Design a Tea Loose Leaf Black Tea 'Black Amaretto'

Tea Information:
Tea: Black Amaretto
Type: Black Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Design a Tea
Purchase: Here
Description: ?
Ingredients: Koslanda - Dimbulla blend from Sri Lanka, All Natural Flavoring

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag, 3.3g including paper teabag and plastic wrapper and paper tag.
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Amaretto
Steeped Tea Smell: tea
Flavor: black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: Very bitter
Liquor: nice translucent brown

This was one of two samples I ordered from design a tea. The tea was lackluster and smelled much stronger and interesting and delicious than it tasted. It tasted weak and plain with a lingering bitter aftertaste. I didn't even steep it as long as the packaging suggested.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: i don't dare

Rating: 1/3

Design a Tea Company Review

Design A Tea - http://www.designatea.com/

I placed an order for two samples on 2/11 and they arrived today 2/18.

I paid with a pre-paid credit card.

The site was easy to use, however I was disappointed at the small list of options for flavors, and the fact you could only choose up to two flavors.

The samples were mailed in a normal envelope, which surprised me. I expected a padded envelope.

The two samples were taped to a piece of paper that provided instructions on how to use the teabag and a coupon for a future order.

Each one was a plastic sealed pouch, with a slip of paper designating which tea it was and listing the ingredients and steeping instructions.

When opening the little sealed plastic pouch you find one of the make your own paper disposable teabags, unsealed, containing your loose leaf tea sample. I was a little disappointed in this, I could have made a mess easily as it wasn't what I was expecting (sealed pouch). Then again this was a sample and may not be reflective of their whole order packaging.

The tea was a fine quality tea, however the flavors were more scent than taste.

I don't think I'll be ordering from this custom blend site again. I am glad for the inexpensive (1$) set of samples, but find the tea not special enough to beat out all the other teas I have found with much more strong, interesting, and varied flavors .

Design a Tea Loose Leaf Red Tea 'Rooibos Vanilla Caramel'

Tea Information:
Tea: Rooibos Vanilla Caramel
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Design a Tea
Purchase: Here
Description: ?
Ingredients: Organic pure grade Rooibos from S. Africa, Natural Flavoring

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag, 3.7g including paper teabag and plastic wrapper and paper tag.
Additives: none
Water: boiling filtered
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Leaf Smell: nutty amaretto (contamination from other sample) vanilla with a slight caramel undertone
Tea Smell: rooibos, vanilla, woody
Flavor: rooibos
Body: Light
Aftertaste: caramel
Liquor: nice dark brown, fairly transparent

This was one of two samples I ordered from design a tea. The tea was lackluster and smelled much stronger and interesting and delicious than it tasted. It tasted weak and plain.

At this point I am not very enthusiastic about the second sample I got, but we'll see.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: very weak and watery, plain rooibos, hints of vanilla in the smell and aftertaste

Rating: 1/3