Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Luhse Tea
Tea Description:
Arrr! You’re a rum drunk pirate. Those that mess with your chocolate booty will walk the plank!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Luhse Tea is a very interesting company that plays around with the idea/theme of a teabag “Prohibition” in order to free you, the consumer, from the restrictions of bagged tea and allow you the freedom of exploring loose tea. Their site is very fun to navigate, and seeing the way they’ve tied this theme into each blend is definitely entertaining and worthy taking the time to check out. This is one company that has definitely figured out their ‘brand’ – and that’s not a bad thing! I’ve been personally wanting to order from this company, to sample teas, for a while now but I actually received this tea in a swap. This tea has journeyed from the United States to the United Kingdom to Canada and finally into my mug!
Steeped up hot and enjoyed during a heavy rainfall, this definitely has a well rounded, smooth flavour and clean mouthfeel. I was nervous the mouthfeel would be rather oily because this blend uses chocolate chips instead of nibs or shells but that wasn’t a problem. Honestly, I feel like I’m getting more flavour from the base tea than anything else though; there’s a nice mild malt note that carries through all of each sip, and some baked bread notes. I’m not complaining, ’cause the base is really nice, but generally with a flavour tea I expect at least some aspect of the added flavour to be the strongest element.
The chocolate flavour is totally present, but while I was expecting something some rich and indulgent, this is pretty gentle. It’s more just a hint of cocoa, with a sort of powdery taste/mouthfeel which I’ve grown to associate with French teas. I also expected the rum to be stronger, and instead it’s very mild and watered down. Combined with the chocolate it’s a little like a very dull/lackluster rumball – the kind my family always makes around Christmas.
Initially I was quite disappointed by the flavour distribution: for a tea that’s describing the drinker as a “rum drunk pirate” I felt more like I was drinking tea with my Grandma around the holidays. However, I took a moment to set aside my disappointment and preconceptions about what the tea ‘should have’ tasted like, and after I did that I was able to appreciate the brew a little more. It’s not bold or vibrant, but the flavours it does offer are smooth and tasty, and it’s a comforting, mellow brew with hints of both chocolate and rum. I can appreciate that.
I’m still excited to explore the company a little more; but I can probably scratch this one off my wishlist. Though I’ll enjoy finishing the rest of what I received in that swap.
Dorian Grey Tea from Luhse Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Luhse Tea
Tea Description:
Story: Queen Song is clearly not your typical gorilla. She’s a risk taker and norm-breaker. She couldn’t just leave traditional Earl Grey alone.
Tea Description: Earl Grey’s flamboyant brother. Added vanilla takes average Earl to a whole new level.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah, this is nice! I love Earl Grey – as I’ve mentioned many times! – and I love it when I find a delicious creamy Earl Grey like this Dorian Grey Tea from Luhse Tea. The traditional bergamot flavored black tea with a touch of sweet, creamy vanilla makes this Dorian Grey different from the classic Earl.
It would seem that I’ve tasted almost as many Earl Grey “Creme” blends as I have the traditional Earl Grey teas … because it would seem that for every Earl grey tea that there is out there, there is the creamy counterpart. But please do not read that as a complaint … just a statement of observation. I love Earl Grey, and I’m certainly not going to complain that there are too many Earl Grey teas out there – all the more for me to sample, my dear!
And I’m really enjoying this Dorian Grey Tea. I wasn’t too sure about it when I first opened my sampling of this tea, because the aroma was rather muted. I didn’t smell a whole lot of bergamot, or vanilla … or well, anything. I was worried that either my olfactory nerves were not operating properly, or maybe the tea was a stale sampling. However, once, I brewed the tea, the aroma came forward! Beautiful citrus-y notes, hints of flower, and a lovely vanilla overtone. My taste buds started to jump for joy.
The flavor is really quite delightful. The vanilla is just a tad stronger than the bergamot … but it doesn’t overpower it. It mellows out the bergamot – as I expected it to – but I still taste the tangy citrus notes. The cream adds a lovely sweet note to the cup … and the thing I love about creamy Earl Grey teas is that it’s a built-in “latte” – no dairy required!
This is a smooth, wonderful tea. A great choice for those who find the traditional bergamot tea to be a bit too much … this is softer, creamier, and more decadent! I love it!
