Popular Tasting Notes
A few weeks ago, I was invited to a friends birthday party…I brought this tea among others for her to try.
I bought a cute little tea pot for her cause she just started drinking tea. Everyone had to try to come up with the most creative idea to wrap her gifts. My wrapping won, here’s a fun pic of what it looked like:
http://instagram.com/p/rXbVauQh-r/
When she saw this tea, she said the same thing as I always do (Mandy, close your eyes): Spider legs.
http://instagram.com/p/rXvsgEQhw7/
Beautiful long strands of yummy goodness.
She’s not used to this type of straight tea, but she was blown away by it. She said it tasted like baked goods and honey! I praised her for that :-)
It also tastes very fruity to me, like raisins with some kind of boozy notes. (And yes Stacy if you read this, I will submit that!)
Having this tea in the Gaiwan is the best way possible IMHO. I like to brew it “Fairy Style”. But since I have quite a few yixing pots coming my way, I am thinking of dedicating one just for my beloved PTA and TWMB! Cause why shouln’t they have their own brewing vessels?
They certainly deserve it!
Oh my, this tea…
Ok, I have to admit: this is hands down one of the best friggin Dancong I have had to date.
It’s all citrus essential oils. Orange and clementine’s breeze, rounded by a roasted nutty cashew creaminess.
There’s a peppery finish, the way a good olive oil can be. I also get cilantro notes.
(Ok, note to self: make an orange, cashew, cilantro olive oil salad and drink this tea next time)
The citrus lingers forever and ever. Amen. Get this.
In other news, it’s that time of year here when tons of dragonflies gather above my rooftop, forming a big cloud. There’s literarily hundreds of them. It’s quite a phenomenon. They are so beautiful and whimsical. Iridescent blues and greens…just stunning.
This will last for about a week, every evening just before it gets dark.
You’ll guess, I have a thing for dragonflies. There’s just a mystic aura about them, so intriguing and fascinating.
I’m not superstitious, but I’d like to think they bring good luck. If not, at least I know for sure they bring me joy and happiness, just like this tea does :-)
Pic:
Lol, cilantro totally tastes like citrus to me, so maybe that’s what my reference is :-) and like I just mentioned ^ ^
, it’s just a subtle note I got, not a “flavour”.
Last 2 days i spent on Planet Jingmai by Crimson Lotus Tea. I think its my 3rd orb since i got it last April. its developing nicely. its thicker,leaves are getting darker. so sweet,almost no astringency, just barely. i used off boil water, that what i do for any sheng, young or middle aged. It was opening slowly and i was patient. ive had some other teas in between. it made me very mellow and relaxed.
i started in 90ml shiboridashi and ended up in 150ml yixing pot. i had to give a room for the leaves explosion!
https://instagram.com/p/BAapeHdBwga/
https://instagram.com/p/BAatmxZBwn3/
Preparation
@ Kirkoneill1988 cool , apology not needed . I thought you’ve tried and it was bitter for you. Misunderstanding
An incredibly caring Steepster friend is concerned that all I’m drinking are samples from other people, and that I should take some time and enjoy some of my favorite teas. I’m searching for the great teas, but not enjoying the one’s I’ve found. I’ve decided to “sort of” take that advice.
I have sent samples of this out to several people, and assume that it is going to be amazing, but I’ve never actually drank it. So tonight I’m taking a ME tea night to explore the dark side.
I threw about 2.5 tsp of this into my gravity steeper, gave it a quick wash and then let it steep – I’ve read lots of review that say that this is AMAZING if steeped for a long time. I’m watching and waiting, and it’s getting darker, and darker, and I chicken out at about 4 minutes. OK 4 minutes is a LONG steep for pu’erh – at least for me…
Wow this is crazy – unlike any other pu’erh I’ve tried. There really isn’t any of the musty/earthy typical pu’erh taste – it is just deep dark chocolate – maybe a hint of “pu’erh” in the back but it’s just adding depth to the chocolate. OK I’m a believer.
I add another couple of tsp of new leaf to the old leaf (I don’t care it’s my tea night I can do what I like) – gave it another quick rinse and let it steep for NINE minutes.
OMG – this is unsweetened cocoa from a fine chocolatier. I add about a tsp of sweetener and just a splash of milk – just enough to change the color. This is my new favorite chocolate tea. I love this.
Now what do I do? I think I’m going to take the leaves and toss them in the fridge to cold steep. If anyone hasn’t tried it – cold steep pu’erh is crazy good.
As always, thank you Mandala for another amazing tea experience.
Yay! I love this one. And I love that someone was awesome and reminded you you should not get overwhelmed with sampling and take some time out for whatever you want to drink. Definitely.
My oregano bush is in bloom, and like every year, it hosts a bumble bee party. So cute to watch them working their little butts off.
Thank you bees for all your hard work…because of you, my oregano looks like a micro forest!!
I had Sleeping Bear in the middle of the afternoon. I usually have it at night. But it was raining and this tea reminds me how rain tastes in my forest, so it was the perfect companion.
I’m on a “monthly subscription” for this tea…meaning, I buy it once a month cause it’s that good and I get to have the newest harvest every time.
Out of the three different harvests I have tried so far, this one is the best. It’s a little more piney than the others, and the jasmine is just perfect. The scent is therapeutic, it elevates me…I feel like I’m resting on a little cloud made of jasmine blossoms and soft pine needles.
So good that I re-steep it. Yes, cause Whispering Pines has made a re-steeper out of me!
This tea is available in small quantities starting on the first day of each month :-)
Usually sells out pretty quickly, so keep an eye out for it!
It a rainy day…non stop showers. I know it’s not recommended, but I can’t help it, I went for a swim, it was so invigorating! But now I am freezing to death, water is still at a chilling 67F!!!
I thought S’mores would make me feel warm and cozy inside.
So, you know when I have a new favourite teaware, that’s all I can talk about…sorry if I’m being annoying with…my new 24oz latte mug!!!
I don’t even drink milk, I know…but I like a big cup sometimes! I also love the new vegetal milks I have discovered lately and have been experimenting with them. My newfound love: quinoa milk. So creamy and nutty, without any of the dairy cow milk taste I dislike so much, especially in hot beverages.
So why not try S’mores as a latte and make it a little “chai-esque”?
It’s a hit. Oh, yum. That smoke against the nuttiness of the milk makes it really s’mores graham cookie like!
It’s already the end though, sad face, I’m all out now :-(
On to the repurchasing list it goes!
Oh, and I feel all warmed up now :-)
Yep, Chaga is 100% edible. Well, with water or alcohol extraction. It’s considered “the mushroom of immortality” and is used extensively in Chinese medicine. It goes by the name Bai Hua Rong I believe in Chinese medicine, and is considered the king of all healing herbs. Basically if you drink chaga tea every day, you’ll stay at a VERY low risk or be totally immune to cancer cells, your immune system will be godly, and your overall health will increase dramatically. I’m a huge believer in the stuff. I drink it daily along with reishi and turkey tail mushrooms, too. Goes beautifully boiled with some elderberries and black tea.
First Tasting…from a sample I received with my last Verdant order. (Prior to my full cake purchase arriving.)
Intro
I didn’t realize at first that the sample I received with my order was the same as the 07 cake I later purchased. The label was marked 06 instead of 07.
I thought I had received one of those extra’s that are never going up on the Verdant site, or a future tea that might be released in a few weeks. You never know with tea, things are always changing.
Tasting at H.L.
So I took my little sample to Happy Lucky’s to taste with my tea friends, Sam and Joe, and my granddaughter Schey.
Joe set up a little Gaiwan and 4 cups, then rotated through 7 short steepings.
From the beginning I didn’t think he used enough leaf and the steep time was instant, but he thought otherwise.
The first steeping was tongue numbing, and tasted ashy. The smell was sweet tobacco. The Pu’er was never bitter or harsh, just ashy tasting and vegital.
That didn’t concern me, I knew how a first steeping was so often unreliable in judging what future steepings would taste like.
It took 3 additional steepings for the ash and tobacco taste to subside, finally allowing a lighter, green tea flavor to emerge with a slight astringency.
I determined then to spend time at home brewing this Pu’er ‘MY WAY’. Something wasn’t right.
Curious about my sample, I sent David Duckler an e-mail. He said the handwritten sample said ’06 but was really the 2007 Fuhai Sheng. Aha!
Now I knew how to brew!
Prep
I decided to do a Western Style brewing to get a larger amount of tea all at once to envelop myself in the aroma and flavor. I also wanted to use lots of leaf.
I used SPRING WATER!!! (I do believe this made a big difference)
Steep time….1 minute! 8 oz water 5 grams or so leaf
The aroma of the leaves was lightly vegital with a background scent of Grammer School paste.
The color remained pale yellow.
The scent of the tea changed in such a peculiar way. I smelled sweet tobacco in the beginning then sweet spiced pickle, cinnamon, savory and sweet green tea.
Second Tasting Western Style
With the very first sip I was stunned at how instantly the tea numbed my tongue. Not just the tip but under the tongue.
The flavor was an ash-vegital taste that wasn’t too salty. The Pu’er was never bitter or harsh and had a natural sweetness.
I had the sensation of cream without a thick mouth-feel.
As the tea cooled just slightly there was a growing presence of cinnamon.
I was pleased that my choice to brew Western Style using more leaf and longer steep time had worked out so well!
The second steep was like the first and the third was less ashy, dryer and a weaker cup.
I needed to make an adjustment!
At Stepping #4, I changed the time to 1 minute 45 seconds. Perfect!
Always the experimenter, and following a hunch…I took a small break, took a bite of chicken and came back to my tea (just seconds away to keep the tea hot).
By taking that break, I discovered the Pu’er’s Savory personality! Sipping the Pu’er was really good with my light chicken dish in a way that an excellent light savory broth would be.
I could still feel a bit of tingle, that numbing feeling in my mouth that was kind of cool and a green plantain starchy flavor that is a little sweet as it begins to ripen with a hint of cinnamon (super light). (The cinnamon was sometimes only on the nose)
Conclusions
For my first encounters with this Pu’er, I didn’t taste apricot or nut.
The environment often changes what you taste from one day to another too. This is why I seldom eat before tasting tea.
Perhaps in the future my experience will deepen and I will taste many things as the Pu’er itself changes.
My recommendation is to use the best water, don’t skimp on leaf and steep long enough to get good flavor. If at first you don’t succeed try again. I bought a cake and a sample size to play with. Sheng is not like Shu Puerh. This is not earthy, fishy or mushroom tasting.
Sheng are a whole different adventure in the world of Pu’er and I for one have a lot to learn.
About how much leaf was used in the gaiwan and was there a rinse? When I read you used more leaf at 5g/8oz I kinda choked a little on the bran flakes I was eating, hahaha. I always start around 4g/100mL with both sheng and shu, though I vary the time and temp between ’em.
Thomas S- Well, the first time (using a Gaiwan) was about 2g in 4oz water for about 20-30 seconds and weak (remember I said I told the guy he needed more leaf) so I knew that going to 5g in 8oz water would be fine. I did 1 rinse. It was the time that mattered. I increased the time to about 1 minute right off.
(Verdant suggests 4g for 8oz water starting at 30 seconds for Western Style then increasing to 1 minute)
Today was such a dramatic day I… left my job.
Wow.
I was shaking when I got home – it really didn’t sink in. And now? I’m elated! (Don’t worry folks, I have another temp job lined up)
And I reeeeally needed a calm down tea. But also a super special one! And so, out pops my best friend, Laoshan White. Thanks LW, for seeing me through this crazy time!
Yikes! I got the impression that it perhaps wasn’t going wonderfully, but I see that may have been an understatement. I hope things improve with the next one!
Simply the best tea from Della Terra Teas to date.
I pray that this is not a seasonal only tea.
If it is going to be seasonal only then I need to really REALLY stock up as this I am in love with.
This is THE most marshmallowy tea I have ever tasted. Yet not just marshmallow but caramel marshmallow!
Full review will be posted on http://sororiteasisters.com/
but for now – GET SOME before I get it all!
Mmmm, having a cup right now. Recently, I have been on this kick looking for probiotics and fermented foods. I have a few food intolerances (sorbitol & fructose and maybe a few others too that I haven’t been tested for yet) and have been reading about adding good bacteria to help get rid of those intolerances. I plan on doing a fast at some point as well. I took this puerh course that talked about all the positive bacteria in puerh and showed us what it looked like and the breakdown of the bacteria. A study done in China had claimed that these bacteria could survive the hot water and stomach acid. Whether this is true or not, I’ll take any good bacteria I can get.
The smell of this tea is a strong sweet chestnut. There is also something almost sour in the aroma of the tea. When I sip it the first thing I notice is roasted chestnuts. I’m also getting some sour dough, tabaco, and toasted rice notes. The taste remains long after the sip and becomes drying though in a different way than most teas that are astringent and almost sticks to your mouth. This tea is different than any other tea I have tried but its so delicious. It reminds me a little bit of coffee, though I am certainly no expert on coffee, but it is much gentler.
I was very excited when I first tasted this puerh. I had never seen a Japanese puerh before. After a bit of research, I found out that this is a relatively new type of tea. There are other Japanese fermented teas but I have not been able to find anything that is made in a similar way.
Pretty well. I typically take the probiotic pill in the morning at home…then take the antibiotic two hours o so later. Take another pro around lunch time and my anti pill after dinner. I have Lyme Disease so I’m trying to do all that I can to get better.
I’m not a Cyber-toothed -tiger! (Cyber Monday in the U.S.A.!)
I’ve been in my pink polka-dot jammies ‘ALL DAY’ because I don’t feel well. Over these jammies, I’ve wrapped myself in a red plaid shawl …and I have red fuzzy socks on my feet. When My body aches I drink tea, go to sleep…drink tea…come here and ’I’m Thankful’ that ya’ll can’t see me!
I can’t afford all the sales that are out there today, sorry to say. Maybe next year I’ll be ready for them. We’ll see. I still have lots of tea to drink in my cupboard and some samples from sTEAp Shoppe to review!
This little tea had a curious combo of ingredients. I couldn’t imagine the tea taste. Sometimes, I have an idea of what I’m about to taste. The ones I can’t imagine can be a disaster if the ingredients are weird.
None of the ingredients in this tea were unknown to me, just never imagined together in a tea. Especially curious to me was the Lingonberry which is sweet/tarte little seed-like berries mixed with Black Tea.
Brew Time:
I set the brew time as suggested (2 minutes). My later comment to Janet at sTEAp Shoppe was that I liked a little longer steep (2.5 to 3 minutes) and a 3 minute second steep worked well also.
Taste:
I didn’t expect this tea to taste fantastic. Lack of respect on my part. I should know better!
At first, before the fruit flavors developed in the black tea, it tasted like yummy Black Tea with Vanilla.
Then, with a little longer steeping…the Honey flavor developed and a little Lingonberry, which was so light, popped up in the background.
Goodness…this tea was so full of rich, layered flavors that it caught me off guard.
Even though there are Maple Sugar Crystals in the tea, you don’t taste Maple. What you taste is Vanilla Honey woven with a Caramel Trio of Black Tea’s and a subtle hint of Lingonberry (like Jam).
This was like having a European layered pastry. A waffle!
So, good. FYI, BTW …(I sweetened my dessert waffle tea!)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thank you Invader Zim for this wonderful tea gift sample!
I saved this ‘Experimental Pressing Sample’ that Invader Zim shared with me from her Tea Club offering for tonight, New Year’s Eve!
(If I saved every tea to drink on special occasions that I’ve received from friends here on Steepster, each day would have to be a Holiday!)
Steepster people are the BEST!
The little cube of pressed Pu’er is beautiful. It looks like a jewel. You really can’t tell from the picture, but there’s a sheen…a brilliance that I’ve never seen before as though delicate silk threads are woven into the leaves.
My instructions were to use half the small square jewel, boiling water…1 rinse and then steep 6-8 seconds in 4 oz. water multiple times.
The aroma after the rinse was different than any Pu’er I’ve had before. It smelled like a light black tea with honey and malt and no aroma of typical earthy Pu’er. This was altogether peculiar.
The liquor was pure bright gold, which sparkled in my glass mug. (It’s worth it to have clear glass to see the color on this tea!)
My first sip was sweet and juicy, more like a light Nepalese Black Tea with a hint of Darjeeling than Pu’er. Brisk and clean, not astringent or dry.
How could this be a Pu-er? I’d never tasted anything like this before. No earthiness! No barn or stable, no mushrooms, cedar, bread or cake. What was this all about?
The second steep revealed raw sugar crystals…the kind I sometimes don’t put into my tea but just pop into my mouth like little candies with their faint taste of molasses. Smooth, clean and lovely tasting.
For the third pour I added a few seconds on the steep time and thought there was a fruity flavor, very faint but there. I couldn’t figure out what it was because every time I went… “That’s the one!”, it was too strong. Not peach, apricot or any other flavor, so…I changed my mind. I concluded that the taste was honey/agave. Mixed together agave reduces the honey taste which is what I imagined tasting this delicate tea.
As I was pouring the 4th steep into my glass, I was mumbling to myself…“What’s the fruit flavor in this tea, something is in there, I know it from somewhere?”
I was turning to sit at the table where I was making my notes…and the answer came to my mind.
“Ripe…yellow Golden Delicious Apple Pulp!” Just like that.
That was it! These sweet apples grew outside my bedroom window in California from age 7-20. A dwarf golden tree that spread out branches horizontally and had to be propped up on stakes because there were so many apples. I had eaten my share of sweet, warm fleshed goodness and this Pu-er tasted remarkably like them.
Other apples are tart and may have tart skins but not these apples. Everything is sweet like candy and juicy. The sunshine comes inside to such an extent that you can almost hand-squeeze the apple juice out of them. Nothing in the stores can compare with these lovelies.
(If you’re not familiar with this taste, it’s a bit like the flesh of a sweet Bosc Pear).
To be more certain, I added a few grains of sugar and the tea flavor didn’t turn into caramel. It stayed apple.
This is a unique and absolutely outstanding Pu’er!
Personal Note
The Best Thing to happen to me in many years has been finding the people here on Steepster!
I am amazed at how generous and caring everyone is!
If I were able to do it, I’d rent a resort and fly everyone in for
a vacation where we could all share tea and good food. You are the
best and I couldn’t be more proud or humbled to be a part of such
a place as this.
Thank you to the creators of Steepster!
With Great Affection for All of You, Happy New Year!
http://youtu.be/STqDowSbSTQ Auld Lang Syne on Bagpipes (What can I say, I’m a Scot)
I have high hopes of Davind putting it on regular sale since he did double the amount of the sample “because buying directly from farmers turned out to be cheaper” I so hope to buy this on a regular basis…
Okay all, I am getting ready to preach!
Three years ago this week I went for a mammogram. I was about a year late because I was too busy to get one and since I was the poster child for low risk factor I really didn’t need to go, did I now? There was no lump, no changes. But it came back abnormal.
A second one was ordered, then a biopsy, and finally on December 21st I received the official diagnosis. I had cancer. The cancer it was impossible for me to have because I had four kids, I breastfed them, and there was no family history of it.
How does this apply to tea?
This is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Panera Bread sells a special bagel in the shape of a ribbon. It is cherry vanilla flavored and I miss it when they quit making them.
Today I ground some wheat and made my usual buttermilk bread loaf, but this time I added some vanilla, Craisins, and chopped walnuts to try to recreate the taste of the bagel I love but can only buy one month out of the year. This loaf of bread is already history. Writer’s Group finished all that was left after tea time today! I also made a homemade version of Panera’s Cheesecake Spread, which is just cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon. (I left out the crushed graham crackers.)
What would be more perfect to pair with it than Mike Harney’s masterful Boston Blend? Everyone went so nuts over this tea that I made three large pots just for group, and one at tea time earlier. One group member who is crazy about green teas and jasmine teas said it was her most favorite tea of all the ones she has ever had at my house…and she isn’t even a huge black tea fan!
This is an intimate, cozy up tea. A quiet steady friend tea. A comfort tea.
Now, if you are female, make sure you have had your mammogram. If you are male, pester the women in your life to get one. My husband prodded me to go, “just to be sure.” I am thankful.
Great! and it really isn’t so bad, especially if you get the digital machines. The only one I really hated was two weeks after my first surgery they did one. OWOWOWOWOW! LOL! ,a inky because the plate was shoved into the incision under my arm. But other than that it has been fine. For the first few after the surgeries, and they do them more frequently then, I took ibuprofen before going and it really was no biggie.
Ahhhgg, so this Friday didn’t go so well. Everything that could have gone wrong did, including computer crashes and software lock outs and batches of tea ruined. One thing that happened was when I tried to log on to our company Facebook, I was locked out. It wouldn’t let me back in unless I converted to a business account. I knew this would not be good but did not think it would be as bad as it was. When I got back in, all comments and messages were erased. I tried to do a test post but the statistics showed that only one person read the post. Since they want us to pay everytime we post to reach people who were already our friends, this is just not really an option. I made another Facebook page for myself but will be posting only tea updates with maybe an occasional joke. Like before it will be mostly updates on new teas, contests, articles, and occasional reviews. I’m having a tough time finding some of our friends from before. Here is a link to the new page: https://www.facebook.com/stacy.lim.338. We will probably be doing a Facebook Contest soonish as well, to encourage some more sign ups. Luckily the rest of the weekend went fantastic! I went to see one of my favorite bands at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn then went to my first hipster wedding the next day. Fantastic location, it was on the rooftop right next to the Empire State Building.
This tea is fantastic! This rarely happens, but we went for the lower grade of tea from this estate. It is still a SFTGFOP, which is the top grade but it is very affordable and is even more flavorful than the more expensive tea. This year I didn’t get around to tasting 2nd flushes until much later than I should have. We tasted about 40 second flush teas all at once. This one really stood out and I would say that it is a Darjeeling for people who don’t like Darjeelings. It’s very malty, super buttery and has a delicious burned chocolate flavor and is nutty. There are light undertones of floral but they are hardly noticeable. This is a tea that I don’t mind drinking all day long. Yesterday I had 3 cups of it in a row and I’m drinking it now. My only issue with this tea is that it is very easy to oversteep but that can be remedied by adding more water. We will definitely be using this as a base tea for at least one flavored tea.
Nice, both of those are excellent! Hahaha, I was a pathetic goth too. I even had the whole black hair thing going for a few years. That’s quite a range on those mix cds. Mix cds are the best. I’ve participated in a few group music exchanges where you send your mix cd to everyone in the group and you receive one from everyone in the group. I’ve found some great music that way from people around the world. Confession time, I still really like Tears For Fears. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone.
OMG!!! WOW!!! I don’t care that this is tea bags, I don’t care that it doesn’t count in my chai quest (re the coconut) – This is one of the best chais I’ve come across. This totally works. Lots of coconut – almost to the point that I think it’s more of a spicy coconut rather than chai – nice delicate spices. Add a little sweetener, add just a touch of milk and you are left with a delightful cup of sweet, creamy, coconut, spicy goodness.
This goes right on the shopping list. (Where do I buy it?)
Thank you OMGsrsly for introducing me to this amazing tea!!!!
Sipdown! (158)
I’m especially happy to finish this one as I bought it last February and it’s time to clear it out. Sure, I didn’t open the bag up until a month or so again so it was fresh but I’m pretty happy with my recent efforts to keep my tea rotated! So when I log a tea that I already have in stock, it gets a seperate entry on my sheet so I know how old the oldest stuff is and how new the newest. (Thanks Sil for that tip)
We were talking about tea earlier (right? who does that?) and I realized that 90% of my teas were purchased AFTER July 2013. So, that’s damn fresh.
Damn fresh.
Sipdown! So i have to say, I tried this a while back and liked it a lot but then forgot about it because it’s a green tea and i don’t drink those often. VariaTEA sent a sample to me, which i opened up today in an effort to get ahead with my sipdowns since now i might not have the weekend at all for tea drinking!
…We’re driving to Detroit on Friday night, Chicago on Saturday, and then all the way back to Toronto on Sunday. Because we can. lol…
I love this even more than the first time. Something about the vanilla and caramel REALLY makes me happy. it’s deliciously creamy and wonderful and now i want more. So maaaaybe i can convince my friend to trek up to Miami in February heh :) Thanks variatea!
sadly it would be the last week in February..if i can convince folks to make the drive. We’re usually only in the orlando area when we o.
First cup of tea in MY HOUSE! We moved into OUR HOUSE! yesterday and I had a cup of this with my mother while the menfolk did all the schlepping. Our task was mostly to unpack what could be unpacked (really just the kitchen and the bathroom), heat lunch in the oven (a rooty lasagna), keep the cats calm and generally stay out from underfoot. OUR HOUSE! is all-over chaos with chaos on at the moment. Boxes and stuff everywhere, but we have the internet and our computers up and running, so chaos is not likely to be going down very quickly. Emptied the rest out of our old place today and cleaned it, so we’re both quite tired. Am now having some ice cream, before we’ll be going to bed for our second night in OUR HOUSE!
At least tomorrow we can go to work and relax. ;)
hum, when did blueberry become my default comfort tea? it wasn’t a conscious decision, but the day has been long, the sleep has been little and i am grateful to yyz and her swap package for this tasty sample!
by the by… what contractor builds walls without a vapour barrier? by the by part II: if you get a text from a tenant about a ‘little’ mold in a closet… break out the blueberry tea. the long day is going to segue into several more.
this tea is not candy or jam. it is soft, fresh blueberries with beautiful sky swirled flowers falling in my cup. the tea itself has a warm element, almost woody and somewhere in there i detect a note of green… as though the odd stem or leaf had been left with the blueberries. the green makes me smile further.
i think is my favourite part of swaps…. trying teas i never would have otherwise, being sent things that my friends think i may enjoy that i really, really do. i wonder if swapping teas counts as a hobby.
i dislike contractors…. at least the ones that cut corners.
thank you for my lovely cup of calm, yyz….
Preparation
so we all love tea and many of us have tattoos… many of us are artists, many of us are students…. so many connections. what a brilliant thing.
oh and dexter… yes, i think ‘functional’ but ‘muted’ is precisely what she would have wanted, lol! i’m not a terribly quiet individual. i’m guessing that comes across and doesn’t surprise anyone on steepster. =0)
Aaah… I’ve had a good morning so far.
Got out of bed at 4:30am in order to go outside and watch the sunrise… a cup of Ailaoshan in hand, my dog Dexter by my side.
Love the feeling at that hour of the day, it’s like the world stopped, everything got suspended in time for you to admire. It’s so quiet, it has you think you are the only one blessed enough to witness such beauty.
That feeling is ephemeral, cause a few minutes later, nature starts its joyful symphony, and you are quickly reunited with life.
I love this tea. It fills my head with beauty and happiness, starts my day in the best possible way.
Still getting those sweet and salty caramel notes, with some nice cocoa feel.
Love the fruitiness of it, dried dates and figs.
A favourite of the morning….Forever and ever.
Understand the night and morning person thing. I just have to watch out for the phase out in the middle of the day thing bred into me by years of boredom at school.
Yyz, hate napping in the afternoon, it’s screws me up more than my insomnia!!
Brendan, mmm, fresh mushroom…what kind do you get? Have to be careful though…
And mosquitos have been the worst here this year, they are so big, and they give me allergic reactions, i have a bite the size of an orange on one leg, dammit!
Working this one up tonight. I bought this after tasting a sample of it a while back. Mengsong material is usually pretty decent.
I grabbed 11 grams out to start with and gave it a rinse and a little sit time.
Wet leaf you can pick some hints of floral but subdued and there is some smoke in there as well. The tea brews a nice aged golden color in the cup.
It starts out fairly thick and seems to rattle around in the mouth a bit. It is a pretty strong brew with the mintyness and camphor and bitterness rolling around in there. It is not as strong as a Bulang area tea but it is quite strong. Letting the cup cool a bit the bitterness can really come to the front. I see this one doing quite a few quick steeps as I am already 8 in and the leaf keeps giving. The aged profile of this will make you think it is a few years older than it actually is.
Flavors: Bitter, Camphor, Floral, Mint, Smoked
Preparation
Hi mrmopar, Yes, I thought 15 sec sounded longer than you typically recommend for a first steep. I will look for your update. AllanK’s 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, and 2 min seems works well for Baotang.
Tea of the night…
I love my little green teas. Yes, they are my little ones. I don’t drink them as often as my blacks and oolongs but I do appreciate them. Yes, I play on the dark AND the green side!
This is like drinking morning dew. As if I had gone out at the first hour of the day to collect in my glass steeper enough little grassy drops to fill a decent tiny cup. In French, morning dew is called “la rosée”, I love that word, it sounds so soft and fluffy, just like this tea is.
I took a picture…
I know, I know, I often like to show…well see, I don’t have a blog but I take pictures all the time, especially tea pictures, so why not share them? Of course you don’t have to click, I won’t be offended… But for those who love to watch, here it is:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14377042107/
Isn’t it pretty and tender looking? Like beautiful seaweeds, moving in slow motion.
It tastes so fresh and vegetal, a bit salty and marine. It’s a pure and clean taste. The type I love to pair with fish.
I threw this one in my cart on last order cause ya know…my plan is to try ALL existing Whispering Pines teas!!!
I’m glad I did.Mine are all very plain, but wonderfully functional, all from Mandala. However, there are others I’ve been drooling over for awhile…
Yummy!!!
Now that some magician has handed me some dried elderberries, I was able to make the real version of this Northern Sweet Tea. Though my own temporary blueberry version was pretty darn delicious, I admit that it’s fun to have it the way it was meant to be.
It was hot today. This was the perfect iced tea.
Really, A little maple syrup added to Golden Orchid and some cute rustic tiny little berries….how could you not like this?
I drank two big mason jars today, and wanted more!! And the good thing is, I can make more, which makes me a very happy fairy :-)
I needed good sheng energy today (AKA sheng tripping)…
I planned on being a tea noodle all day and just take it easy, but this gave me such good energy, I had to go swimming for a while. (But I came back to being a tea noodle right after).
Mao cha is beautiful to look at. Silvery dark strands, super long and rigid, they beg for hot water to soften and relax.
The first steeps are so fresh, bright and mineral, with citrusy notes. Slightly astringent, but nothing offensive. I also get that very light camphor taste I have come to appreciate so much. I get the tingling tongue, which is always fun :-)
At around the 5th steep, it gets sweeter and smoother, spicy notes are also developing. It’s not woodsy or smokey at all, just pure and clean. I also get peachy notes, the type you find in white tea.
I’ve been sipping on those leaves all afternoon. This tea is fantastic, so glad I’ve included it in my order.
It gave me such a warm feeling, I feel invigorated and ready to watch the supermoon tonight with other Steepster members, from a distance…Fun!!!
WOW that vegetable wrapping is amazing! I love the radish and grape rosette. And I can’t wait to try this tea, I’m supposed to get my order tomorrow! :D
And I love the “spider leg” teas… They remind me of the branches of some dark and ancient gnarled tree. :3
Cameron, this tea is REALLY special! So fragrant… And the veggie wrapping was a lot of fun to do :-)
You’re so right about the ancient gnarled tree :-)
veggie wrap? WOW!
How are you so good at EVERYTHING? lol Nice pics, as usual!
“quite a few yixing pots”…
Just when I think you can’t get any cuter, you wrap a gift. :p
Missy…dunno what hou mean.
Sarsy, eating the grapes was part of the unwrapping :-)
Mj, you should try that some day, the person’s face who you give it to is just priceless :-)
Stephanie, all I needed was fresh produces some toothpicks and a glue gun!
“quite a few yixing pots”… I have failed miserably at my duties. :((
OMG! Don’t beat yourself over this…dex, if it weren’t from you, things would be so much more out of control!!!
(I may have done “things” since yesterday though)
She didn’t do it alone * blushes *
(shaking my head and heading back to my corner to play with my spread sheet – I’m going to be good and not buy more stuff…)
Dexter, i got help from an outsider too, a yixing guru. Oops. i think I may have forgotten to tell you about him.
Yixing guru? Can he/she tell me if my mystery pot is safe to drink out of? I see a whole collection of them in your future ;)
Lol, send me a picture again. Will ask him. Dunno if he can tell from a picture though :-/
Dexter, I’m not guru, but I want to see a pic. I’m quite obsessed with yixing lately
The veggie/fruit wrap is priceless. You are so creative.
Boychick
I have this set from Teavivre…
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/5233884c-3414-40aa-a60f-c5669f922a88_zps0cdbac01.jpg.html?sort=2&o=5
I have this one from Camellia Sinensis:
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/SpecialDarkPot1_zps46ba2ef9.jpg.html?sort=2&o=37
This one from Mandala:
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/mandalaPot_zpsc586f652.jpg.html?sort=2&o=39
This one from Mandala:
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/IMG_2833_zpsac226e36.jpg.html?sort=2&o=47
And this one that I bought locally and I’m not sure if it’s real or not….
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/IMG_27791_zpsc83eabc3.jpg.html?sort=2&o=41
Fairy – I’ll take some better photos and the stamp on the bottom and send them to you some day soon. I agree not sure how you tell from a photo…
I was must gonna say that, thanks.
And thanks boychik…my imagination runs wild sometimes :-o
Dexter, I think it’s safe, it’s looks like purple clay, no weird color. Again I dunno. it looks big. What about smell, sound?
My Camellia one is HUGE – but I seasoned it with Special Dark so that’s ok.
The one in question is about 200 ml. It looks ok, and smells ok to me. The clerk at the store wouldn’t commit to anything other than “clay” – but there was a language barrier. I know it’s not that well made – the lid doesn’t fit completely tight – can’t stop the pour buy blocking the hole in the lid.
It was cute, I was having a bad day – needed some shopping therapy, and I was just excited to have found one locally – so I bought it…
I have 2 new yixing en route…
I love my tiny teapots!
Dexter, I’m more concern with quality of clay than craftsmanship. It’s ok if lid is not tight, doesn’t effect
I understand that it’s the quality of clay that’s a concern – but I’m thinking crap craftsmanship = crap clay… maybe…? I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it yet – it’s cute – it sits on a book case… maybe one day I’ll season it and see if it tastes funny…
Dexter, don’t forget to send me the pics. Try to also take a pics of the inside, it can tell a lot. Also, don’t wait too long, i might not be in contact with yixing guru eternally :-) he was so nice with me, I’m sure he might be able to tell us something if the pictures are clear enough.