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For my 2nd cup of the morning, I chose a puerh because of what I perceive as a strong grounding influence. It’s a very earthy variety of tea, & I need that earthiness as a balance.

The Tea Spot sells these in a sample size of 5 tuo chas (each re-brewable a couple of times), and as I continue to want to try new teas, I’m finding that buying samples is a great way to go, especially when the sample is big enough for more than one sampling.

It makes a deep coffee-looking cup of boldness! Very slight taste of salt, satisfying mouth-feel (satisfying is the only word I can think of to describe it, but it feels right).

The 2nd cup has a deep berry color & a buttery tingly quality to it. I’m really wanting to taste something, and since I know that I can taste ‘sweet’, I add a little stevia (which I wouldn’t normally do with a puerh…well, maybe occasionally). Ah, yes…I can taste something! Admittedly, I’m mostly tasting stevia, but combined with the ‘thick’ mouth-feel of the tea, it translates as chocolate, LOL.

Hopefully I’ll feel the effects of caffeine soon, as what I really want to do is go back to bed now.

I’m starting the day with this tea, mainly to get some caffeine going in my system so that I can leave in an hour to go play a wedding over in Belleville, IL. Like yesterday’s wedding, it’s a pretty basic wedding: I’ll play 30 minutes of classical music, play the entrances for everyone, play a unity candle piece, & the recessional. I love playing at weddings & could probably play one in my sleep! Like yesterday, I’ll spend more time driving than playing, & for that reason, I need caffeine!

I’m starting to get my sense of taste back a little. I can taste sweet, & as of this morning I can taste salt! All the tea I’ve been reviewing has led me to really notice ‘mouthfeel’, & the mouthfeel of this tea is bright & a little on the acidic side. Of course, you might not want to take my word for it, as I’m still getting over being sick, and I’ll give it a more fair review in a few weeks when it comes back into rotation.

I survived the wedding! As a reward, when I got home I brewed a cup each of Aquarius & Harvest Moon, both by Adagio. Sadly, I could barely tell the difference between them, with the exception of the chocolate & buttery carmel mouth-feel of the Harvest Moon. Oh well, I had to try!

It’s actually a beautiful day, & it was an outdoor wedding under a pavilion, over looking the Mississippi river. The views, in all directions, were stunning, as the leaves are changing & there was still a lot of green, with highlights of burnt red & orange everywhere. Absolutely beautiful!

The highlight for me (other than playing my harp, of course) was after the wedding when I was packing up my gear. A couple came up & started talking with me. He is the son of a lovely lady by the name of Doris, who I dearly love & haven’t seen for some time. I first met Doris about 20 or so years ago. I played a brunch at a local hotel for about 15 years, & Doris used to come to brunch with her other son & his wife. I would see them there every sunday (along with several other regulars) & after a awhile I started spending one of my breaks with them. Doris was probably about 65 then, always dressed colorfully, always wore a flower pinned on somewhere. She was a delight! Over the years they came to my other gigs as well, Tony & I had dinner with the 3 of them, they even came to my daughter’s wedding reception. I played at her 80th birthday party, & attended her 85th a few years ago.

What has always impressed me is the way her family cares for her. Her son & his wife live across the street from her, & have always invited her to go with them pretty much everywhere. In recent years, she no longer gets out, & the son I saw today said she sleeps about 18 hours a day. She still lives in the home her children were raised in, they take turns staying with her (grandchildren included), & she will most likely pass quietly from our world in her sleep, which is the way she intends to go. Her family has cherished her all of their lives, & I love that. That is how it is suppose to be.

One more tea I’m almost out of. Although it is a decent breakfast tea, & packs a fair punch, it’s not necessarily a favorite, so I don’t mind not tasting much. The stevia I added is helping to bring forward a hint of Vanilla & orange, & from previous experience I seem to recall a buttery croissant taste. I have enough left for one more cup, which I’ll drink in a week or 2, as I just realized I never reviewed this one, & I do at least owe it a fair review!

I’ll confess: Since I can’t really taste much, and I’m going to need some serious caffeine to get through this wedding today, I’m aiming at either drinking black teas that don’t really float my boat, or that I’m almost out of. This one qualifies in the 2nd category. I had enough for one potent cup, which I’m drinking now. I’ve discovered that I CAN taste ‘sweet’, so I added a little stevia, & that helped me to taste a hint of the vanilla & black current that makes this tea so special.

Crawling out of my cave because I have a gig today. I have to leave the house in a little over 3 hours, & being a musician means you show up, no matter what. I started the day with 2 cups of tea: Elder Berry, & a re-steeping of Sichuan Caravan (saved the leaves from a couple days ago). Just to illustrate the state of my tastebuds, I thought I was drinking the caravan first, which tasted like nothing, basically. Then I went to drink the elderberry, & only knew it was actually the caravan because of the ginger! I can’t really taste it, but I can feel it on my tongue!

My Adagio order arrived yesterday, which was really exciting until I tried to smell some of the teas: nothing. I guess I shouldn’t complain, this is the first time I’ve been sick in a year (other than some allergies). This too shall pass!

I’m laying in bed in my pjs & my holey red cashmere sweater, with a heating pad wrapped around me. Tony hates this sweater, he says if I ever wear it to his house again, he’ll burn it! He keeps offering to buy me a new one.

I love this sweater! It looks like hell, but its so ridiculously soft, it’s my go to for comfort. It’s my inner child’s version of a blankie. I also have my stuffed bunny here. We just finished off this tea, which is yum yum! Nothing medicinal about it, it tastes so decadently dessert like, perfect for pampering the cranky child within.

I would be content to lay here, bundled & warm, but I’ve drank a lot of tea today & I have to go…

I tried this the other day at the London Tea Room. To be honest, it didn’t sound that exciting, although I love ginger. Unsweetened, it’s ok. Add a little stevia, and the ginger, licorice, orange peel & lemongrass really sing. I’m not usually a fan of lemongrass in teas, although I do grow it each summer & I cook with it. Here it isn’t too overpowering, and this tea is a warming brew that is just right for me today, when I’m under the weather & needing nurturing fluids. Little Terri is ready for nap-time, so we’re taking this cup (& a few others) up to our room to relax.

So apparently the virus that’s been spreading around Steepster finally made it to my house. I started feeling yucko last night & have cancelled students for today. I’m sitting in my sun room, surrounded by a variety of plants, including a meyer lemon tree with 7 almost ripe lemons, a key lime tree loaded with limes of all sizes & blossoming, & a kumquat tree with lots of baby kumquats on it. I’m soaking up the sun, & dosing myself fairly heavily with the following teas, which I’ve already reviewed & which all have healing medicinal qualities:
Cheryl’s Tea (Cheryls Herbs)
8 treasures winter yabao (verdant)
sichuan caravan (verdant)
& a brew I make from Astragulus root, lemon, ginger, lemon balm, & honey

I plan to spend the day out here, rotating through various steepings of those, plus homemade chicken stock that’s loaded with garlic & herbs.
Look out virus, I’ve got you in my sights, & it ain’t pretty!

It’s a nice bubble bath tea, just saying…