Michelle Butler Hallett Send Message

3 tsp for 500mL eater @100C, steeped 3 minutes, drunk bare.

Earthy and astringent Darjeeling, with lots of green leaf in with the black. Crisp, with lots of muscat. Feels and tastes like a lot of second flush is in here, which suits me fine. It does tend towards being bitter; I think next time I’ll use cooler water. (Teavana recommends 90C.) I got this as a gift; I haveno idea how much it costs; if it’s reasonable, I’d order it to keep on hand.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped four minutes 30 seconds, drunk bare.

In a sample. A pale liquor for a black tea, a light bronze. Some honey and dark fruit notes that remind of me the Nepal black from the Jun Chiyabi estate. A slight astringency that’s like a very, very subtle bergamot. Light body. Lovely, but I’m not paying $45.00 for 50 grams of it.

3 tsp for 500mL water @ 100C, steeped six minutes, drunk bare.

I’m surprised to read this is a blend of Assam and Ceylon; I thought it was Kenyan. It’s strong yet quite smooth. Fragrant. Not harsh. Took a long steep well. Lots of body, and a good caffeine lift. An excellent blend for cold mornings, too.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped four minutes, drunk bare.

Simple and good. Toasty sweetness form Keemun, heft and creaminess and malt from Assam. Reliable. I’d keep this as a staple.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped six minutes 30 seconds, drunk bare.

Yep, lost track of time again. The tea did not get bitter. It did get POTENT. I am very awake right now. Holy snappin caffeine kick.

Excellent blend of black teas with lapsing souchong. Smoky, but not overpoweringly smoky. A big leap from India black tea. I can see this one becoming a favourite.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped four minutes, drunk bare.

Keemun, and cocoa notes, and a very clean, mineral finish. Distant smoke, more a toastiness. Fruit notes, too. Quite good.

1.5 tsp for 300mL @100C, steeped four minutes thirty seconds, drunk bare.

I love smoky black tea. I’m not crazy about tarry tea. There’s a big difference.

This one’s a blend of three teas plus lapsang souchong. I am trying to pick out the other three. I’m guessing a Keemun, a usual component in a Russian Caravan, and maybe a Ceylon? There’s a sunny brightness here that’s often missing from Chinese black tea. Sweet notes in the finish. A smooth feel. Smoky, but not suffocatingly so. I think I’m in love.

1 sachet for 300mL water @100C, steeped too long because I got all distracted, maybe 6 minutes. Drunk bare.

That this tea is not bitter, but rich, after an over-steep, tells me a lot.

I think I’ve tried this before, this and London, and I wasn’t thrilled with either one. Tonight, Paris has an agreeable heavy and smooth mouthfeel. Something smells a bit artificial, almost like the grenadine flavouring in a Monks’ Blend — artificial vanilla, probably. It’s … odd to me, but I like the tea base better than I remember.

1 sachet for 300mL water @100C, steeped 4 minutes 30 seconds, drunk bare.

I’ve ordered this tea loose from Harney and Sons but have yet to receive a shipping notice… been almost a week since I ordered … a bit concerned.

Meantime, I found it in sachet form at a big-box bookstore. A Canadian-law-mandated bilingual instruction label covered up the side if the tin that would tell me WHERE the tea is from … I was pleading with the rainy sky this would be the same Keemun blend as is sold online. Peel … peel … peeeeeel … got the label off. “Ingredients: China black tea.”

Yessss!

The leaves in the sachet are tiny and wiry, with maybe one gold tip in the whole bunch. That’s fine. I am desperate for some Keemun, for some toasty Keemun, and so far, everything’s looking good.

The dry sachets give off a faint grapenuts scent, and a classic China black tea scent.

FINALLY steeped.

It’s got Keemun. Toasty gorgeous Keemun!

And as I was typing this note, I got the shipping notification for my Harney and Sons order. UPS says I’ll have my order Nov 12th. Hmm. We’ll see.

I’ve read this is a 100% Keemun blend. It certainly seems to be. Toasty and woody notes, a tiny bit of smoke — like a charred casket, not like a roaring fire — plus bread and flower notes. Lovely. Very comforting.