Sanctuary T – Page 2

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Black

Company Description:

A delicious carmel-butter aroma hits your nose when you first smell this tea. Nutty overtones become more pronounced the longer the tea is brewed, and it ends with a smooth, buttery finish.

Taste ~ Caramel,buttery, nutty, and sweet

Color ~ Warm reddish yellow

Ingredients ~ Black tea, pistachios, cumin, almond pieces, coriander, peppercorn

Taster’s Review:

This tea is part of the Sanctuary Sampler Kit. These kits are pretty nifty, and I must say that I’m quite jealous that I didn’t think of such a thing myself when I was actively selling tea!

The samplers come in a neat little chipboard portfolio, with the five teas affixed to the inside of the portfolio, and includes printed index cards with a brew chart, tea information, and information about Sanctuary T. Included also are small packages of T-Sacs and small bamboo skewers, making this kit a perfect gift for someone who is new to loose leaf tea.

I am not new to loose leaf tea, so I opted to brew the tea the way I usually brew it, in my Smart Tea Maker. The amount in the sample package is just enough for my Smart Tea Brewer – I like it when things are all convenient like that!

This is a tea unlike any I’ve tasted before (at least, that I can recall!) There is a sweetness to it that is very much like caramel: rich and smooth and creamy-ish! This sweetness is a fantastic contrast to the smoky-spicy note of the cumin (which I love!)

There is also a nutty taste to it from the pistachio, almond and coriander. The coriander also provides a warmth of its own, as well as a whisper of tangy citrus that sits at the very tip of my tongue.

There is not a lot of astringency to the cup, but there is a slight bitterness to it, but it is not distracting, and I found that a little bit of agave nectar went a long way in sweeping away any bitter notes as well as highlighting the caramel-like undertones to the tea.

When I first read these ingredients, my immediate thought was “this is a chai” – although there aren’t any classic chai ingredients to the blend. This is because in my own chai blend, I use coriander, cumin and peppercorns. Because this does have similarities in taste to some chai teas that I’ve tasted, I am going to categorize it as a chai… if for no other reason than that I can!

But I digress! This tea is fantastic, and I am glad that I tried it! The creamy caramel-ness of this tea is accented further when I add milk to the cup, so I recommend doing so.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea, Chai