This is another purchase from the Urban Tea Merchant tea salon in Vancouver. This tea comes in both green and black variations, but I chose the black one because I thought it had the more robust scent.
The smell…the smell is incredible. It’s like vanilla ice cream – but the high quality stuff that has bits of vanilla beans in it. Then there’s a mix of berry – I think I can smell blueberry, strawberry, maybe currant, and all sort of fruits or berries I can’t even begin to identify. It’s a bit like Mariage Freres’ Marco Polo only bolder and more fruity/berry.
The taste is surprisingly different however, as the first thing I get isn’t vanilla or strawberry but a sort of fresh, not-too-sweet fruit flavour, that seems vaguely familiar, only I can’t quite place it. Guava maybe???? There’s also a faint hint of something floral with it, but it’s not a perfumy sort of floral. There are other, sweeter fruit/berries flavours that follow, but they’re quite subdued in the wake of the intital burst of flavour notes.
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That sounds… amazing! Very jealous of the O Dor fun going on over there. I’ve found the Americanized shop online though, so hopefully it’s not too expensive!
@Jillian is the tea robust, strong, or light in nature? What type of black tea leaves do they use? Does it taste astringent without cream & sweetener? Would adding C&S round out or enhance the flavor? I’m keeping a close eye on my shopping list as I jockey the hierarchy of new teas I’ll be ordering next. :)
Hmm, I honestly don’t know what type of black tea is used – it didn’t say anywhere on the website and I didn’t buy the tin – just a loose bag with the steeping instructions.
It’s on the lighter end of black teas though, and I enjoyed drinking it plain. There’s a bit of astringency but it’s a fruity sort of astringency derived more from the flavouring than from the tea itself. My boyfriend had it iced with a bit of melon syrup when we were in the tea salon and we both agreed it was tasty that way – but I don’t know about cream/milk.
Actually, if you want I could send you a bit. :)
Would love to try some. Let me know if you would be interested in swapping a mini-sampler package. I don’t have as many teas in my cupboard as you do, however I have a fair amount – and hopefully some you may be interested in. If not maybe there’s one tea in my cupboard you’d be interested in trying and we could swap. Let me know. :)
That sounds… amazing! Very jealous of the O Dor fun going on over there. I’ve found the Americanized shop online though, so hopefully it’s not too expensive!
@Jillian is the tea robust, strong, or light in nature? What type of black tea leaves do they use? Does it taste astringent without cream & sweetener? Would adding C&S round out or enhance the flavor? I’m keeping a close eye on my shopping list as I jockey the hierarchy of new teas I’ll be ordering next. :)
Hmm, I honestly don’t know what type of black tea is used – it didn’t say anywhere on the website and I didn’t buy the tin – just a loose bag with the steeping instructions.
It’s on the lighter end of black teas though, and I enjoyed drinking it plain. There’s a bit of astringency but it’s a fruity sort of astringency derived more from the flavouring than from the tea itself. My boyfriend had it iced with a bit of melon syrup when we were in the tea salon and we both agreed it was tasty that way – but I don’t know about cream/milk.
Actually, if you want I could send you a bit. :)
Would love to try some. Let me know if you would be interested in swapping a mini-sampler package. I don’t have as many teas in my cupboard as you do, however I have a fair amount – and hopefully some you may be interested in. If not maybe there’s one tea in my cupboard you’d be interested in trying and we could swap. Let me know. :)