Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steven Smith Teamaker
Tea Description:
An elegant blend of high-grown Ceylon black teas aged and scented in a Pinot Noir barrel. Deliciously complex with a subtle taste of oak, nuances of Pinot Noir grapes and herbes de Provence. An unlikely, but rewarding, pairing.
Taster’s Review:
During my last visit to the Smith Teamaker shop in Portland, I saw a package of this Méthode Noir Scented Black tea and I had to grab it. Having tried one of Steven Smith’s aged-and-scented-in-a-barrel teas previously and loving it, I was confident that this would be equally as enjoyable.
My previous experience was with a Whiskey barrel aged and scented tea, this time, the tea has been scented and aged in a barrel that held Pinot Noir. By placing the tea leaves in the barrel that once held the spirits, the tea leaves absorb the essence of not only the wine, but also the wood of the barrel … and I’m really enjoying the result.
If I had tasted this tea without knowing what it was, my first guess would be a Darjeeling based upon the muscatel notes of the tea … however, I would be thrown by the thicker, richer body of this tea. I am loving the sweet, grape-y tones with notes of currant. I taste the rich, oak-y flavor and a touch of savory herbs. It is very enjoyable … this is the kind of tea I’d enjoy serving to guests … kind of like a fine wine but in a teacup!
Rooibos Noir from Vintage TeaWorks
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Vintage Teaworks
Tisane Description:
Inspired by Pinot Noir, we blended natural ingredients to create a rooibos herbal tea blend that is light, fruity and fun, with hints of mango, blueberry, raspberry and hibiscus.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to wine. I wouldn’t be able to tell you the difference between a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay … or any other kind of wine for that matter. But I do like to think I know a thing or two about teas and tisanes! So with this wine-inspired line of teas from Vintage TeaWorks, I get to taste something that I’m familiar with, and still explore something that’s outside my realm of expertise. I like that … it challenges me a little bit!
The dry leaf smells like wine. It has a strong, fermented grape kind of aroma. And I can see big pieces of fruit and flower petals tossed in with the needle-thin leaves of the red rooibos, creating a very stunning visual presentation.
The brewed tisane still has a bit of the wine-like scent, but, it is significantly softer as a brewed tisane. It still smells pleasantly grape-like: sweet and fruity.
And this translates to the flavor. It is deliciously sweet and fruity, with well-defined notes of wine grapes, with notes of berry and a hint of mango. I love the sweetness that the mango adds without detracting from the overall concept. It still tastes like a wine-inspired tisane, even though when I think of wine, I don’t think of mango. This makes me think that the minds at Vintage TeaWorks must be geniuses! The way they find just the right flavors to meld together to create such a unique tisane that is delicious served hot or iced.
I personally find this more refreshing as an iced tea – but, it has a very soothing, relaxing quality as a hot tisane. Something that is fun to curl up with and watch TV later in the evening.
Surprisingly, I don’t taste much hibsicus from this at all. I even steeped this for a full 10 minutes, and I don’t taste or feel the syrupy quality of the hibiscus, nor do I taste the pungent tartness of it. I do taste hints of tartness, sure, and these can be attributed to the hibiscus… but they accentuate the flavors of the berry, grape, and mango so well that it becomes not a disruptive flavor but instead something that works toward offering the best flavor possible.
Also surprisingly, I don’t taste much from the rooibos here. I do taste hints of nut and wood from the rooibos, but, it isn’t that funky, sour woody taste. And there isn’t that weird sweet aftertaste from the rooibos.
This tisane makes me very happy, indeed! I’m so impressed with what I’ve tasted from Vintage TeaWorks so far! I highly recommend their teas and tisanes!
Dark Chocolate with Earl Grey Tea from Dolfin
Information:
Dark Chocolate Bar
Where to Buy: The Meadow and other locations where Dolfin Chocolates are sold.
Chocolate Bar Description:
A perfect mix of contrasts: the refreshing sweetness of the bergamot blends perfectly with the strong taste of the chocolate. For afternoon tea, a chocolate with a British accent.
Learn more about Dolfin here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, I visited the North Portland location of Little Big Burger, and as I walked toward Little Big Burger, I couldn’t help but notice this little shop called The Meadow. They sell flowers, an array of finishing salts, bitters and chocolate. Yes, I said CHOCOLATE! How could I ignore this little shop? It begged me to stop in and at least take a look around.
But, of course, if I am around chocolate, I can hardly just “look around.” I must have chocolate! They have an entire wall dedicated to high quality chocolates from around the world. I can feel myself start to drool just thinking about it!
While it was difficult to settle upon just one (or two) chocolate bars, I knew my husband was waiting for me so I needed to hurry! Finally, I settled upon this Dark Chocolate Bar with Earl Grey Tea! This is a 52% Belgian dark chocolate bar with crushed Earl Grey Tea leaves. Not an “infused” chocolate, but, a chocolate bar with real bits of tea leaves.
The first thing I notice about this bar is the packaging. Very impressive! The package is a double folded “envelope” that keeps the left over chocolate (it’s quite a large bar!) fresh until you’re ready to eat more. I really like the package, it is clear that Dolfin is committed to maintaining their product’s integrity even after the package has been opened!
Breaking off a piece of the chocolate, I notice the snap of dark chocolate. Allowing the flavors to melt on my tongue, I can taste the smooth, rich flavor of bittersweet dark chocolate meld with the tangy citrus notes of bergamot. As I eat this chocolate, I can feel the tiny bits of tea leaf in the chocolate. The leaves add a little bit of crunch without feeling gritty and because the tea has been finely ground, it won’t leave leaf particles stuck in between the teeth!
While I don’t taste a lot of black tea flavor (there is some, just not a lot), I definitely taste the bergamot, and when it comes to Earl Grey tea, I want to taste BERGAMOT. The black tea becomes more distinct as I continue to enjoy the chocolate bar, and it is more prominent when I allow the chocolate to melt on the tongue as opposed to biting into it.
This chocolate bar from Dolfin provides an amazing chocolate experience for the tea lover! And if your Valentine loves chocolate and Earl Grey … you should consider adding this to their gift. (How about a Chocolate and Earl Grey Gift Basket?) They’ll LOVE you for it!