Bolder Breakfast from The Tea Spot

I stumbled upon The Tea Spot quite by accident on Facebook. Or maybe it was Pinterest. Who can keep track? In any case, I was intrigued enough to order a few samples, and boy am I glad I did!

Bolder Breakfast is a blend of black tea, puerh and chocolate. I'm a big fan of chocolate teas in general (really, who isn't?), and the recent (relatively speaking) trend of puerh blends haven't disappointed either. So I was excited to try this, and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

I can't decide what the base black tea is (the web site only says China/Sri Lanka). There's a light smoky flavor in the background that doesn't quite fit (but it does make for a very intriguing finish). But the somewhat sharp aftertaste is a little disappointing after the smooth, thick texture of the brew.  Regardless, the overall flavors are worth it, and I think a nice lighter Yunnan tea might give this a somewhat smoother finish. Perhaps I'll try that when I order a full tin of this...

I love puerh teas, and I've been skeptical about them in the past (having started my puerh journey brewing actual cake teas), but I've come to love these blends - especially puerh and chocolate. Something about the earthiness of puerh and the sweetness of chocolate just make a rather perfect blend. And the texture of this tea is lovely as well - a nice, thick feel on the tongue that would lend itself well to milk & sugar or honey, if you're the sort of person who needs those in your morning cuppa.

While it's called "breakfast", I really like this for an afternoon tea - dessert and a general pick-me-up to get through yet another afternoon at my desk.

Rating: 5 out of 5 cups.

*Click images for larger photos.

Pomegranate Green from Teaopia

Steeped 4 min. @176 degrees

I received this for Christmas from a good friend in Canada, and when I opened the envelope, I was surprised at how fragrant it is. The scent is a nice blend of sweet fruit and savory grass, very inviting and actually kind of invigorating as well. 

The tea itself looks like Sencha or Gyokuro, so I went to the web site, and it is indeed Sencha, one of my favorite greens. Surprisingly, it also includes cranberries, which explains the tart-sweet quality of the flavor. The liquor is very smooth, with a nice but subtle "zing" from the fruit. It is kind of drying, but has a good vegetal flavor.

Pomegranate Green is available online at Teaopia...and this is the first tea from them that I've tried, but I may well place an order with them in the future. I certainly enjoyed this particular offering...

Caramel Macchiato from Teas, Etc.

Brewed 4 minutes at 208 degrees

China teacup with a metal infuser

I’m not a coffee drinker, so I don’t have any taste comparison for this, but I can’t imagine anyone who likes sweet caramel with a hint of tobacco (pipe tobacco/sweet smell) not liking this tisane. Blended with rooibos, caramel pieces and essential oil, it is my new favorite dessert/late-night drink, hands down. Naturally sweet, it’s got a great medium texture and the rooibos and caramel complement each other perfectly.

I only had a sample pack to try, but I’m definitely going to be ordering a larger quantity soon. This will certainly be a staple in my tea cupboard from now on.

Tea Time: English Breakfast Extra Fancy from Tantalizing Tea

Thanks for joining me again for weekly tea reviews. After you've read the review and made yourself a cuppa, you may be interested in checking out my weekly flash (very short) fiction at The Variety Pages. This week's story actually features tea, so it's a nice match, I think. 

Also, check back this evening for a contest announcement...

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Now, here's today's review: 

Brewed 5 minutes at 208 degrees in porcelain cup w/metal strainer. 

I'm not normally an English Breakfast drinker, but when Tantalizing Tea sent me a free sample of this with my order last month, I couldn't help but try it.The scent in the package wasn't all that strong, but that's pretty normal for most English Breakfast blends I've tried. As you can see above, the leaves are very nice looking, a sort of deep chocolatey brown that is very appealing.

Once stepped, it has a nice texture - thick and pleasant on the tongue. It's got good flavor for an English Breakfast, though it's still a little too much on the astringent side for me. It's earthy with a definite high note, but it falls just short of a full-bodied flavor, and I'd certainly recommend it for anyone who likes a good English Breakfast (or just likes tea on the stronger side - my husband liked it pretty well).

Whether you plan on purchasing this tea or not, I'd urge you to check out the Tantalizing Tea web site. Not only do that have some really nice teas on offer, their tea ware catalog is superb!

Until next week, happy sipping....