240 Tasting Notes
New tea!
I’ve been in the mood to try more black teas lately, and I just received a new order in the mail from Red Blossom Tea Company with just that. First up is this Organic Golden Monkey black tea.
Like usual, Red Blossom’s description is pretty accurate. The color I got from a 1:30 steeping time and 2.5 tablespoons of leaves in my 32 ounce Bodum Assam was a dark, deep, clear, reddish brown.
The aroma caught my eye first (or my nose, I guess…). It has a really nice, sweet smell, and lots of it. The website mentions sweet potato, yeah, I could see that. Nice and smooth presence in the aroma and taste.
For a long time I bought the Twinnings 4 pack of breakfast teas and thought the Irish Breakfast Tea in that package was the best black tea I had ever tried. I thought it had the perfect balance of sweet and fruity with plenty of kick while still remaining smooth. (This was before I discovered Red Blossom Tea Company and the wonders of high quality loose leaf teas) How wrong I was…
This Golden Monkey is good on all the fronts that I think of when I think black tea, without being over the top fruity or spicy. If you’re looking for a smooth black tea that is a bit on the light and sweet side, here you go!
I think it would make a great mid to late fall morning brew. Like right now. Win!
-E
Flavors: Roasted, Smooth, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes
Preparation
Blend Review:
Time for another new blend! How about a green tea and an anxi oolong? Why the hell not?
Time to taste a mix of Organic Celadon Pearl green tea and Money Picked Tieguanyin anxi oolong Tea, both from Red Blossom Tea Company in San Francisco. I had no reason or purpose to mix these two, just curiosity and the desire for something different today.
I used pretty much the same amount of each, maybe a tad more green. About 1 tablespoon of Tieguanyin and 1 heaping tablespoon of Celadon. Water was pulled off the burner at the first sign of bubbles, and I kept the steeping time down to 45 seconds, the recommended time for the green tea, the shorter recommended time of the two.
Thinking about it before I try it, the earthy, nutty, slightly smoky taste with a clean and clear feel and finish of the Celadon Pearl green should mix well with the roasted nut, rich, more fruity taste of the Tieguanyin anxi oolong.
Let’s find out:
Color is a nice orange/yellowish, almost but not quite clear. Slightly darker than a regular green tea. Looks a lot like a darkish India Pale Ale, for those beer folks out there.
Aroma is wonderful. The Celadon green tea really has a chance to shine in this mix, the Tieguanyin oolong perks up to the aroma very nicely. There is a certain sweetness in there from the Tieguanyin that REALLY enhances the experience. It’s like a green tea with big, huge extra flavor but without the bitterness of the extra steeping time.
On first sip I notice a nice, crisp, clean, super dry mouthfeel. This is definitely an enhanced green tea, not the other way around. The taste has all the qualities of a very good green tea, with extra sweetness and a very nice extra flavor: The roasted nut flavor of the Tieguanyin takes the nutty, earthy flavor of the Celadon and gives it a nice boost.
Overall, these two teas are very interesting together. I think they mix really well, especially for someone that likes the taste and feel of a good green tea, but also likes tea with a little more kick while trying to avoid any bitter qualities.
Good stuff! This will make a GREAT late fall, early winter sipping-while-reading tea!
Preparation
Blend Review:
Time for another new blend! How about a green tea and an anxi oolong? Why the hell not?
Time to taste a mix of Organic Celadon Pearl green tea and Money Picked Tieguanyin anxi oolong Tea, both from Red Blossom Tea Company in San Francisco. I had no reason or purpose to mix these two, just curiosity and the desire for something different today.
I used pretty much the same amount of each, maybe a tad more green. About 1 tablespoon of Tieguanyin and 1 heaping tablespoon of Celadon. Water was pulled off the burner at the first sign of bubbles, and I kept the steeping time down to 45 seconds, the recommended time for the green tea, the shorter recommended time of the two.
Thinking about it before I try it, the earthy, nutty, slightly smoky taste with a clean and clear feel and finish of the Celadon Pearl green should mix well with the roasted nut, rich, more fruity taste of the Tieguanyin anxi oolong.
Let’s find out:
Color is a nice orange/yellowish, almost but not quite clear. Slightly darker than a regular green tea. Looks a lot like a darkish India Pale Ale, for those beer folks out there.
Aroma is wonderful. The Celadon green tea really has a chance to shine in this mix, the Tieguanyin oolong perks up to the aroma very nicely. There is a certain sweetness in there from the Tieguanyin that REALLY enhances the experience. It’s like a green tea with big, huge extra flavor but without the bitterness of the extra steeping time.
On first sip I notice a nice, crisp, clean, super dry mouthfeel. This is definitely an enhanced green tea, not the other way around. The taste has all the qualities of a very good green tea, with extra sweetness and a very nice extra flavor: The roasted nut flavor of the Tieguanyin takes the nutty, earthy flavor of the Celadon and gives it a nice boost.
Overall, these two teas are very interesting together. I think they mix really well, especially for someone that likes the taste and feel of a good green tea, but also likes tea with a little more kick while trying to avoid any bitter qualities.
Good stuff! This will make a GREAT late fall, early winter sipping-while-reading tea!
Preparation
2nd steeping of yesterday’s leaves. I kept the steeping time the same, nice and low at 1:30. I still good a dark red, almost velvety color.
Aroma and taste are still right on. Not quite as big and bold as yesterday, but it still has that same sweet but super malty feel. No bitterness to be found.
Preparation
Damn this is rich. I almost want to use words like “creamy” and “thick” and “velvety”.
OK, that last one may be a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea. This tea is big and bold, but smooth as all hell. It really is an amazing thing. It’s complexity is as deep as pretty much any tea I have had in the past, but you don’t have to steep it long to get there. I only let it go for 1:30, and I still get all the malty goodness I could possibly want with a strong sweet feel, and no bitterness to be found, all in a deep, dark, velvety reddish black colored liqueur.
I really should have bought more of this, Red Blossom has been out of it the last several times I have checked their website. Oh well.Preparation
Blend review:
The continued steepings of a blend of Organic Shou Mei white tea and Lapsang Souchong black tea, both from Red Blossom Tea Company. This review is for the 2nd and 3rd steepings.
2 tablepoons Shou Mei
1 teaspoon (at the most) Lapsang Souchong
1st steeping 45 seconds
2nd steeping 55 seconds
3rd steeping 1 minute
4th steeping (?) 1 minute
195(ish, when bubbles first showed)
The 2nd steeping is not quite as good as the first. These two teas have very different lives through multiple steepings, and with much more of the Shou Mei white tea leaves than Lapsang Souchong black, the 2nd and 3rd steepings are pretty much all Shou Mei. The campfire smoke aroma and taste of the Lapsang is much more subtle in the 2nd, so much so that if I didn’t know it was there I would not notice. And the 3rd steeping it is gone altogether.
So, long story short, I really like this blend. I think I got the mix right, and the steeping time and temp was right on. However, for the 2nd and 3rd (and beyond) steepings, I will add a pinch more Lapsang to keep it going.
Preparation
Blend review:
The continued steepings of a blend of Organic Shou Mei white tea and Lapsang Souchong black tea, both from Red Blossom Tea Company. This review is for the 2nd and 3rd steepings.
2 tablepoons Shou Mei
1 teaspoon (at the most) Lapsang Souchong
1st steeping 45 seconds
2nd steeping 55 seconds
3rd steeping 1 minute
4th steeping (?) 1 minute
195(ish, when bubbles first showed)
The 2nd steeping is not quite as good as the first. These two teas have very different lives through multiple steepings, and with much more of the Shou Mei white tea leaves than Lapsang Souchong black, the 2nd and 3rd steepings are pretty much all Shou Mei. The campfire smoke aroma and taste of the Lapsang is much more subtle in the 2nd, so much so that if I didn’t know it was there I would not notice. And the 3rd steeping it is gone altogether.
So, long story short, I really like this blend. I think I got the mix right, and the steeping time and temp was right on. However, for the 2nd and 3rd (and beyond) steepings, I will add a pinch more Lapsang to keep it going.
Preparation
Short and sweet today. This tea makes one hell of a great sun tea. It’s literally everything I think of in a sun tea. Delicate, gentle, just a bit sweet with a hint of nuts, grass, earth and wood. A perfect sun tea!
I did use a bit less leaves today, only about 2 tablespoons in my larger tea ball. Seemed to do the trick.
Preparation
Blend review: This Lapsang Souchong and Red Blossom’s Organic Celadon Pearl.
OK folks, I’ve done it. I’ve found the ultimate tea blend.
2.5-3(ish) tablespoons of Red Blossom’s Organic Celadon Pearl Green Tea, and <1 teaspoon (no more than that!) of Red Blossom’s Lapsang Souchong Black Tea. I wanted to add a bit of interesting to the Celadon, and this Lapsang, in all it’s uber campfire smoke deepness, is the perfect candidate.
Tip: When blending multiple types of tea, keep the steeping time in line with whatever the lower count is. For example, blending a green tea (45 seconds recommended) and a black tea (1-2 minutes recommended), go with the lower time of 45 seconds. You will still get plenty of the stronger tea in there without ruining the lighter tea and making a mess of it.
This Celadon Pearl is a great green tea to use as a base with its wonderful grassy, earthy taste and feel, with a clean, crisp, dry finish. It really is deep and complex, at times I get an ocean breeze aroma. Add just a touch of the Lapsang Souchong. No really, just a touch. I used less than 1 teaspoon. The is an incredible strong and potent tea, any more than that and the campfire smoke will take over everything.
Just a touch, and you have a great blend. The color is a nice dark, clear yellow, almost orange. Every aroma, taste, and feel of the Celadon Pearl is allowed to shine through, and the Lapsang adds a wonderful bit of dark punch, just a hint of that campfire smoke it’s known for. This blend screams fall, and with that upon us, it’s time!
I’m still new to blends, and I have a lot to learn, but this will be one I will come back to from time to time.
-E
Preparation
Interesting, I never would have thought to mix a Lapsang and a green tea. What else have you mixed LS with?
It’s good, just a bit on the bitter side. Only use a little bit of Lapsang, it’s so strong you don’t want it to take over.
I’ve also tried this Lapsang with Red Blossom’s Organic Shou Mei white. Also great.
Blend review: This Organic Celadon Pearl and Red Blossom’s Lapsang Souchong.
OK folks, I’ve done it. I’ve found the ultimate tea blend.
2.5-3(ish) tablespoons of Red Blossom’s Organic Celadon Pearl Green Tea, and <1 teaspoon (no more than that!) of Red Blossom’s Lapsang Souchong Black Tea. I wanted to add a bit of interesting to the Celadon, and this Lapsang, in all it’s uber campfire smoke deepness, is the perfect candidate.
Tip: When blending multiple types of tea, keep the steeping time in line with whatever the lower count is. For example, blending a green tea (45 seconds recommended) and a black tea (1-2 minutes recommended), go with the lower time of 45 seconds. You will still get plenty of the stronger tea in there without ruining the lighter tea and making a mess of it.
This Celadon Pearl is a great green tea to use as a base with its wonderful grassy, earthy taste and feel, with a clean, crisp, dry finish. It really is deep and complex, at times I get an ocean breeze aroma. Add just a touch of the Lapsang Souchong. No really, just a touch. I used less than 1 teaspoon. The is an incredible strong and potent tea, any more than that and the campfire smoke will take over everything.
Just a touch, and you have a great blend. The color is a nice dark, clear yellow, almost orange. Every aroma, taste, and feel of the Celadon Pearl is allowed to shine through, and the Lapsang adds a wonderful bit of dark punch, just a hint of that campfire smoke it’s known for. This blend screams fall, and with that upon us, it’s time!
I’m still new to blends, and I have a lot to learn, but this will be one I will come back to from time to time.
-E
Ah, this is one of my faves :)