278 Tasting Notes
Thanks to the lovely Cameron B for sharing this tea with me!
Method: 4 balls, 6 oz, 200 degrees, 5 min, banko houhin (Eeeeee!!!!)
Aroma: smells a little malty and roasty. I catch a little hint of cocoa, too.
Flavor: I think it’s pretty solid. It has a nice weight, and a mild malty taste. It only has a bare hint of bitterness, and a slight astringent finish. The flavor lingers nicely. I think this would be a great candidate for a little maple booster, but I didn’t try that yet.
I ended up doing two steeps blended into one mug because the leaves really sucked up a lot of water. Both were 5 minutes long. To sum up – I wouldn’t kick this one out of bed. LOL
Preparation
I have had a very productive day, and I think I may just take a little nappy soon. I had some delicious Elderwood and Autumn Song for breakfast, then the mail came and brought my Verdant order! So I packed up all the samples I owe to Cameron B and started on my first seasoning!!! Because THIS arrived today, and it will be my straight black tea teapot.
http://www.shizentea.com/collections/japanese-tea-pot-kyusu/products/banko-yaki-tea-pot-takumi
Obviously you can’t season a teapot without something to drink, so I brewed this yummy offering from Verdant, the LBCG. After I boiled the new houhin, I used the Verdant Zhu Rong to season it. It’s still in there, just soaking up all the goodness!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14689863484/
So for the LBCG-
Method: 1 tbsp, 8 oz, 205 degrees, 30 sec, strainer & mug
Aroma: Dark chocolate, rice, toasted things
Flavor: Wow, this is stronger than I expected! It’s really good, but it’s not meek at all! This has a strong black tea flavor along with the roasty goodness you’d expect from a genmaicha. The chocolate is the only quiet thing about this. It’s there, but its more like a hint that you get once in awhile. I seem to be feeling very Terri-style today, so I added a little maple. Om nom nom. :)
Preparation
Oh, and I’ve read that some people season banko clay and some don’t, and maybe it’s not really necessary, but I don’t care and I did it anyway. :)
Looking good Sars!!! And hell ya, you season if you want girl!
And this tea is full if yums…
That pot is gorgeous! I love the texturing. And hooray, I’m excited for Lady Gaga! :P You’ll have to try it today and tell me how it is.
I was surprised when I saw that you only did 30 seconds. I wonder if I should try it that way and see how it is! I think I did 2 or 3 minutes last time…
Foxy: I figured it couldn’t hurt, ya know? Plus now I have pot seasoning training for when my yixings arrive. :p
Cam: thanks!!!! I will try Lady Gaga next! I did a 30 second, a 45 second, and a 1.25 minute with this one. All were good!
I think it’s good that you seasoned and with Zhu Rong – one of my favorites! And yeah the LBCG sigh – so so good
I find if you steep this western style lower water temp, longer steep – the chocolate really comes forward. Something like 3tsp/16oz 90C for 5 minutes…. tastes like chocolate puffed wheat cake (at least the version I had did – I haven’t gotten my new supply yet – Canada Post has decided that I don’t need it)
I always do this western
I figured that MzHoneyBelle would approve of seasoning a pot with ZR. So there ya go. :)
Dex: chocolate puffed wheat cake?!?!?! What is THAT?
I’ll try this one low and slow next time. 190 for 5 min sounds good!!!!
I also would like to hear about this chocolate puffed wheat cake! :o
I’m making some lemon elderflower thingie in preparation to have before I try my GO in my newly GO-seasoned pot
Lemon elderflower!!!!???!!! Do tell!!!!
You guy don’t know about puffed wheat cake…. !!??!!!
http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2009/10/ooey-gooey-choclatey-puff-wheat-squares.html
I thought it was one of those childhood things that everyone does.
Never heard of it. Looks wonderful though!!!!! I’m saving the recipe :)
Looks sort of like a crispy rice marshmallow treat, but chocolatey! :D
Yes Cameron, it’s sort of like that – you use puffed wheat rather than rice crisy – and corn syrup rather than marshmallows, but it’s the same idea (you can add cocoa powder to crispy rice marshmallow treats – it’s really good..)
Dexter, I like them with peanut butter. My grandma calls them “hooker pookers”, lol!
Whoa!!!! LOL
LOL See I like peanut butter with cornflakes in a similar application. Oooy gooy crunchy cornflakes with peanut butter…mmmmmmm
Sars – my local grocery has a really decent tea section (including Harney) and I saw this brightly colored box by someone named Dr Stuart. It is teabags and I chose the Elderflower and Lemon and it is surprisingly good. Especially for nighttime. Not lifechanging, but I liked it fine. I REALLY like Tea Embassy’s Lemon Lavendar tisane a lot, though I know there are those who do not love the lavendar – I do in that tea. I can send you a couple bags of the Elder-Lemon if you want to try it.
Sure, thanks MzP! I love elderberries/elderflower!
I am totally making those puffed wheat thingies Dex!
I think I will try barley malt syrup in them.
Boiling the corn syrup with the sugar etc makes like a “candy” it’s the glue that gives it the sticky and hold it together. As long as you syrup as the same properties, I think it will be awesome. I still a little in shock that you guys haven’t had this.
Where did it originate, Dex?
Shrug – Mom made it for us as kids, and so did all the other Mom’s in the area – all the kids had it in their lunches at school. I think it’s one of those things that because you grew up with it you assume everyone is doing it.
It’s like honey dill sauce – in my world if you order chicken fingers in a restaurant they will ask – do you want plum or honey dill sauce? Apparently honey dill is a Manitoba thing, one of our little secrets that the rest of the world is missing out on. Is puffed wheat the same thing? Am I the only one who grew up with it?
Plum sauce? Honey dill sauce?
I should have been Canadian.
Plum sauce is the stuff you get with egg rolls and dive Chinese restaurants (in my world we use it on chicken fingers/nuggets too).
http://www.vhsauces.ca/product-detail/Plum-Dipping-Sauce-18.aspx?lang=en
Honey Dill is more of a home made thing – I can only think of one brand of it that you can buy, but most people don’t. It’s quick and easy to make and most people/restaurants just make their own.
http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/blog/2011/11/14/honey-dill-dipping-sauce-recipe/comment-page-1/
That sounds awesome! And I do like plum sauce too. I’m suddenly sad that the only options we get here are barbecue, honey mustard, and sweet & sour. I want plum sauce and honey dill! No fair! :P
I think you guys should start a revolution – honey dill for all!!!
(I can’t even imagine putting barbecue or sweet & sour on chicken fingers – it just seems wrong to me…)
Thanks for the great ideas, Dex! I gotta try that sauce!
Nah, I’ll just go live in Montreal. It’s not a very long drive. :P
LOL there’s no honey dill in Montreal….Poutine you will get in Montreal, but no honey dill…
Ooh that’s the fries with cheese and gravy and stuff all over it, right?
That would be correct – med thick cut fries, fresh cheese curd, light brown gravy = traditional poutine.
That sounds fantastic… I’ll come over to Manitoba once I’m done stuffing my face. ;)
LOL if you came Golobki, Pierogi, and Kielbasa would also be high on the list of must haves…
Mmmmmm food….
(I really want to go to NYC to do the real Jewish deli experience. We just don’t have that here – sure you can get a corned beef sandwich but I don’t think it’s the same…)
italian delis are where it’s at though
apt, my boyfriend is Italian and there’s an import store near us that has a deli. So good! And they have desserts too. Really good cannoli. :D
I miss my Nana and her amazing pierogis. So. Good!!!!
Well, good morning to YOU, too, pretty tea.
First, I would like to say that I put my big girl pants on and broke into this cake yesterday, after hemming and hawing around for several days. It does seem kind of a shame to break up such a lovely and perfect thing as a tea cake, but I got some great advice from my tea friends about starting from the indentation in the back of the cake. This made it easy, and I used extra care, so the cake still looks perfect on the front. It’s all carefully wrapped back up now.
Anyways..
Method: 3.3 g, 3 oz, 198 degrees, 10 sec rinse, 10-15-20 seconds, ru kilk gaiwan & Dr. Who mug
Dry Leaf Aroma: This smells clean and pleasant. A little foresty, but not really earthy. More like trees after a rain.
Brewing Aroma: This has a distinctly apricot smell, like I found in the Heart of the Old Tree 2012, also from Mandala. There’s also a mineral note and a very slight hint of seaweed, but only when I sniff really hard. It’s mainly fruit and fresh tree smells.
Flavor: The 3 steeps indicated above were combined into one mug.
Maybe I will only drink shengs for the rest of my life. I really haven’t had enough of them to say that, but I don’t care. I just love this. There are so many flavors all up in yo face. Being a novice, it’s hard to pick them all out, but I’m having a great time making the attempt.
There’s fruit, then a little bitterness, then a little sweetness, then a little dryness.
MOAR! MOAR! ALL YOUR SHENG ARE BELONG TO US!!!!!
Preparation
Welcome to the wonderful world of being a sheng-head
MMMmmmhhmmmm.
I’m creating a new tea classification called “Magic Mood Teas”. To qualify, the tea must improve my mood or in some way provide a noticeable pleasant physical effect. This one makes the cut. So. Much. Happy.
Heart of the Old Tree is such an epic name…
And I feel like I would like sheng puerhs, just from the flavor descriptions and such. Someday!
I think you will, Cam! I’m going to hold off on my shous for a little while. I think shengs have been easier for me to start with. So dang good!
shengs are great like that :) definitely magical!
I want to drink them ALL!
Garret set up us the bomb!
well Cameron yes, Heart of the Old Tree WAS an epic name. Too bad we ruined it by changing it to Hot Cowboy.
Hahaha Jamie!!!! Too funny!!!!
I just combines steeps 7,8,9 and am settling in with those. I overstepped 8 & 9, but this is still yummy!!!
Lady Gaga arrived, along with the LBCG. Life is good!!!!!
Cam: your tea is packed and ready to send out!!!!!
Hooray, can’t wait! :D You’re the best.
No, you are :p
WHAT YOU SAY!
Jamie’s comment is killing me.
Aaaaah Saturday morning yums!!!
Method: 1.5 tsp, 8 oz, 200 degrees, 3 minutes, French Press
Dry Leaf Aroma & Brewing Aromas: Chocolate cake. Om nom nom
Flavor: yum! This has lovely cakey and cocoa notes. I wish it was a little sweeter, but that’s easily remedied. I am going to try a second steep and see how that goes!!!
Preparation
MMMM that’s a good morning nom
I wasn’t feeling as poetic this AM, so I kept it short, but yeah. This is great. I love that I have more to look forward to with these vanilla teas because they do improve with age. I can’t wait to get that vanilla pot seasoned!!!
Oh, great choice!! my session of this was so good yesterday…the rest is cold-steeping.
My vanilla pot will be finished in about 3 hours (I’m going longer than Brenden’s 3 that he goes) and it’s sitting on the warmer. I can’t wait!
The second steeping is niiiiice. I put in a little maple syrup because, why not?
I just went Terri-style with my GO as well. This is so freaking good
Mmmmmmm Terri-style.
I’m so glad that maple in tea is getting such good recognition :)
You don;t very much at all and it just elevates it.
Oh HoneyBelle! I missed the note where you’re seasoning your vanilla teapot. I think you may have said before, but which one did you pick for vanilla? Sometimes I’m super senile…
I’m using my “bigget” one (220) – it’s my expensive one that I got a while back and haven’t seasoned yet. But since I will be drinking the vanillas out of it, I decided to use the biggest one
If you have a pic,I’d love to see it. Hooray for vanilla teapots!!!!!
I think there might be on already up on my flikr. Lemme go look
It’s the one on the left:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125488674@N02/14634789342/
I think my bamboo pot from Mandala may have to be my Special Dark baby
The one in the middle is going to be shou other than SD and the one on left looks a little different now as it had a long warm bath in Wild Monk and is now my sheng pot. It’s already darker.
O.M.Geeee. Those are so adorable!
I think you picked out some lovelies. I especially like the Mandala pot with the cute bamboo pattern. I can’t wait to start seasoning mine when they arrive!!!!
Oh, and we have matching laptops :)
I have a love/hate relationship with this laptop. I’m boiling my bamboo one right now and it will have a Special Dark bath later after we get back from the vet
Oh crap I mean the one on the RIGHT is now my sheng pot and looks different. I have a very adorable purple one coming that will be for oolongs
Reeeally? I adore mine. It’s the second of its kind. The last one went 5 years before the video card died.
I’m so jealous of your seasonings LOL. But soon I will have my own seasoning adventures. The vanilla houhin is scheduled to arrive Monday…
Vet? I hope everything is ok! I have to get my “kids” in for their annual checkup and shots soon.
“Oh crap I mean the one on the RIGHT”
I knew what ya meant. :)
Eeee!!!! I got one for oolongs toooooo! Uh oh. I’ve gone to multiple vowels…. must be excited. Time to make some tea…
I’m making egg and kimchi braekfast tacos and deciding on the tea to take along with me to the vet. Wee Snailys I think
One of my dogs is having (sorry) anal gland issues.
Taco Queen!
I have been hoarding the last of my wee snailys, but Brenden just said that he received a huge order, so I can happily drink them again!
It’s ok. My little princess has AGIs too. Gross, but it hasn’t been a serious problem for her. Hopefully it’ll be no biggie for you, too.
I’m hoping that as well, but we’re on the second round of antibiotics which I hate to give her and she doesn’t LOVE yogurt which I want her to have when she does the antibi-s.
Trying to get motivated enough to leave the house in search of kimchi – yes this would be MzPriss’s fault. Where do I buy Kimchi? Should I go to China town, which is sort of right here, easy to get to – OR do I need to go half way across the city to my favorite Korean market? I can proabably buy it at the HUGE supermarket too, but will that be as good as the stuff you would find in an Asian market?? I love Kimchi, but never buy it, I just eat out whenever possible….
The Korean market is probably the best bet, but I suspect you’d do ok in Chinatown also.
OK – I’m a little frightened to go to China Town, you never know what cute teaware you might run into. Thinking the Korean Market will be safer on that front. Need motivation to get up and moving…..one more cup of tea…
Either way probably. I buy it at my local hippie co-op grocer – there is a small local company that makes various kinds here in town and they sell it at the co-op. I started putting kimchi on tacos when I was out of salsa one time. Last night I just had kimchi tacos for dinner. Oh I also got this really awesome Madras Curry sauerkraut salad – so good. I like the fermented veg thing a waaaaaay lot.
Thanks, I’m going to go and venture out into the world and see what I come up with. I live in a fairly large city I should be able to find real kimchi….
Will report back later…
FYI – Mission kimchi was successful… :))
Someone is going to have a nice dinner :-)
I also had a MzP influenced dinner. Faux chicken, beans, rice, and my world famous Asian peanut sauce on a soft taco shell. I wrapped it up like a burrito b/c I do t have taco shells, but close enough. It was deeeeelish!
Dex: we need a full report on the results of Mission Kimchi!
I think you can wrap anything in a soft taco shell and it would be good. :)) Would famous Asian Peanut Sauce? That sounds interesting… like Thai peanut sauce?
While I was out on Mission Kimchi, I also bought concentrated tamarind paste? I usually buy blocks of Tamarind to make chutney – hoping that this will be good and take out a step. (Also hoping that I can just add a little to black iced tea….)
As for the kimchi – not sure yet. Probably some sort of noodle stirfry. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, veggies, chicken – and then toss in some Kimchi on the plate… that’s the plan, but things change as I cook… never quite sure what I’m going to end up with
Yeah Dex, kinda like a Thai peanut sauce.
Tamarind paste!!! Yum yum yum
How did your stir fry turn out?
I’m feeling so restless today. I want to do something, but I don’t know what I want to do, so I do nothing, then get annoyed with myself and even more restless. Rinse. Repeat.
I was going to try the Elderwood this evening, but I grabbed this instead because I thought it might have a calming effect.
Method: 1.5 tsp, 8 oz, 180 degrees, 1.5 min, muggy strainer
Dry Leaf Aroma: wow, gorgeous. Pine/evergreen and a very strong floral, like jasmine
Brewing Aroma: heavier on the floral
Flavor: the floral is first, with some gentle piney notes. Then there’s this fascinating and totally unexpected nutty note. It’s strong, too. It’s also got a creamy feel and a buttery taste. It’s also a little sweet and has a nice lingering aftertaste.
Is it bad that I have a reminder on my calendar to get this in August before the batch is gone?
Edit: Ehrmagerd!!!! 2nd steep. 3.5 min. Sipping this. Yum. Ok yum. What’s that? Holy crap! It’s pine nuts! This tea tastes like little pignolis on the end of the sip. SB- I love you!!!
Preparation
I have a Friday miracle Sars! A wee teaspoonful magikally appeared in my little sample bag. I’m having some TOO!!!!
Dear Universe, Thank you v. much for making a weeny bit of SB appear in my house. I really, really, REALLY needed it and I can’t get any for a couple of weeks til it comes back. grateful…Love, MzHBP
LOL aaaaaw HoneyBelle!!!! I’m so glad you found some! Now we can drink it together!!!!
I’m really looking forward to August!!!!
Me too!!!!~ I’m sipping this very, very slowly. I’m gonna try an additional couple of steeps – cause the Tea Hobbit says you can, although I don’t usually re-steep. This is just so dreamy.
I just did a 2nd steep, too. I let it go to 3.5 min and used a little less water. Want. More. NOW.
You and I will chill out together Sars. Just smell this tea. Calming. I need chilling out majorly and it sounds like you do too.
Yeah, it wasn’t even a bad day. I’m just feeling all jumpy but I want to be calm. Was your day stressful? I hope the tea is helping
I have to edit my review because I figured out what the nutty flavor is! So exciting! Pine nuts!!!!!
Most of my work days are stressful. It’s just been a mofo of a week. And the tea is totally helping! I love this tea too much
I need to eat some dinner and I’m thinking of having something really odd for dinner. Kimchi Tacos.
Oh wow. That sounds interesting. I like kimcheeeeeee!!!!
I love it. I’m making some with Terri’s recipe. But this one I bought. I was gonna have bean and cheese tacos on corn tortillas and came home and realized I had no beans. Then I noticed the kimchi in the fridge and I’m like “hmmmmm” We shall see. I’m gonna make a couple and re-steep this tea and be back to have SB with you and LTF
hmmmm….now that sounds interesting…
No fair, I want to join in on the fun! :P
OK report….(first of all Cameron – come have some SB or something with us) So I warmed a couple of these really delicious corn tortilla this lady makes here in town that they sell at my co-op. and then just barely warmed some kimchee – enough ti take the chill off and keep it from coolng down the tortilla but not enough to kill the good bugs. Annnnnd – it’s not bad y’all! Pretty good actually.
But in Austin we tun everything into a taco :D
and oh Sars – I DO like the second steep of SB. I like the first better – but this is still really really good!
If I had more, I’d send ya some, Cam. But I only had a little sample. I’m impressed tho. I highly recommend this one.
I’m on the 3rd, MzP. Still good!!! Glad the experimental tacos are yum!!!!!
I’m gonna go for a third when this cup is done. I like the tacos and I didn’t want anything heavy. I had some lentil curry in the fridge too (which will also LOL become tacos!) and this was just the perfect thing
The curry would have been too much. This is nice and light and has two of my fave things: corn tortillas and kimchi
I clearly need to follow in your footsteps and become more creative with my taco fillings!!!!
Dude – you can turn ANYTHING into a taco. We have tacos for breakfast here. A potato, egg and cheese taco with screamingly hot salsa and a Dark Beauty cocktail are the best. hangover cures. ever.
I’m already planning some faux chicken with bean and rice tacos for this weekend!
I literally put anything in tacos. Salad. Sometimes peanut butter and creamed honey
I dub thee Lady HoneyBelle, Queen of the Taco Fillings, Ruler of the Corn Tortillas.
Laughs! Tacos make life easy and tasty.
I agree, LHBQotTFRotCT. :p
First of all. I need some moral support. I’ve only been drinking my loose pu’erhs because I can’t bring myself to break apart my new pu’erh cakes!!!! They’re just so pretty and perfect, all wrapped up with so much potential!!!
This video is making me super sad LOL
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=th86Ge4fFJs
So this tea…
Method: 1tbsp, 8 oz, 30 sec (1 minute) (1 minute), 208 degrees, brew in mug strainer
Dry Leaf Aroma: Earthy, but with a chocolate note that’s very enticing
Flavor: it tastes a little musty, but smooth, and I’m enjoying the chocolate notes. I guess that earthy sort of note is just the usual for many pu’erhs?
Preparation
Maybe take off the papers very carefully and keep them! Or frame them! :)
LOL Cam! Maybe I need a pu’erh wrapper scrapbook!
Do most people break them up all at once like the video, I wonder? I got the impression that little bits were just broken off here and there.
Some pu’erh is “earthy” – like a forest in the rain, fresh clean mud (if such a thing exists)
some is earthy – but more in a cave subterranean sort of way
some is earthy – but musty, barn yard esque
I love all of it – as long as it’s clean fresh dirt. The bad pu’erh is swampy, dirty, icky
I don’t break up a whole cake – I just unwrap them, break a chunk off and rewrap them. You’ll be ready soon, the OMG I have to try that will kick in, and you’ll be diving in…
The third steep at about 1.25 minutes was nicer. Thus definitely was NOT swampy or icky, so maybe it’s just a matter of being an acquired taste.
LOL. If I still can’t bust one open tomorrow, I may have to employ you as the Pu’erh Cake Breaker Enforcer. :p
Anytime – just send me your cake, I’ll break it up and send it back to you – well send most of it back to you, might take a little as payment…. :))
Just break off the amount from each cake or brick and keep the rest intact if you don’t plan to drink it quickly. makes storage easy. When I break a cake I start from the circle indentation on the back and work from there. Gives you a good starting point.
Hahahahahaaaa!!! OMG you are super funny!
I think I’ll just bite the bullet and break up my own cake, but I’m more than willing to share if you see anything that interests you. :)
Sorry, mrmopar, not sure what you mean when you say that you start from the indentation. Do you mean that you break tea off from the “rim” of the indentation?
Me too – I break from the indent. Turn the cake over, so that the smooth side is down, indent is up. I press gently down, circling the around the cake (especially if it hard compressed)listening for cracking sounds. I find it easier to loosen it up a bit first. Then I insert pick into the edge of the indent (pick facing outward towards the edge of the cake). I really need to just find the video that I used the first time. Your video was ok, but that was a pretty loosely pressed cake, they all don’t break that easily….
This is the video from Teavivre… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vAq1vU4YcU She says to break from the back to keep it looking good…
This one has the first step I was talking about – to loosen it a bit before you start stabbing it. I only do this is it’s really compressed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdhfKEE9D9Y
You just need to find a technique that works for you,,,
I’m with MrM & Dex, prying off tea from the center of the back of the cake, so I can keep the shape for as long as possible.
Awesome video and suggestions! I’ll try the indentation method tomorrow. Thanks, tea friends!!!
Yep that’s the way. It also helps make them easier to re-wrap.
If it really a difficult cake, start the car, place cake behind back tire and put it in reverse. ;)
So happy you’ve started enjoying your pupu haul :-)
And break them cakes please!!!
Cwyn, that is too funny!!! I can just picture my neighbors and the police officer who lives behind me looking out their windows and being like WTF is Sarsy doing this time!!! I live in the city, so were closely packed here. :)
TTF: today is the day!!!!
I’m just gonna leave this here for now:
Not sure what to make of this. I didn’t follow the instructions because the steeps seemed SO LONG. I did do the three 10-second rinses, then went with this -
Method: 3 g, 3 oz, 208 degrees, 20-30-30 (40-50-60) (60-60-70) seconds, ru kiln gaiwan and Dr. Who mug
Dry Leaf Aroma & Brewing Aroma: Smells earthy
Flavor: Steeped 20-30-30. Blended all those into one mug. Mug 1 tastes earthy. I don’t get much else. It’s a little overwhelming for me. Mug 2 is 40-50-60 seconds blended into one mug. It’s not bad, but I’m not in luuuurve. Then there’s mug 3 with 60-60-70 second steeps. The earthy aroma calmed down and this has a smoothness.
I’m trying really hard to find more complexity and other aromas and flavors, but they aren’t readily apparent to me. I’ll try this again using Mandala’s exact instructions.
One thing I do know is that I think this needs longer rinses, for me anyway.
Preparation
I suspect you need more leaves. Because its nuggets it takes longer to open up. I read something g like that. For my 100 ml gaiwan I used 6g . It was diff nuggets but concept is the same.
Aaaaahh, thank you, boychik. The nuggets definitely did not open all the way, even after 3 rinses and 9 steepings. I will try more tea next time. :)
I just got some of this so I’m interested in how it turns out
HoneyBelle: I would really love to hear your thoughts when you try it. I’ll keep tweaking the times/amounts, as needed!
I just got home from work and am having trouble picking out a tea to drink
I’m on the Imperial Dark now. Feel free to join me. Or drink something else that make you happy. :)
I think I’m finally zeroing in on Cocoa Amore
Gonna go make a cup back soon
HHHHMMMMM Imperial Dark – it’s like Special Dark’s little brother – I really need to buy more of it.
I like the Imperial Dark a lot too Dexter – and I think you’re right – SD’s little brother :)
Maybe I’m not ready for the power of the dark side….
10 grams. 1 long 20 second rinse 30 second steeps.
Thanks, mrmopar! I will try again soon. :)
You can always toss the first couple steeps if you are tasting storage. After awhile you will recognize storage tastes. By the time you get to the fourth and fifth you will be getting the tea. I use this method if the storage taste is overwhelming or unpleasant.
That’s kind of what I was thinking. The flavor smoothed out, but it really took awhile.
I have been excited to try this since my favorite Teacret Agents: TheTeaFairy and MzPriss, posted their reviews from the samples they received. So here we go…
Method: 1.5 tsp, 8 oz, 200 degrees, 3 minutes, brew-in-mug strainer & Dr. Who mug
Dry Leaf Aroma: I do not work for WP and I am telling you the honest to goodness truth – this smells EXACTLY like those gooey chocolate covered cherry candies, specifically the ones with the cherry surrounded by cherry goo and vanilla goo, then covered in chocolate. I brought the bag of tea into the living room, and I’m sitting on the couch, opening it and smelling the tea, then closing it to let the aromas accumulate again, then sniffing. It’s like a cherry-vanilla-chocolate heaven.
Brewing Aroma: Oddly, this just smells like tea, with a light creamy note. I don’t smell cherry. I start to get a little sad.
Flavor: I take a sip. Tastes like black tea, with a lovely sweetness, but WHERE’S THE CH…
Ooohhh. There you are, sneaky monkey. The cherry is hiding on the end of the sip, and it’s not on every single sip. However; when it’s there, it’s just lovely.
I have a feeling that this one may even get better with a little age. I have about 8000 lbs of pu’erh to keep me busy for awhile, so I’d like to try not to drink this, let it sit just a couple weeks, then see what’s what.
Even though I know this isn’t scented or flavored with cherry, my mind doesn’t seem willing to believe it. What tea magic is this??? :)
Preparation
All of the vanilla teas with real vanilla beans get better with a little age They get smoother and even more lovely. I am enjoying a cup right along with you right now.
Yep, that’s what I was thinking, schmoopie. I know that my GO improves with a little time, so I hoped this would be the same. Not that it’s bad AT ALL. I just think it’s the sort to mellow nicely and get smooooooth, like buttah.
(It’s subbliminal cherries!!!) Yay, glad you like this one….I like it so much, I ordered the poster to have it framed in my kitchen, lol. (And I would love to get me a few beans of that tahitian vanilla!)
I have some sort of vanilla beans… I wonder what kind. I will have to look!
I gotta try this with some fresh cherries. Or dried cherries. Or cherry pie. Or some of that coconut cream.
Yes! Some sort.
Oh I did cherry compote with the Terricreme
I know, I’m still gushing over that picture!
Pics, pls. And speaking of, I posted my pu haul for you on the Today’s Mail post, but here it is again.
https://www.flickr.com/x/t/0090009/photos/124304184@N02/14672325832/
Also, picture, in your mind, my new shelf on the wall above this table. It’s white. And it will have my cute little yixing gaiwans when they arrive from far away lands. Can’t wait!
(Sars that photo makes ME happy and it’s not even MY tea….)
Lord…I’m in awe. Best “starter kit” ever!!!! Actually, this will not only start you, it will last you for the next five years!!!
There’s a saying: Go Big or Go Home. LOL I went big!!!!
I really do need to stop now. For realz. I have a few things I want if the Butiki sale happens, and then I want some sleeping bear and jabber. But that’s it. Two orders. Then NO MORE TEA.
I know I am (sort of) a grown up, and I should show some self-restraint, that’s not really my thing. Moral support will be appreciated!!! Whatever it takes! Dex: please drive to PA and hip check me if I even LOOK at a new tea! :p
Got it – Butiki sale and TWO teas from WP… and then no looking – but for how long? What’s the goal?
I think there are a bunch of us who should be stopping, and we should be supporting each other – not that I would complain about a trip to PA for a little enforcing… ;))
Good questions… At least 2 months. Hopefully more. The goal, beyond not buying more than I can drink, is to be happy with what I have. That’s more of a personal Sarsy goal.
Also, I am going to stop enabling all of you! Instead, I think we should find new ways to enjoy our existing teas, either by mixing, icing or mixing and then icing.
Maybe we need to do a google+ Teahab Support Meeting once a month or something.
Oh, and I am cancelling my subscription services.
I know it’s going to be hard for all of you but you HAVE to stop reading about tea and looking at websites and seeing what everyone else is drinking. I didn’t have a problem as big as yours might be, but it was a problem. I was spending money I didn’t have on tea. I mean if I had the cash maybe I wouldn’t have worried. But I was borrowing money (credit card) to buy tea. So I kinda stopped looking around at all the tea I didn’t have. I read steepster notes but without focusing on the specifics. So “oh my god, that sounds so good, what tea is THAT?” turned into “that’s nice, she’s having a good time”.
I made a purpose of not looking up websites of tea companies. Cause once you’re there the pictures are pretty and they show juicy cherries or something equally colourful.
there’s always gonna be tea and no matter how much you try, you can’t drink all the tea because the tea makers just blend new stuff all the time. So just forget that. But hey, keeping up with the jones’ is an old, old habit. And if you do have the money, I don’t really see a problem with pleasuring oneself :)
I know, it’s unsolicited, but your chatter was inviting.
Good thoughts, Nxtdoor. I’m not going into tea-debt or anything, but I do (just as part of my personality) tend to go overboard on things in life, not just tea.
I have a good selection of teas now and I think it’s time to focus on enjoying them, which is what I plan to do. :)
Unless you get high on buying, not so much on drinking. Like someone I know, not naming names!
I get high both on buying and drinking :-o
Seriously, I totally understand what you are saying nxtdoor and thanks for bringing that out of genuine concern..,
I joke a lot about it all but things are not as out of control as they seem…oh, they are in the sense I could totally put that money somewhere else, but I don’t have kids and have pretty much only myself to take care of… But it is definitely an addiction, not gonna lie…
Totally agree, TTF. We have quite a few parallels.
I am guilty of retail therapy and I like shopping, but I genuinely love tea. I also joke around about my tea addiction, but I haven’t taken out a 2nd mortgage or anything. :)
Also, no kids, so no one is impacted by my little sprees!
I go back and forth with these attitudes:
-Life is short! Spend it all! Have fun!!!! Wheeeee!
And
- I am an adult. I will behave with decorum. Look at how grown up I can be.
What LTF said. I could do other things with the $ nand really I have too much tea – but it’s GREAT tea and I really am figuring out what I love and getting rid of the things I just HAD to try and now I have some and don’t LOVE it. And I got more mail just now. I got some HOT COWBOY and a pot. But SHOULD I slow down? Absolutely.
OMG! Which was the hot cowboy? The HOTOT right?
Yes ma’am
These days, and I mean by that in the last 2 months, I hardly bought any tea I dislike. That’s why I keep writing raving reviews, cause I pretty much only drink the teas I love. I’m also getting rid of all the stuff I don’t like and buying those allowed me to figure out what I definitely DON’T like.
And HOT COWBOY…and that pot…lol, thats all it took to get me going again.
(P
You know that’s me too – I’m just drinking stuff I don’t LOVE. I’m rooting around for last little bit of SB
I think I’ll make that in the AM, HoneyBelle. Last time I had it, I felt happy and serene. Seems like a great way to start my day!
I only have enough for one little cup because I only had a sample and I didn’t know how awesome it was and by the time I did, this month’s was already sold out.
I got a sample today. But I did talk to Brenden about it. He gave me the timeline, so I’ll be sure to get some of the August harvest. That’s one of my pre-approved purchases. :p
Good sleepytime tea
If you change your mind and still want me to send you some just say so:-)
I’ve been having it almost every night, that’s why I need a monthly subscription…
I’m going to try my sample tomorrow night. I love a good evening tea to wind down the day with.
Lazy people of the world: please join me because I am about to share the most amazing news about this tea.
There is no need to brew hot, then chill, because this makes an incredible cold brew. MIND = BLOWN
Being a lazy brewer myself, I knew I had to try this cold brewed. I placed all the ingredients in my large libre tea glass with room temp filtered water, then put the whole thing in the fridge overnight. And today: amazeballs chocolatey mapley sweet tea. I made my co-worker try it and she immediately proclaimed me to be a genius.
OK, that last part isn’t true, but she did like it and ask for more. So there you have it!!!
Edit: please note that I heaped the tsps when measuring the tea and berries, so the end result wouldn’t taste weak.
I’d assume its slightly weaker coldbrewed and with more elderberry notes, right?
Putting some in the fridge NOW, genius :-)
Brenden: I used a little extra tea (heaped the tsps). I should have noted that. I will edit. It actually tasted more chocolatey to me, but the berries also seemed more pronounced. I wouldn’t have called the first attempt bitter, but cold brewed it seemed a little smoother. Not sure how to describe it. Oh wait, I do. YUM :p
TTF: let me know what you think. I’m pretty impressed with my mad skillz on this one. Just think – we can brew gallons and gallons with no need to heat all that water!!!!!
Lol.
Sarsonator, I cold brew pretty much anything too…I cold brewed some used leaves of Port the other day for 24 hours and it was fab!
I keep meaning to try that with Port, TTF. I wouldn’t have thought to add used leaves. Learned that from you. I tried it over the weekend with used Golden Fleece leaves. Took that hiking and it was deeeelish! I love cold brew!!!
I do that with oolongs a lot when I don’t have time to do many sessions. Also, Brenden taught me to keep all the leaves I use during the day and make a cold brew of everything mixed together. It’s fun cause it always tastes good, but never the same :-)
Will let you know how my NST turns out tomorrow!!
Wait, WHAT?!?!?!
Cold Brew Tea Leaf Hodge Podge???? That sounds so freakin’ good!!! I am going to try that tomorrow!!!
OK Mz Genius – I’m on it as well
Hahaha! Love that, tea hodge podge :-)
I hope you like this cold brewed! It’s just easier, IMO. I have these cool glass 1/2 gallon “milk” jugs that I use for cold brew teas. I’ll be making this in those jugs to take to barbecues, etc.
I’ll report back on my Tea Hodge Podge experiment. :)
I do that same thing – all the leaves in a jar – The Tea Hobbit has good ideas.
You like lotus stuff, TTF? Come to my yixing gaiwan discussion topic. MzP thinks you’ll like my newest tea ware!!!!!!
I’ve made HUNDREDS of “hodge podge’s” and not a single one was less than awesome :)
I keep forgetting about the hodge podge. I really need to do that.
Wooo! I’m making my first tea hodge podge later, so I can take it to work tomorrow. I am saving up my leaves from today. I wonder if it works well even if there’s stronger pu’erh leaves involved.
The cold brew was awesome sars :-) MOARRRRR!!!
LOL!!! So glad you liked it!!! I’m making up a big batch tomorrow night!!!!
(I wish my tin of GO was a bottomless pit though….)
I know, dearest. It did occur to me that if I am going to continue drinking NST at this rate, I’ll need to have the GO auto-shipped once a month of something like that LOL.
Haha! let"s ask brenden for GO auto-shipped!!
(And Port….and Aila…and Cocoa Amore….Snaily yums…oh, and Sleeping Bear…crap!)
My boyfriend just ran me up a mountain, in the woods, in the summer. I thought I might die. But somehow I survived, and I think it could be due to the fact that I knew this tea was getting nice and cold in the fridge for me.
MzPriss was kind enough to share some dried elderberries with me, so that I could try this out. Thanks so much, HoneyBelle!!!!
I ended up adding a little more maple syrup when I got back and tried this for the first time. But this is SO GOOD. It absolutely does taste like maple chocolates. No lie!!!! I’m glad I made a triple batch because this will be a go-to for summer. I can’t wait to make this for the next family gathering. I’m certain that everyone will love it as much as I do. :)
Preparation
OMG, isn’t it good??? So glad you like it as much as we do :-)
Did the boyf like it?
I am going to mess around with this as a cold brew in my libre. I often cold brew tea for work. It’s my lazy tea method since I don’t have to heat water. I think I can make it work….
Yes, he sure did like it. He’s a big sweet tea fan, in general. Except that he usually thinks of “sweet tea” as that stuff from Mickey D’s which is just sugar water with a smidgeon of tea flavoring.
I am happy to make him sweet teas that have actual tea with a little sugar, maple or agave. This one was a winner for both of us! I will be making this forevers!!!!
It’s always nice to get the significant other to like a tea as well. I keep handing the spouse my cup lately, and he’s liked most of them.
That’s awesome, Cheri! I am so happy my boyfriend likes tea. We actually like many of the same kinds. Some days he makes the AM tea, and other days I make it. He’s usually up for trying pretty much any tea.
I’m still enjoying some. I’m glad you love it :)
Oh, I absolutely do.
On another note, can you please join us over here, HoneyBelle? I need some assistance!
Ooh is that the cute little pot that you just seasoned? :D
Indeed! That’s my new pot for unflavored black teas. So this was my first one in the new pot. Hooray!
So very cute, I can’t wait to get into teaware eventually!
It’s a whole new addiction!!! But super fun. :)
Sars – the vanilla pot is full of win!
My vanilla pot will be here Monday!!!! Can’t wait!!!! Hhhm. I guess I’ll use GO to season that one… Which did you use?
GO of course! I highly recommend that
I’m on it!!!
I used GO also, and it’s FANTASTIC!!!!
I’m really interested to try the vanilla teas in the banko clay, and I wonder if the clay type had any influence here. I keep reading that this type of clay makes astringency lighter, makes tea sweeter, and unifies the flavors.
It just seems like a lot of claims! But if you’re starting with quality tea, maybe there’s something to it. I’ll probably season the vanilla pot and do a taste test with the banko vs regular glazed porcelain.
Of course, I’ll be using GO for that taste test! Speaking of which… I need to order more!!!
I will tell you, it hurt my feelings a little bit to use that much GO for seasoning – but I look at it as an investment in the future. After seasoning the Tea Hobbit way, in a bath over a warmer for several hours, I decided it was COMPLETELY worth it. I LOVE the way the Go tastes in the vanilla seasoned pot. And I keep thinking about how good it is now and how much better it will just keep getting. I think the warmer is key.
I did the unflavored black pot on the stove on low heat yesterday for 2.5 hours or so. worked great!!!!