow, which is nice if you are not quite in the mood for a chai tea. The base tea reminds me of the teas my grandmother would drink when I was young, it is very basic. No maltiness or real depth, which is not necessarily a bad thing but something you may want to know. There is a good tea taste however, meaning the flavors do not compromise the flavor of tea itself. The vanilla is light in the flavor profile. The citrus seems to take more of the forefront but the vanilla is present to mellow the citrus notes. It is a nice blend that is mellow, relaxing, and tame. I can see how some would consider this a rather dull blend if they are looking for a strongly flavored tea, but if you want something that is relaxed in the flavor then this is it.
In some ways it reminds me of Constant Comment from Bigelow but it has more flavor, more kick, and more roundness to the blend. I think it is the vanilla that helps round it out.
Getting this as a sample, I am not disappointed at all, however had I paid the 27.95 tag for it I might be. Then again it is a 8.8 ounce tin, and well, I do love tins. I believe there is also a smaller tin, but they are out of stock on them at this time.
There is no astringency and bitterness only comes if you are completely abusive and overstep a lot so it is a really good blend in that aspect. It is just slightly lackluster for a tea at this price point from a well known company. On the other hand I would not label it a tea to stay away from either. I suggest you try to get your hands on a sample and try before you buy.
