Mystic Black & Calm

Writing a second blog for the night!  For my last I stop I decided to swing by the Crazy Wisdom Tea Room (and I use the word liberally). For some reason I can’t put my finger on, I’ve sadly neglected doing a decent Crazy Wisdom tea review and it was calling out from across downtown to come in out of the cold. After asking a thoroughly knowledgeable barista what would be noteworthy to plug, I was pointed to two very complex and amazing teas.

Mystic Black definitely lives up to its intriguing name. Mystic Black is the first time I’m drinking a tea with a scent more than a little reminiscent of Thai Green curry (or any Thai curry for that matter…), and if you know me, you know how insanely I’m in love with Thai food.  To be more specific, it smells like gently cooked basil and peas, although unfortunately those aren’t among its many brilliant ingredients. Mystic Black’s taste and texture both also make me salivate for Thai curry, but I’ll try to squash my enthusiasm/hunger for now.  Mystic Black is spicy though possessing a definite Herbal heather grit. In reality, Mystic Black is conjured from Coconut Black (probably why I’m astrally perusing a Thai kitchen), Victorian Earl Gray, rose petals, honeysuckle, lavender, rosemary and Madagascan vanilla. While I’m a huge fan of rose petal tea, I’m more impressed with how well the Earl Gray blends invisibly with the Coconut and Vanilla. It’s possibly the most expensively devised blend I’ve ever tasted (but who knows), and if you can remember to ask for the Mystic Black the next time you ascend these haloed harmonious stairs, you can enjoy it too. Highly recommended!

Calm is a very herbal minttastic nettle-fair everyday tea. Oftentimes I don’t do a lot of Herbals, and if you’ve followed my blog at all you won’t remember really reading any reviews. That isn’t to say I don’t enjoy them. I think probably I just don’t always gravitate to Herbal, being such a Sino/Japanese Cha fiend. That being said, Calm is a wonderfully noteworthy Herbal. Holy basil, lemon balm (not to be underestimated), spearmint (hard to blend!) and one other herb I’m not even familiar with enough to transcribe correctly. Maybe if Miranda (my genius barista for the night) ends up reading this blog she can help fill in that blank.  Although Mystic Black is actually the tea that has more Steampunk’d ingredients, Calm is definitely the more inspirational of the two. I particularly enjoy the holy basil keeping my migraines at bay as I blog directly underneath Ghost City Searchlight‘s irrepressible amp. In scent, I’m reminded of fresh Verbena and Chrysanthemum. Its floral aroma however belies to its lemon-mint dreamy taste.  Additionally, Calm’s smooth honeyed texture provides a terrific libation. This is one tea pot you’ll wish was bottomless. ;)