At the first Dayre Tea Party, someone told me that Kittea had really great teas at reasonable prices, so I hunted down one. Soon after that, I was gifted another one, so I have the happy situation of having two teas to try.
The first Kittea I tried was The Sphynx, which I heard great things about. I also heard that this is also sold out, which is why I bought it as soon as I saw it.
The description of the tea:
“Fall head over heels with the highly affectionate Sphynx. He may not be the best looker, but his fragrant blend of Ceylon black tea sprinkled with rose petals, pink heath flowers and French rosebuds is one to sweep you off your feet.”
This tasted like a pretty typical rose tea to me. The scent is distinct but not overpowering and the taste is pretty straightforward and lingers quite pleasantly in the mouth. Even though there are pink heath flowers and French rosebuds with the Rose petals, I only tasted the rose. I’m not complaining, though, a lot of floral teas tend to be too strong for me and this strikes a nice balance that I enjoy.
Brewing recommendation:
1 teaspoon per cup, using boiling (100 degree) water, steeped for 3 to 5 minutes.
The second tea (which was a gift) was The Norwegian Forest, and to my surprise, there is an actual breed of cat called The Norwegian Forest. It’s very fluffy, and I don’t think it’d like Singapore.
The description of the tea:
Little known fact:
“Every Norwegian Forest grows up wanting to be the next Prince of the Forest. And for good reasons. A hibiscus tea base with real pieces of papaya, and an array of berries and currants. Surprisingly strong and deliciously rich, stride through the forest with this caffeine-free blend.”
The first thing I noticed about this tea was that its ingredients were very coarse. The second thing I noticed is that it smells very much like hibiscus tea, but a bit sweeter. It tastes like it smells too – very similar to hibiscus. As with The Sphinx, I couldn’t really taste the other ingredients, which were blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, elderberries, dried papaya, black currants, red currants. Perhaps they blended in too well with the taste of hibiscus. Or maybe it’s because I drank it hot both times I made this, while the website says it would be great as an iced tea so perhaps the other flavours would be stronger as the tea cools down.
Brewing recommendation:
1 teaspoon per cup, using boiling (100 degree) water, steeped for 5 to 8 minutes.
Overall, I like these teas. The tins are cute, the teas taste good (although there’s only one dominant taste per tea for me), and at $8 per tin, they’re reasonably priced. I know that when I finish these two tins, I’ll be getting more.