Thé vert à la rose is my very first experience ever with Kusmi tea. And it is an auspicious beginning! The sachet is smaller than some (Harney & Sons, Tazo, et al.), but the dried tea includes both larger and smaller pieces of green leaves—very dark and some gnarled and knotted—along with dried rose petals. The rose scent is unmistakeable, but so is the dark vegetable aroma of the base tea.
The liquor brews up to a nice golden color—veering toward brown—and the taste is the sum of its parts: a China green vegetable-flavored tea garnished with the light taste of rose. I do taste the rose here, which I did not so much in Harney & Sons Jane’s Garden. Another big difference is the base tea. Harney & Sons features bancha, which this definitely is not. It might be Mao Feng, but I’m waiting to find out from Kusmi customer service whether that is right.
In the meantime, I can affirm that this was a sachet well sent (along with a recent purchase of the Russian teas set), as it has provided me with firm grounds for ordering a larger supply of this tea. As a matter of fact, I already have a small tin (1 ounce) on the way, as it is included in the green tea sampler tin set. After drinking this tea a few more times I’ll be able to decide whether a big tin purchase is in order for a future order. So far, so good with Kusmi!
Flavors: Flowers