Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea
Product Description:
A beautiful golden infusion made from prized sweetly scented camomile petals. Camomile relieves inflammation, soothes and relaxes.
Naturally caffeine free.
Ingredients: Fairtrade camomile flowers
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the pouch of this tea bag, I was amazed at just how fragrant the chamomile was. Yes, I’ve smelled chamomile before, but, usually it is a much more subtle aroma than this. The scent here is so strong, much stronger than other bagged chamomiles that I’ve tried. Such a lovely fragrance – sweet and flowery. Beautiful.
And the bouquet is not the only unexpected thing about this tea – the flavor is very surprisingly good. I know that I have been harsh in the past about chamomile, especially bagged chamomile. But this bagged tisane is changing my beliefs about chamomile in a tea bag! This is lovely!
The flavor is light and flowery with a crisp apple-like note. It is a very soothing, comforting tisane – especially later in the evening when I’m getting ready for bedtime. Especially good with a drizzle of honey.
I do recommend steeping this (and all botanical teas) at a below boiling temperature. When the water is too hot, it really seems to destroy the flavor of the chamomile. I think this is one reason why I disliked chamomile so much in the past – because I was brewing at too high a temperature. Keep the temperature below boiling, and you too will be rewarded with a pale gold cup of tasty goodness!
Yunnan Royal Golden from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Product Description:
The golden tips of this black tea produce a complex peppery mellow yet malty flavor. This full-bodied tea originates from China.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaves are really beautiful. The picture provided doesn’t do them justice, they really are GOLDEN. But that’s nothing – just wait until you taste the tea that these golden leaves produce!
As I mentioned on Steepster, the aroma of this tea evokes images of freshly baked bread. It doesn’t smell like baked bread, exactly, but the aroma has a way of bringing to mind the cozy comfort of a freshly baked loaf of bread.
The flavor is sublime! It has a rich biscuit-y kind of quality to it. Chewy with a pleasing malty character. The flavor is hefty! This is the kind of black tea you want first thing in the morning! It has GUSTO! In the background, notes of fruit can be detected, with a forefront of delicate spice notes that hint of pepper. The finish is somewhat astringent (although it isn’t overwhelming), leaving the palate feeling refreshed.
While this IS delicious as an iced tea, it is one that I recommend serving hot, because I think that the flavor of this tea is best experienced when hot. It has a mild sweetness to it, so do taste it before you sweeten. I found it to be quite delightful without sweetener but a tiny drizzle of honey won’t hurt it either.
Truly a remarkable Yunnan!