Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Lemon Crème Parfait by Della Terra Teas

Seller Description: "Creamy lemon, what a most amazing parfait that would be! Well, we have in this amazing fuit blend the perfect blend of cream and lemon. Parfait, literally means perfect in French, and we feel that is exactly what this blend is."
Ingredients: Lemon bits, lemon rind, lemon flavor, cream flavor, lemon grass, apple bits, dried cranberries.
Directions: 1 to 1.5 teaspoons per 6oz, 210 degrees Fahrenheit, steep 2-5 minutes.
Cost: $8.50/2oz

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Teaware: 24oz tetsubin and depression glass cup
Measured dry: 2 tbsp
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 2tbsp Sugar in the Raw

A couple weeks ago, Della Terra offered a giveaway contest on their Facebook page, and I was lucky enough to win a 2oz package of their Lemon Crème Parfait. It just arrived today, and I couldn't wait to try it! 

I've been trying to get better about picking out different scents and investigating each step of the process instead of just the end result. To explore the dry smell I thought a little comparison/contrast would help. The husband and I have really enjoyed another one of their lemon tisanes - the Lemon Chiffon. I had a little bit left, so I decided to get it out and compare the two. While they both imitate different lemon deserts, both Jake and I were surprised at how very different they were. The Chiffon has more of a dessert smell - a wee bit more artificial and sugary sweet. The Parfait, though, smells more fresh and authentic. It's almost like I just grated some lemon rind while getting ready to make the real thing. 

Lemon Crème Parfait
The dry appearance was vastly different as well. The Chiffon is a Rooibos and has very small pieces, while the Parfait is much, much chunkier. Not quite as bad as a Teavana (I've had to avoid some of theirs before because the pieces wouldn't fit in my steeping equipment!) but still at least four times larger.

We decided to pull out the larger teapot, both because of the dry size and because we thought we might be coming back for seconds!

What we discovered is that this tisane wasn't done surprising us yet! The dry smell is completely different from how it tastes after the steep. To my husband and I, this is like a rush of lemonade quickly followed by lemon meringue. The toasted, creamy flavor is actually adhering to my tongue just like a real meringue would. It's a bit of a mind boggler for me, as this is the first tisane I've tried that truly tastes like what it advertises.

The lighter second steep.
Of the ingredients, I don't really taste the apple and cranberry, but the cranberry certainly comes out in the color: a pretty crystal pink that contrasts in an interesting way with the overwhelmingly lemon flavor. 

I did try a second steep, and it's caused my only disappointment in this mix. It just doesn't hold up, and even when I forgot to set the timer and let it go for nearly 20 minutes it was weak and watery. This is good for a single-steep only. 

All in all, I've really enjoyed this tisane and I am very excited that it was a 2oz bag, so we can continue to enjoy it for some time to come - but only for the first steep!

Prominent Notes: Lemon and cream
Aftertaste: Lemon meringue
Overall: Seconds, please!

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