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I’m kind of at that point where I’ve had so much tea, and logged none of it, and now getting back into the swing of things feels overwhelming. So, I’m just going to go ahead and log the tea that’s sitting in my gaiwan right now. That’s not so hard, right? Right.

Oh hey, I picked up a cheap variable temp kettle from Superstore while I was in Winnipeg 3 weeks ago. And then I managed to locate an extension cord that allows me to keep the kettle on my kitchen table and still plug it in. Then I gathered my gaiwan, cha hai, steeping basket (I use it as a filter), and a little tiny cup. Put them all next to the kettle. Set myself up with my laptop at the table as usual for when I’m working from home. Ta da! Everything I need to make tea is right there. So basically what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been making All The Tea in my gaiwan for the past week. :) And so far I haven’t managed to dump any tea onto my laptop, so I’m definitely calling that a win.

I think I probably tried this one western style before, and couldn’t make up my mind about it. I’ll probably be making it in the gaiwan in the future, because it was pretty great this way! It’s definitely sweet all the way through many steepings. There was a prominent roasted-grain note early on, that gradually faded. I get the cocoa note, but I don’t find this tea to be overwhelmingly chocolatey, it’s more of a malty-grainy-cocoa blend, like Ovaltine (which I haven’t had in a million years, so I could be just imagining the comparison). Several times I smelled the empty cup just after sipping and got a really strong cinnamon note, which was interesting, because I didn’t get it nearly as strongly in the flavour. There definitely was a baked goods, desserty feel to this tea throughout. Tasty!

Flavors: Cocoa, Cookie, Grain, Pastries, Sweet, Toasted

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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Well it has been over a year and everyone I know thinks my tea obsession is a bit out of hand, so… I guess I’m not a total newbie anymore. :)

I’m drinking a lot more pure tea these days, though I still love a good flavoured blend too. Current favourites: Chinese and Taiwanese blacks, fresh Chinese greens, oolongs both green and roasted, sheng puer.

I really love companies that buy directly from tea farmers, and have an emphasis on quality and sustainability. Favourites: Verdant, Whispering Pines, Eco Cha, White 2 Tea. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, so I buy almost all my tea online.

For hot tea, I’m usually brewing in either a 100ml gaiwan, or a 10oz mug with a steeping basket. For cold tea, I cold brew overnight in 500ml mason jars.

My cupboard on Steepster doesn’t include small samples, just the ones I have at least 15g of. So if you see something you’re interested in, I probably have enough to share. :)

Location

Northwestern Ontario, Canada

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