The Persimmon Tree Tea Company

I came across this sample while I was doing a bit of organizing. My tea drawer is a mess and I need to sip down some of my samples and decide which I want to reorder. I decided to cold steep this all afternoon and while it isn’t bad I find that it leaves me feeling a little meh about it. I love EG in any shape or form, but this one just doesn’t have the flavor Im looking for. When I take a sip all I can taste is the vanilla. I need something just a bit more bold.

Thank you Maria for selling a bit of this one! I’m getting more and more addicted to white teas, though they were once my least favorite. I used almost two teaspoons of these fuzzy leaves, and because they are fuzzy I also rinsed them to get some of the fuzzies out of the cup. At first sip with these types of teas, they seem like they need some getting used to… the flavor seems a bit unpleasant, but then the rest of the mug is just fine. Maybe that makes this tea all the more enjoyable, if at first it doesn’t seem like it will be a good cup but then gets better. The flavor is light and sweet – a bit grassy or hay, and then something like marshmallow. I like the shifting lingering flavor. The second steep has even more flavor, something fruity like a melon and kind of smooths out even more, even though this is a very smooth tea to begin with! I’m not sure if all ‘silver needles’ are also the teas called ‘bai hao yin zhen’. It seems like most white teas are either those types or the ‘bai mu dan’.
Steep #1 // 2 tsps. // 30 min after boiling // rinse // 1 min
Steep #2 // 25 min after boiling // 2-3 min

Sidenote: My first incident of Steepster deleting one of my tasting notes. I was trying to look up my note for David’sTea – Bai Hao Yin Zhen but the tasting note (and my little rating at the top) is completely missing! This worries me as Steepster is my tea brain! I’ll be getting tea amnesia!

So I tried something new and exciting today, I made popped amaranth! It is pretty tasty, similar to popcorn but with an earthier taste, I certainly think I like it better than popcorn…plus no annoying kernels being stuck in my teeth! This is part of my experimenting trying to find easy to make, relatively cheap, naturally gluten free (not a substitute like gluten free waffles or crackers) snacks. My next experiment will be toasted millet, though I do find myself wondering what these toasted and popped grains would be like in Genmaicha.

So, have you ever found yourself craving Chai right before bed but knew there was no way you would sleep if you drank one? The Persimmon Tree Tea Company’s Rooibos Vanilla Chai might just be a solution for midnight Chai cravings. Made from Organic Rooibos, Vanilla Flavoring, Ginger Pieces, Cinnamon Pieces, Cardamon, Cloves, and Orange Pieces. The aroma is very sweet and spice, as expected from a Chai! There are notes of vanilla, woody rooibos, caramel, and mostly well balanced spices. I say mostly because the ginger is a bit stronger than the other spices.

After giving the tea a good steeping, the aroma is very spicy, heavy notes of clove and ginger. It reminds me of the holidays, very warm and comforting aroma. There are also fairly gentle notes of vanilla and sweet, woody, rooibos. The liquid is mellow, a nice sweet blend of rooibos, spices, vanilla, and a tiny hint of orange.

I find myself frequently craving night time Chai in the colder months, the warming spices and richness of the tea is very soothing when the weather is cold and you are snuggling under blankets with a cup of tea. It is many months away from winter, but I can certainly imagine it when sipping this tea! Since this is a Chai I made it with my usual cream and sugar, but only a hint of sugar since a pre-additive sip let me know that this tea is already quite sweet. The spices are nicely balanced, as with the aroma there is a little more ginger and clove than the other spices, which blends really well with the woodiness of the rooibos. Of course the cream brings out the vanilla giving the tea an extra richness.At the finish there is a bit of orange, which adds an extra layer of warmth to tea. I really like that this is a caffeine free Chai, I am a great lover of Chai both traditional and fun new takes on the tea.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-persimmon-tree-tea-company-rooibos.html

Lewis and Clarke TTB

So my mom gave me some frozen venison from last years hunting season, and she told me to stew it because it’s the tough cuts. I’m a rebel and decided to slow cook it on a BBQ sauce concoction I made instead. So now my whole apartment smells like yummy BBQ sauce. It won’t be done for 5 hours, but I plan in shredding it and I can’t wait.

Anyway, I’ve been drinking puerh all day (review in a bit), and decided to take a quick break in between for this.

There’s a little bit of an oily film here, I don’t mind it but just a heads up in case you do. This is yummy. Lots of cream and a nice coconut blast at the end of the sip and sticks around a nice long time.

I’m going to try the other half of the sample cold steeped. Persimmon Tree makes a mean cream tea though.

So had to dump my morning matcha milk. The milk had turned. Wasted a tsp of leaf but at least I realized it before taking a drink. Grabbed this one as alternate. Went great with grits. Nice sturdy but smooth cup.

I have a bulldozer in my front yard. A load of dirt was spread to bring the grade up so my basement will stop leaking. Now a back hoe is digging like mad putting a drain across my front yard. Meanwhile two guys are re-roofing my garage. The materials for my porch will be delivered soon. Apparently we are really going to do this thing.

I don’t normally drink English Breakfast. I find them either too beige or too brutish, but that’s just me. This one impressed me with the dry leaf smell. It was like cherry pipe tobacco and maple syrup. The tea itself is very smooth. I had braced myself for throat grabbing harsh. It was much, much, lighter than I expected, so no brute here. There is an interesting peppery note that wasn’t hot and spicy, just flavorful. It is slightly malty with a lingering aftertaste. Not exactly beige. It may, or may not be what you want from an EB but I liked it. The first mug was 3 g, 195 F, for 2.5 minutes – because EB often hurts my stomach. For giggles, the second mug with new leaf was 3 g, 212 F, for 4 minutes. It made little difference. It was slightly more robust but really still a comfortable, yet forgiving tea. If you need tea to shout at you in the morning, this probably isn’t it. If you prefer a calmer voice saying, you can do it, maybe this will speak to you.

Sipdown (90)! I had saved the last teaspoon or so of this tea to try as a hot tea, but I stupidly messed it up. I didn’t check the parameters beforehand, so I decided 200 F sounded good enough. The tea ended up being pretty bitter. Fortunately, I was drinking it while eating a really sweet pound cake, so they balanced each other out nicely. Otherwise, it may have been undrinkable to me because I’m so sensitive to bitterness. Anyway, I thought it was odd until I came on Steepster and realized that the recommended temp is 185 F. Oops! I actually think that underneath the bitterness, there was a really nice tea, so I’m bummed that I don’t have any more of this tea to experiment with. Ah well, lessons learned.

Cold brewed this one again. I think I may have left it in the fridge for longer this time because it’s just a tad bolder and now there is a smoky element to it as well. On its own, it’s a little overwhelming for me, but I am drinking it while eating a salty snack. I think that the saltiness from the snack somehow brings out this sweeter flavor from the tea that I did not notice as much before. In any case, the combo is deelicious. I’m getting close to a sipdown on this one, so I’m going to try to save the rest for a hot cuppa, but I really am tempted to cold brew it again after this successful experiment.

I ordered a sample of this one because I’m not sure that I’ve ever had straight up Darjeeling on its own. Anyway, I cold brewed this one because the weather is still not too great for hot teas at the moment. It’s much bolder and maltier than the straight Assam (also from The Persimmon Tree) that I had earlier, and there is less of that honey sweetness compared to the Assam. I’m a bit confused because it seems like what I’ve read briefly around the internet has told me that it’s supposed to be the opposite? I guess I will have to try this one hot sometime to really help me figure it out.

Oh man, I might have done a dumb today. I am in a real hurry to get my new tea lair in the bedroom (still needs a new name) set up, but a lot of the stuff I can’t do because it involves moving heavy things, and Ben is busy with work so I am stuck in tea limbo. Well, I decided to take it upon my self to move some of the furniture around, and I think that sharp pain in my hips means I won’t be able to walk tomorrow. Silly me, I never learn and always manage to over do it when I am doing house work.

Today’s tea is going to do an excellent job of distracting me, but tropical flavors do that to me, especially coconut! Coconut Crème by The Persimmon Tree Tea Company is a blend of White Tea, Coconut, Cornflowers, Safflowers (all organic) and Natural Flavoring. I found this intriguing because I have never seen coconut mixed with white tea, I bet it will be a delightful blend of flavors. Well, I can certainly say it smells good! The aroma is a blend of coconut, honey, and delicate floral with hints of lettuce and cream. It is very sweet and rich, especially strong in the coconut department.

This is one of those teas that when it is steeping it fills the entire area up with its aroma, specifically its coconutty aroma. The wet leaves are intensely coconutty, but there are also notes of honey, fresh vegetation, and a touch of lettuce. The liquid smells like coconut bread, fresh vegetation, and flowers. It is mild in comparison to the leaves, and fairly relaxing in its mellowness.

Tasting time, and I am excited, I have a serious weakness for coconut (one time on a 22 hour bus trip I subsided on coconut water alone) and tend to get bouncy when I am about to ingest something with coconut in it. Starting out is an oily and smooth mouthfeel, very typical of teas with coconut pieces in it, coconut is just so oily that it will always turn the tea oily. The taste instantly reminds me of coconut milk, specifically of one of my favorite desserts: coconut tapioca. I first discovered this at a Thai restaurant as a kid, my grandmother and I instantly fell in love with it, it then became a tradition that she would make it for the two of us to share. There is the obvious taste of coconut, but there are also notes of honey, cream, tapioca, and a tiny touch of flowers. This tea is tasty both hot and chilled, though I prefer it hot.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-persimmon-tree-tea-company-coconut.html

Yay, a tea flavoured with a tropical fruit that doesn’t just taste like Generic Tropical Flavours™. The guava and strawberry flavours go well together and they aren’t overly strong or artificial-tasting which is always appreciated. I can taste ginger but it’s a just a faint hint of warm spiciness that doesn’t overcome the rest of the tea. This is the second white tea sample I’ve tried from the Persimmon Tree and I’ve enjoyed both, so I’m thinking I’ll have to order more teas to to try from them sometime soon.

Admittedly when I was brewing this I didn’t remember what kind of tea is was and I was too lazy to look it up. It DOES NOT say on the tin. Oolong? Huh. Well, I got this as part of a gift set (to myself) purely because someone reviewed THIS tea, and I felt the set was the best value. I’m a sucker for sales and sets. I probably should mention that I got it in the mail a couple of months ago now and am only just getting around to it. =(

I was ALSO trying out a new infuser cup, and thankfully this tea has pretty large leaves because the ceramic infuser has pretty large holes. It also gets really really hot. But it has a panda on it and I couldn’t resist.

It really is more on the dessert side of the Mandarin. I don’t remember the review very well at this point, but for some reason when I brewed it up I was expecting something a bit more citrusy and crisp. This is like Mandarin creme cake, all the way- still very yummy but not what I was expecting.

This has held strong through 3 resteeps, boiling water, 3min each.

I like this one. The dry leaf has a fine pipe tobacco leaf aroma. The cup smells sweet and fruity. The taste is bold but not harsh. A little tongue tingle but not bitter or particularly drying. Nice light maltiness in the fruity aftertaste. The Persimmon Tree says this tastes boldly of apple. To me it was more woodsy with fruity grape leaf notes. Sniffing the cooling wet leaf (I can’t help myself) really brings out that grape aroma. Not really sweet but sweet enough on its own that even I thought sweetener was a detraction. I have very little experience with Darjeeling in general but that does not stop me from saying I enjoyed this one.

This blend uses green rooibos paired with peach, orange, and strawberry to create an incredibly sweet tea that doesn’t need any added sugar. While I do love the combination of fruits used in this blend, I find that the sweetness makes it hard to distinguish the individual flavors. Peach is by far the most noticeable flavor, followed up with a slight tang from the orange peel. After a few sips from my cup all I taste is peach, the rest of the flavors are buried underneath, leaving me with a rather one-dimensional cup of tea. I had hoped for a blend that was a little more evenly balanced, but if you like your tea on the sweet side, this does make a nice sweet iced tea.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2014/8/5/tuesday-tea-peach-picnic-the-persimmon-tree-tea-company.html

This tea is quite decadent. Dried leaf aroma smells exactly the same as the way it tastes, which I always love. This is like drinking a nice, hot version of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet, but less sweet. The first taste is of a strong vanilla, then it ebbs a little bit into some floral fruit flowers, a bit of oak and rum, then comes back to the creaminess. Sadly, I think the oolong is a little lost in this blend, but it still tastes very good. I don’t think I could drink this too often since it is a heavier tea, but I have brewed it up several times and gulped it down before writing any notes!

First Sip Thought: “Breathtaking!”

Smell: Woo…very fragrant but that’s to be expected with something as precious as Jasmine Pearls. Even though the Jasmine smell is quite strong, I feel like the floral scent relaxes me. The after steep colour was surprisingly very bright.

Taste: Move over diamonds, this girl has a new best friend in town: Jasmine Pearls! Before trying them I was aware how beautiful it would be to watch the tight leaves unfurl. It’s an added bonus! This tea would be ideal for tea meditation because it’s hard to not focus on the steep process. These Jasmine Pearls have a smooth taste with sweet undertones. Drinking this tea is sort of like indulging in a cup of green tea outside near a bed of Jasmines. As mentioned in the “smell” section, the jasmines are made evident quite well. Some might think too much but I find that with the taste it isn’t as strong as the smell made it seem. If you’re a jasmine lover you should not have any problems with it.

www.theteacupoflife.blogspot.com

Finally, I have finished the pile of Toshie’s Jewels for my planned garland. Though finishing my garland I think it is too big for my Tea Lair and I will put it in the bedroom instead. If I am lucky Espeon will not take up acrobatics to attack it, if not, well it will be entertaining to watch. The paper I used is probably some of the prettiest origami paper I have used, the detail on the patterns is just spectacular, I want more but it is obnoxiously hard to find and really expensive. It was luck and ebay that got me the paper in the first place.

Today’s tea is Lotus from The Persimmon Tree Tea Company, a Vietnamese green tea scented in the traditional way with lotus blossoms giving this tea an ancient feel. The process of scenting a tea is really quite neat, for Lotus scent, the green tea is stuffed into a lotus blossom overnight or the stamens are taken from the lotus flowers and placed in a jar overnight with the tea, there they absorb its aroma and lends a floral taste to the tea. The website advises multiple steeps, so you know what that means, gaiwan time! The aroma of the dry leaves is pretty intense, very strong anise aroma with touches of honey, yeasty bread, green stems, and just the faintest hint of pepper. It is strange to call such a spicy aroma heady, but it is like sniffing a spicy flower.

After a nice visit with some warm water in the gaiwan, the now wet leaves’s aroma fills my tea lair with anise and pepper. The aroma is a paradox, it manages to be both heavy and light, it is one of the few times I have a hard time explaining the effect. The intensity gives it weight, but the notes in the aroma make it seem light, it is a pretty cool sniffing experience. The liquid has notes of cream, anise, honey, pepper, and a touch of refreshing green at the finish.

The first steep starts off quite sweet and rich, like honey drizzled yeasty bread that was baked with loads of anise. This initial spicy sweetness fades to a mildly peppery and cooked spinach finish. The mouthfeel starts out smooth then fades to just a tiny bit dry at the end.

Second steeping time! The aroma is not as strong, the anise and pepper notes are very delicate and there is an aroma of fresh vegetation, very reminiscent of walking through a garden after a rain storm. The taste is also more green than the previous, it starts with fresh vegetation and spinach. This fades to anise and pepper and then finished with a fairly potent honey aftertaste.

And now it is time for the final dance with this scented tea, the aroma of the third steep has gone around to being anise heavy, with accompaniment of raw honey and fresh vegetation. The mouthfeel starts a bit dry, almost sharp, but that changes to smooth fairly quickly. All that is left of this tea is anise and a touch of pepper, the blend of just anise and pepper this time around reminds me more of spicebush than actual anise. There is a hint of raw honey at the aftertaste that lingers for a bit. This is truly a unique tea, if you have never experienced Lotus scented tea I would definitely recommend it.

For photos (including origami! woo!) and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-persimmon-tree-tea-company-lotus.html

Sipdown (136/143)!

First tea sample from my swap with Cameron B.! This one appealed to me primarily because of the banana in it – I was very interested to see how it would play with a rooibos base or the chamomile.

I have to say, I really didn’t smell or taste the rooibos at all in this; if I couldn’t see the abundance of it, I might not have even known it was there. However, I don’t have nearly as much of a rooibos sensitivity as most people on Steepster seem to have, and I am somewhat sensitive to chamomile so those two things should definitely be taken into consideration.

The chamomile for me was very present and kind of distraction; I felt like it didn’t fully mesh with the banana/coconut, although I think I understand the intent behind including it, and even if I was kinda distracted by it I did feel soothed drinking it, which is a weird and conflicting set of feelings. The coconut was steadily present throughout the whole cup (I’ve had a few coconut teas from this company now, and I’m beginning to form the impression that they do coconut pretty well). The banana fluctuated a little for me depending on the temperature; when it was hotter I didn’t notice it as much but as it cooled down I thought it was more present and powerful, and definitely not as masked by the chamomile. I also want to note that all banana I tasted, no matter how strong, slightly reminded me of a not quite ripe banana. You know, that “green” peel kinda flavour?

On the whole though; this was drinkable and fairly enjoyable if not very bemusing.