Tea Review: Caramel Creme Brulee (Portal Tea)

Caramel Creme Brulee

Portal Tea
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: Not provided.
Product Description: 

Caramel Crème Brulee No. 21 is always a crowd pleaser, with the decadent aroma of caramel, rich tobacco, and a sweet smokiness that lingers after its arrival.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaf blend includes black tea, vanilla bean, and natural flavors.

The coppery red liquor has a rich aroma of caramel and vanilla.  The taste is smooth with rich caramel notes and a long caramel creme finish.

This truly is dessert in a cup with delightful creamy caramel notes from start to finish and just a hint of astringency in the back.  The best flavor was in the first infusion with the second being notably mellower.  Interestingly, when I allowed the 2nd infusion to cool, the rich caramel notes seemed to make an encore.  While I was quite happy with the results from a 3-minute steep, this tea does very well with a longer steeping time.

This tea was purchased by me.

Portal Tea Sellwood

While in town for Tea Fest PDX, we visited Portal Tea's Sellwood caboose tea room. I previously reviewed this tea room in 2019 when they were operating as Tea Chai Te, before their 2023 rebrand.

The interior hasn't changed much since my last visit, though everything still looks fresh and bright.

We sat near the enclosed courtyard and enjoyed the natural lighting. While the courtyard is pet-friendly, our timing sadly wasn't aligned to spot any furry guests.  My tea for this visit was the delicious Chocolate Chipotle Chai paired with macarons.

Address:7983 SE 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97202

Hours:
9:00am to 9:00pm