As recommended on the packaging, I begin my tea session by steeping a little over a teaspoon of loose leaf in a cup of water, whose temperature is just off boiling. Four minutes later, my tea is done, and I compare all of the aromas. Dry, the malty, tangy aromas were persistent and dominant with some sweet, grassy undertones. Wet, the smell of the leaves is subdued on the malty front, and the sweet, grassy aromas are joined by a sharp wood scent. For some reason, I am reminded of alfalfa.
Four minutes of steeping has produced a cup with bright, chocolate undertones mixed with a malty Assam flavor, barely touched by a bit of sweetness. Without it being much stronger, this tea could easily stand alone as a solid black tea with no need for milk or sugar. The addition of such may bring out more nuances of the tea. The aftertaste contains just the barest hint of bitterness, but any heavy astringency is offset by other flavors. For fans of heavy black teas, this one should definitely be tried. I would rate it an 89/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.
For a limited time, this tea can be purchase from most Peet's Coffee & Tea locations or from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Photo credit to Peet's Coffee & Tea.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI tried this tea and found it to be slightly on the bitter side. I do detect a smoky base-note.
I initially tried it with open leaves in a cup but I think I over-brewed it and I didn't have a strainer at the time so it was a bit messy.
The second time I used a tea-envelope type filters to fill it with open leaves and brew that way. The second time I brewed it for exactly 4 minutes.
There's a slight bitterness I'm detecting with it, and I have to take with something sweet like dried apricots to remove the bitter taste. I think next time I'll use only 1/2 a teaspoon.
Probably the only two teas from Peets that I've enjoyed so far, are Masala Chai, and Jasmine Fancy. Others are too strong/bitter for me.
Ahmad Tea on the other hand has more of the flavors that go well with me. Earl Grey, Mint Green Tea, Darjeeling. So far I've not had a bad experience with them.
Your reviews are quite thorough and fun to read. I was wondering if you could do reviews of some Ahmad teas. Also I've been a big fan of the following:
Twinings Earl Grey (10/10) on my personal scoring level
Twinings Lady Grey (7/10)
Twinings Chai (8/10)
Republic of Tea Earl Greyer (10/10)
Bigelow Plantation Mint (9/10)
Bigelow Constant Comment (7/10)
Celestial Seasonings Victorian Earl Grey (10/10)
Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice (10/10), a favorite with my work colleagues
Tetley Cardamon (10/10) only available at ethnic grocery stores.
Tetley Masala (10/10) from indian/pakistani grocery stores.
Thanks for the reviews. I'll let you know how my 3rd attempt goes with Peet's Anniv. Bkfst Blend.
Thank you for the comments!
DeleteThere is a bit of bitterness, though I tend to ignore it. Cold-brewing tea tends to remove the bitter aspect, so I wonder, if that would be effective, here.
I shall look into getting some Ahmad Tea to try. I have in the past tasted their Strawberry Black tea, but Ahmad Tea is not easily accessible in my area. Perhaps on a business trip!