Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Tea Description:
Years of Japanese and Scandinavian tradition come together in this elegant blend. The fruit-forward notes of tart Nordic lingonberries strike a delicate balance with the refreshing green tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I found to get the level of flavor that I wanted from this Ligonberry Green tea from Harney & Sons’ new Ambessa Tea line, I needed to make a stronger brew. This is where loose leaf shows up the bagged or sacheted tea, because I could have easily added a little extra leaf … but for a sacheted tea like this, it’s either use less water or another tea sachet. I used two tea sachets for my cup.
The first time I brewed this (with just one bag), there was certainly flavor, but it was just a little too delicate for my liking. But now, with two tea bags, the flavor is THERE, and I’m liking it.
The lingonberry is a unique flavor … not one that is often found in tea blends. I think I’ve found lingonberry as an ingredient in one or two other teas … it’s a rare thing, though. Usually, the only other place I can find lingonberry at all is at IKEA.
And I like the flavor that the lingonberry brings to this cup. It is mostly tart, but there’s a little bit of sweetness to it to and it adds a really bright, enjoyable flavor. I’m not one who usually rejoices in tart flavors, but I am really liking the flavor of the lingonberry here.
The green tea offers a sweet taste with a soft texture. It’s a nice contrast to the sharp, tart notes of the lingonberry. It’s really a very pleasant culinary experience … and it’s almost like I can taste the mastery of a chef (in this case, Chef Marcus Samuelsson) behind this cup because it’s no ordinary tea!
I have tried all four of the Ambessa Teas now, and I really enjoyed all four, and overall, I’d say that this tea is a win. It does lose points, however, because I needed two tea bags to satisfy my palate flavor wise. For me to be thoroughly impressed by this Ambessa line, I would like for it to be offered in a loose leaf format.
I was just thinking that I’d love to experience another Chef Marcus Samuelsson tea creation now … but what flavor should he attempt next? He’s done Earl Grey, he’s done Chocolate … I guess … I’d love to try a Chai from Chef Samuelsson!
Safari Breakfast Ambessa Tea from Harney & Sons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Tea Description:
Brimming with flavor, Safari Breakfast is a robust blend of African black teas with a reassuringly rich aroma. A full-bodied breakfast tea, it’s the embodiment of Africa’s fine lineage of outstanding teas, spices and vibrancy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice! This Safari Breakfast blend from the Ambessa Tea Line – which is available from Harney & Sons – is a really delightful blend of African black teas.
It is a good, solid tea with plenty of heft. Plenty of the gusto that you want first thing in the morning. It has a certain edginess to it that can be curbed with the addition of milk and honey, but, I like it served straight up too. It delivers a full-flavored taste without bitterness.
It is a pleasantly rich tasting tea with that “bake-y” kind of taste that I look for in a breakfast type tea … that rich, satisfying, invigorating taste that goes well with a piece of biscotti or perhaps a slice of whole wheat toast. The kind of tea that brings a smile to my face when I’m drinking it as I feel it do it’s job which is to wake me up!
There are background fruity notes and a woody earthiness that compliment the spice notes in this tea. If I hadn’t known that this blend was composed of African teas, my first guess might have been a Yunnan – it has that sort of peppery spice taste to it … although this is a bit more mellow when it comes to “spice” than the typical Yunnan. It is a rich, warm, rewarding tea that is moderately astringent. I found that the astringency here builds a little bit, and by mid-cup, I started to notice a slightly dry, pucker-y sensation on my inner cheeks after each sip.
Overall, a really good breakfast blend. This is a tea I wouldn’t mind waking up to every morning!