268 Tasting Notes
Didn’t know where to start with the What-Cha group buy (via the great Liquid Proust) box so I reached in, eyes closed, and this one came out.
The packaging recommends 176F so I brought my kettle to a boil and let it cool for around 3 minutes (really need to consider getting a temperature controlled kettle!). I put 3 of the pearls in my gaiwan and stepped for 3 minutes. It was a little astringent for me, it was tasty but I got distracted and didn’t pay attention to the exact flavor, other than fruit. That’s a good enough reason for a 2nd steep! It’s very light. It reminds me of a white tea. I can’t really place the fruit flavor but I have never had an apricot that I can remember.
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https://instagram.com/p/88Y9TpJnjLzjAqJLEpoe5m17afTbSRz0uOYj00/?taken-by=kkpeltzer
I think this is the one I received in my secret pumpkin gift from Flyawaybirdie. It doesn’t say 2nd flush on the package but this is the only one that came up when I typed in the name of the tea.
I boiled my water and waited around 2 minutes to try to obtain the 180F suggested by Flyawaybirdie. There was a note included with these stating, “I know you haven’t been feeling blacks lately. Hopefully these can change your mind”. Flyawaybirdie has given me hope for plain blacks. While this definitely tastes like a black, there is something tasty lurking in the cup. I don’t even have to sweeten it! Thanks for giving me the chance to try this :)
https://instagram.com/p/88OUdVJnruB1xg2Vu2FII_QJh6JsvrjnZOrks0/?taken-by=kkpeltzer
Preparation
A big shout out to the wonderful Nicole who organized the group buy that allowed me to get this and a few other tasty sounding teas I will be getting to soon.
I love the smell of this dry leaf. There is no question that there is maple flavor and black tea and only that in this tin. The brewed liquid certainly smells like black tea. I’m a little stuffy this morning so am having a harder time finding the maple in the scent. The first sips make me think that this needs more leaf than what was suggested on the tin. The addition of sweetener coaxes out more flavor.
Preparation
First tea in the gaiwan. It is strange to use a mere 4 ounces of water and then that amount doesn’t fit in the cup! I like that using this piece of brewing equipment makes me slow down and appreciate the tea. On the flip side, I am quickly realizing that I like to drink a lot more tea at a time!
The first steep was 2 minutes and tasty.
The second steep was 3 minutes and had more astringency.
I didn’t get farther than that because I forgot I had to leave to get to a car appointment!
https://instagram.com/p/8YaQVKJnhzDfM9c9iN0zFSD9B4nATXg_euSHo0/?taken-by=kkpeltzer
One of my favs tonight! Plus, I’d like to sleep.
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This is yummy with not much astringency. It’s sweet and dainty with almost a honey taste.
https://instagram.com/p/8JsX8npniyfFlnnYvh7LQbbdsQnh9wsSziv7U0/?taken-by=kkpeltzer
The leaf smells good with some lemon standing out with just a hint of mint. 1 tsp in a tea bag in 8 oz of boiling water. The brewed liquid does not smell as nice as the leaf did. I get green tea and a tad of mint out of this, it’s pleasant.
Thank you to TeaNTeas for the chance to try this.
https://instagram.com/p/8G8qE8pnmd04AUeDJA9Q5MqM-XyGol_Og5S5E0/?taken-by=kkpeltzer
I’ve been having this one as my make and take tea for work. I only have enough for one more cup of it after today. I wanted to see how it did against multiple steepings. I’ve been enjoying the minty-ness in the mornings and of course the caffeine to get me going. I re-read my last note and there I had mentioned that I wasn’t getting the vanilla. I’ve now decided that the vanilla is more of a subtle thing that rounds out the cup and takes away the bite of this being black tea. I have grown to like this one.
Today’s steeping was the same 2 tsp in 16 oz of boiling water for 3 minutes. The first cup was enjoyed with peanut butter & honey toast and paired better than I anticipated. For the second steep, I increased the time to 4 minutes. It tastes very similar to the first steep, maybe a bit more tea taste, if that makes sense.
Sounds good! It’s still definitely not as exact as a temperature controlled kettle, but I sometimes add a Tablespoon or two of cold water to bring the temperature down. That way you don’t have to wait and risk forgetting about it like I do.