Ah, we’re long overdue for tea time here on the Posse. I usually try to get on the tea bandwagon to do a post when it gets chilly here in the Northern Hemisphere, or for the holidays at least, but last year it kind of slipped by me. And truth be told, I really wasn’t drinking anything new.
But easing into 2016 …
I rediscovered Kusmi tea. I had tried and enjoyed their Russian collection of black teas in mini tins a while back, and have long been interested in their other teas, particularly their wellness collection. But I’m not one to go full tin on something sight unsipped, so I passed on it.
However, I spotted a wellness sampler at Neiman Marcus recently and snapped it up.
Their Sweet Love (black tea, guarana, spices and pink pepper) makes me think of all the fragrances there for a while that had pink pepper in them. Like I should be wearing Si Lolita Lempicka or Le Labo’s Poivre 23 while sipping it. It was an unexpected flavor and a nice change of pace, one I’ll be sure to save for Valentine’s Day sipping.
Their Algo is a green tea with mint and seaweed in it, so I had to try that one next. Although I couldn’t really taste the seaweed (a good thing?), it struck me as a quite nice mint green tea, but hopefully with some added health benefits.
Now to try the Kusmi Be Cool, Detox, Boost and Euphoria.
Meanwhile, my DH has fallen tail over teakettle for Walnut Green from the Georgia Tea Company and I’ve been making it nearly every weekend night for him. He says its slightly nutty flavor reminds him a bit of the hops in beer. Not being a beer drinker, I don’t see (taste?) it, but I’m just happy that he’s drinking lots of it. To make it even more healthful, I often slip some unflavored white tea leaves into the diffuser as well.
And I always have a supply of a longtime favorite, Teavana’s To Life blend. This one has red, white and green tea and a lovely, mildly fruity taste that’s always a pleasure. If I’m starting to feel icky or under the weather, this is my go-to-brew.
So what about you — what tea(s) are you enjoying these days? Or what tea scents do you love?
I spent quite a few years buying more tea than I could possibly drink. But now I have settled down, having found a few I enjoy and being satisfied with those. I love a cup of good old PG Tip’s and when I don’t do that it is a quality Cream Earl Grey. Cream and Sugar please!
Timely post. A lovely friend gave me a tin of the Algo a few weeks ago. I have to say I was surprised at how much I could taste the seaweed. To me, it was like drinking some minty ocean water, which I had no complaints about! I also LOVE the Detox (a wonderful, refreshing grapefruit with Mate) and the Euphoria (which is rich and chocolatey, and not one I expected to like but ended up with a tin). I hope you enjoy them!
My daily teas are mocha nut mate and masala chi (sometimes blended) from Adagio. If i want a sweet treat, I reach for honeybush chocolate or almond rooibus (also Adagio).
I recently fell in love with the tea at my local korean restaurant…Genmaicha. It’s green tea with toasted brown rice in. It’s divine! And luckily Adagio already stocked it for me. I cant wait till it arrives this week!
I got my sister the Kusmi iced tea sampler and she loves them. My mother loves the Russian collection Kusmi teas that I got. I like them too. But what I mostly during is the Tazo chai latte. It’s the concentrate and then I just put the milk in and it’s ready to drink.
I really love smoked teas, like lapsang souchong! I like Kusmi, but I think a large part of what you pay for is the name, so I tend to get looseleaf from farmers’ markets (which come in bags that I then transfer to one of those lovely Kusmi tins 🙂 ). I brew it super-strong, but cut it with milk, which mellows and sweetens it! Mmm, talking about this is making me want a cup.
Hey Ann
Love tea. There is a whole kitchen cupboard dedicated to teas from around the world.
Just soda tea shop at Kusmi andFortnum & Mason too.
Love it
Portiaxx
I get quite a bit of my tea from Upton Tea Imports. Some of my favorites: Bai Hao and Eastern Beauty Oolong teas (slightly spicy and sweet), Rose Congo (rose scented black tea that tastes as good as it smells) and Keemun Mao Feng (smooth, slightly smokey) are a few of my favorites. They also have a tea called Mélange de Chamonix, which is black tea blended with cocoa, cardamom, and a hint of cinnamon–delicious with a little cream and sugar.
Have become addicted to Kusmi’s Russian Morning, but am often aggravated by its out of stock status on their site (at least it’s fresh!). Good tip about N-M, never thought to look there. I’m intrigued by Walnut Green, though I prefer black. Have yet to order from The Cultured Cup–pretty sure I heard of it here–but am tempted by Golden Needles!