The Tea Spot, Bolder Breakfast

The Tea Spot Description:
This new American black tea blend combines bold flavor, rich color, & full body with hints of chocolate. This robust breakfast blend is made from our favorite strong black teas from high altitude estates in China, India and Sri Lanka. We have combined these black teas with pu’erh, an aged black tea from Yunnan China, and dark chocolate essence. This tea yields a rich, dark liquor and a warm, well-rounded flavor that takes very well to milk and even better in the form of a tea latte. The high caffeine content and robust flavor makes this the perfect tea to help kick your coffee habit!

My Review:
I looked at the label and noticed the word breakfast. When I opened the sample package I saw what appears to be flower petals. What? I took a whiff and said, "Oh wow!" Chocolate! This must be a breakfast tea dad would serve, because mom wouldn't let me have chocolate first thing in the morning. I decided it was time I looked at the label a little closer. Black tea, pu'erh, and chocolate flavoring. Reading closer the black tea is a blend from China, India, and Sri Lanka. Combined with pu'erh from Yunnan China and chocolate, this is like the breakfast of champions.

I used about 5 g in my press with 10 oz of water heated to 212 F. I let it steep for 3 minutes. The brew started pouring a light orange but turned much darker as I continued. It maintains a clean and clear appearance that surprises me. Chocolate tends to make a mess of the press, the brew, and the cup. This did not.

The chocolate comes through in the sip in an almost minty fashion but it is not overwhelming chocolate. Despite my child like exuberance, this tea takes a more adult approach. It packs half the caffeine of a cup of coffee. While that may be true this is not bitter or astringent. The chocolate melts into the blend of teas. I could only slightly separate out the pu'erh as it has a light earthiness to it. The other teas remain individually hidden to me. Possibly if I had steeped longer but that would also increase the odds of adding bitterness. I really don't mind it the way it is. In fact I rather like it.

A different and tasty morning cup.

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The Tea Spot, Russian Caravan

The Tea Spot Description:
This classic blend is strong and bold, with an intriguing complexity - just how we like our breakfast teas. Our Organic Russian Caravan's sophistication stems from the careful composition of gour high-quality organic large leaf teas - lapsang souchong, dark oolong, assam, & puerh - perfectly balanced to deliver a kiss of smoke and sweetness to your palate. This tea brings new life to an ancient tradition of flavor.

My Review:
I am learning to never say I don't like a tea. Instead if I come across something that causes me to take a step back upon sipping, I simply think today I do not care for this. The reason I make this distinction is tastes change. Not that long ago simply the aroma of the dry leaf from this blend would have had me quaking in my shoes. Today its scent is awesome.

I received a sample of this from a friend who double baggied it and it still filled the room with subtle traces of smoke before it was opened. This is a blend of lapsang souchong, puerh, dark oolong, and assam. I used one and a half tsp with 12oz of boiling water and steeped for 3 1/2 minutes. The brew is reddish orange. The scent is smoke - yeah baby!

In the cup, I cannot at first distinguish between the different teas in this blend. The smoky aspect is complex and sweet. It does not smell like bacon or BBQ as smoky teas sometimes can. Neither is it like ashes. The base underneath is rich, thick, and almost creamy feeling. I am crediting that to the puerh. As the cup cools I am catching the assam in the aftertaste and the oolong late in the sip.

The second cup has more of the puerh in the aroma. The taste while similar to the first, finds the smoke slightly lighter. There are now notes of pepper and cinnamon. As much as I enjoyed the first cup, I believe I like the second more. I am certain this has at least one more cup in it, maybe more, but I am out of time for he day.

If you are a fan of lapsang souchong, this is an excellent smoky blend.

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