I was inspired to try this one again. In my previous attempts I’ve had some difficulty in getting the steeping parameters right. It doesn’t seem to be a very forgiving blend, and I have a strong suspicion that it’s the Darjeeling that I’m nearly certain it contains that is mocking me. Indian blacks can be so stubborn sometimes.
I think I’ve got it right now though. The aroma is very sweet, honey sweet, and there’s a subtle spicy note underneath. It’s still a very dark brew, but it doesn’t look like coffee this time.
Ah yes, the taste is much much better this time too! I think I said my original guess as to a rating would probably be around 75-80 points, but I think I’ll give it a little more than that. As horribly bitter as it can get when not done right, as lovely it will be when it is.
There is an Assam-y/Ceylon-y note and there is also the one that I think is Darjeeling, but it’s under control here. Instead of being overwhelming with the grass-y bitterness as in the two Fail pots, it’s lying under the surface, lending the blend a little freshness. Perky, even.
I’m not really sure where the Chinese blacks are in all this. I suspect they’re bullied out by the Indians and the Ceylon, cowering somewhere in a corner. There is a cocoa-y note somewhere in there, but it’s not very pronounced. It’s like a stealth note from the Chinese that doesn’t really come to its right.
It’s a nice blend if you can figure out how to brew it best, but given the amount of Fail it can be when not done right and how much experimenting I’ve had to do so far, I don’t think I’d ever really want to buy a larger quantity of it. Maybe a sample tin now and then, but that’s it, really. Give me a Chinese black any day. They’re less finicky.
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Try their Grand Yunnan, if you want a black tea from China.
I’m not particularly interested in their plain unblended blacks, to be honest. I prefer chinese and I fulfill the majority of that need from Teaspring.
There’s only 1 unflavoured black tea from Kusmi Tea I love, and it is Russian Morning, also their Irish Blend is one of the worst unflavoured teas I have tasted…
I found the Samovar blend quite nice, but then again I have a bias towards smoky teas. :)
I love smoky teas :) Also their Smoky Earl Grey is quite tasty, because it got some freshness in the aftertaste…
Imperial Label is also very, very good, but it’s very underrated!! What a shame.
I’ve had the smoky earl grey once when visiting friends who lived in Paris at the time. I can’t remember much about it as I wasn’t paying that much attention to it at the time, but it’s the only EG that I’ve actually had any interest in actually purchasing. Haven’t done it yet, though. Found a shop where they have a large selection but the Smoky Earl Grey was only available as either the large 250g tin or some sort of loose weight fill-it-yourself bag with no way of knowing how many times the canister had been opened and how many hands, washed or unwashed, had been in it. For that sort of thing I tend to prefer the clerk measuring out, rather than help yourself. Mix your own sweets and fruit/veg that I’d rinse anyway are really my only exception to that.
No Darjeeling in the Russian Morning No. 24. It’s in the Irish Blend, which Kusmi states is Assam And Darjeeling.
Really? I remember it tasting very Darjeeling-y at the time, but they’re not super-informative about details in their description. ‘Tea from India’ is a pretty wide concept, really.
I haven’t tried the Irish Blend, I don’t think, but if it contains only Assam and Darj. I think I might steer clear of it. I’m not super-fond of Indian to be honest. I much prefer Chinese.
Try their Grand Yunnan, if you want a black tea from China.
I’m not particularly interested in their plain unblended blacks, to be honest. I prefer chinese and I fulfill the majority of that need from Teaspring.
There’s only 1 unflavoured black tea from Kusmi Tea I love, and it is Russian Morning, also their Irish Blend is one of the worst unflavoured teas I have tasted…
I found the Samovar blend quite nice, but then again I have a bias towards smoky teas. :)
I love smoky teas :) Also their Smoky Earl Grey is quite tasty, because it got some freshness in the aftertaste…
Imperial Label is also very, very good, but it’s very underrated!! What a shame.
I’ve had the smoky earl grey once when visiting friends who lived in Paris at the time. I can’t remember much about it as I wasn’t paying that much attention to it at the time, but it’s the only EG that I’ve actually had any interest in actually purchasing. Haven’t done it yet, though. Found a shop where they have a large selection but the Smoky Earl Grey was only available as either the large 250g tin or some sort of loose weight fill-it-yourself bag with no way of knowing how many times the canister had been opened and how many hands, washed or unwashed, had been in it. For that sort of thing I tend to prefer the clerk measuring out, rather than help yourself. Mix your own sweets and fruit/veg that I’d rinse anyway are really my only exception to that.
No Darjeeling in the Russian Morning No. 24. It’s in the Irish Blend, which Kusmi states is Assam And Darjeeling.
Really? I remember it tasting very Darjeeling-y at the time, but they’re not super-informative about details in their description. ‘Tea from India’ is a pretty wide concept, really.
I haven’t tried the Irish Blend, I don’t think, but if it contains only Assam and Darj. I think I might steer clear of it. I’m not super-fond of Indian to be honest. I much prefer Chinese.