Bouquet of Flowers No. 108

Trying this tea next on a request/recommendation(?) from Boychik. This is the second I’ve tried out of my Kusmi Russian Blends pack. The dry leaves have an extremely strong bergamot scent, there might be a tiny bit of floral smell but it’s really hard for me to tell again the bergamot. I used the same brewing technique that was suggested to me for St. Petersburg, since it’s a very similar tea.

When I smell the brewed tea, I definitely get a distinct floral note in conjunction with the bergamot, which is considerably milder than in the dry leaf. I must say, I really love the taste of this tea! I can taste the black tea base, which seems mild and smooth, and I can definitely taste the bergamot, but it doesn’t overpower. There is a definite floral note, though I couldn’t say what type of floral (other reviewers have suggested lavender, but I don’t know its flavor well enough to say)). I also get a subtle note of citrus other than the bergamot – I looked up the ingredients and found this to be mandarin or orange. I also added a small amount of sugar to mine which really works to bring all the flavors together.

I was surprised to see that quite a few people hated this tea. I don’t know if maybe they’re not consistent in the formula or if they have changed it over time. Or maybe I’m crazy, woo! :D I can’t wait to try this with a splash of milk.

GCTTB 2.

This is another a from my shopping list.

This came in a little sample tea bag. The tea bag is so cute, it is made of cloth, looks like terry cloth. But it makes me feels good about steeping it in hot water.

The tea smells ok. I am getting a bit of dry, dusty component in the base. But I can also smell the bergamot and sweet flowers.

The brewed tea is very light. Slightly floral. There is a minimal bergamot flavour to it. There are definitely citrus notes.

I am not sure if it is this tea or something I ate previous but it is leaving a bad aftertaste in my mouth. Sort of the same aftertaste you get after eating sour gummy candies.

I am really glad to have tried this one. There are a lot of teas in this box that have been on my shopping list for a long time.

I absolutely love this tea. I was very curious about the taste and I have to say I was not disapointed. I love that there is just a slight citrusy flavour as an aftertaste and it isn’t overpowering. I like to take this tea in the morning or early afternoon as I prefer a stronger one later on in the day.

First off, this one has a very strange mouthfeel…almost gritty and astringent at the same time. I find it quite unappealing, truthfully, and it makes it hard to focus on the flavours.

Once I set aside the odd feeling there’s definitely some floral (dusty rose-esque) hints toward the front and a bit of bergamot on the end with a solid enough black base that pops up at odd moments.

As far as an Earl Grey goes – and that’s really how I’m considering this, given the black/bergamot pairing – I’ve definitely had better. The mouthfeel is this tea’s greatest detractor, IMO, and it’s enough to keep me from coming back for antoher cup.

4th Russian blend from NYC friends.

Floral but the citrus hid in the background. A little bit of sweetener brought the citrus out a little, but not enough to counteract the floral taste.

Lifting the leaves out of its packaging was probably the highlight of this cup. Dainty flowers laced with a hint of bergamot and greener leaves. However, in drinking this tea you’re left with a neither here-nor-there feeling. Not enough “Earl Greyness” to be a good Earl Grey, and not enough floral aroma after brewing. Not a bad cup, mind you, but it left me in want of something stronger or more well balanced.

Kinda bland and really just doesn’t do much for me, so many others I prefer.

Very tasty tea. Drank it plain. Fresh, flowery scent that holds a dominant tone of citrus. Well balanced. I want another cup :) .

I received a sample of this with my Prince Vladimir I got for Christmas and was very excited to try it as I am an Earl Grey fan. It smelled great upon first opening it and mushing the cute unsuspecting bag to my nose. While it steeped it smelled even better. And the taste…. Mmmmmmm. This has to be my favorite Earl Grey ever. It doesn’t have the over powering citrus taste that most Earl Greys are known for, or atleast that’s how my taste buds see things.

I really enjoy drinking this tea. I take it to work in the morning and resteep it a few more times throughout the day. It resteeps very well! The dry tea smells absolutely horrible, but the flavors balance out once brewed.