This week: Ego Tea! We ran out of time, so only two though.
Sample: Vanilla
Description: A blend of China and Ceylon blacks teas, elderflowers, and the essence of vanilla been[sic]. Produces a fruity cup that is very smooth and deeply satisfying. Blends well with other teas. Caffeine: Most. Brewing: 2-3 minutes at 205 degrees
Preparation: 205F for 4 minutes
Review: A very rich vanilla scent, much like a caramel with extra vanilla. Chaos said he tasted mostly water; Kae agreed it was fairly week. Yami tastes a very vanilla water, fairly lukewarm by the time she tasted it. Chaos announced that sugar alone didn’t help much; kae suggests the(.5oz) sample was too small for the amount of water it was brewed in. He likes the taste but found it weak. With sugar, Yami declared it tasted much like it smelled – like a caramel melted into water. Unfortunately, our milk went off in the fridge, so we couldn’t try with milk.
Would Buy? Yami definitely would. Chaos and Kae felt they would as well, but were less enthusiastic.
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Sample: English Breakfast
Description: A classic blend of Ceylon and India black teas with a full bodied, robust flavor that is perfect for starting the day. Brews a malty cup with a clean finish. Great on its own or with milk and sweetener. Caffeine Content: Most Brewing: 2-3 mins at 205 degrees
Preparation: 205F for 4 minutes (in the hopes of extracting a little more flavor from the small sample)
Review: Chaos: “That is not tasty tea.” Kae: “…huzzah.” Kae added sugar. “I’m hopeful for milk?” Chaos fetched the new carton of (non-vanilla!) soymilk while Yami had her first taste: nothing but bitter, no real flavor. The extra minute was probably a bad idea. Five sugar lumps and a healthy dollop of soymilk has Kae able to drink the tea, but “it tastes like bad tea. I can taste the good strong black tea but there’s just nothing to it, it’s just black tea, nothing special that makes it worth the expense.” In other words, it tastes like bag tea to him.
Would Buy? Yami thinks maybe not; for a basic breakfast tea, though, she’d prefer the local bulk foods shop. She’s much more excited by the flavored teas she’d have to mail order. Kae thinks no, as does Chaos.
