{"id":2632,"date":"2017-01-28T19:14:59","date_gmt":"2017-01-29T00:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moonblossom.net\/blog\/?p=2632"},"modified":"2017-03-20T12:37:37","modified_gmt":"2017-03-20T16:37:37","slug":"tea-time-totem-earls-pipe-blend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moonblossom.net\/blog\/2017\/01\/tea-time-totem-earls-pipe-blend\/","title":{"rendered":"Tea Time – Totem “Earl’s Pipe” blend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Totem Tea & Spice<\/em> is a lovely little shop in Montreal that specialises in, you guessed it, teas and spices. The first time I went in I was overwhelmed with beautiful smells and sights. Aside from delicious custom tea blends, the store is full of interesting objects and artwork. They have tables where you can sit and enjoy a cup of tea and a snack, or even have a little party. It’s an incredibly welcoming place with friendly, knowledgeable staff.<\/p>\n

When you enter, you are greeted with a lovely\u00a0table filed with samples of many varieties of tea for you to look at and smell. The first tea I was drawn to was Earl’s Pipe<\/em>. One deep inhale and I was in love. I guessed what was in it without being told, but that’s no surprise as it blends two of my favourite teas. It’s a comforting, smoky blend of Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong. In a way, it makes me think of Sherlock Holmes. It tastes a bit how I imagine 221B Baker Street\u00a0would have smelled in the evening; a good strong but straightforward black tea,\u00a0with an undertone of pipe tobacco and a hint gunpowder. If you like strong black tea with a lot of character, it’s excellent served pure. If you’re a little wary of the potent smoky notes of the Lapsang it also tastes lovely toned down with a bit of milk and sugar. However, if you know for a fact you don’t enjoy the smoked character of the Lapsang, you may want to give it a pass. My mother refers to it as “that stinky tea” and even counter-balanced with the lovely bergamote notes of the Earl Grey, she still finds it overpowering.<\/p>\n\n\t\t