1112 Tasting Notes

I made this hot brewed for our weekly iced tea. Since it’s a Chinese tea that resteeps well, I did 2 steeps of the “double strength” leaves (4 tablespoons tea, 4 cups of water, 4 minutes each steep) and put about 4 tablespoons of organic sugar in the hot tea (easy to remember: 4,4,4,4!). Delicious! The sweetness of the GM makes a lovely iced tea. A nice change of pace from the Earl Grey iced tea we’ve been drinking for most of the summer, and I don’t feel toooooooo bad about using all those leaves when I can do two very flavorful steeps of them.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec

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A very sad day. The last puff of Golden Mudan!

This tea is so easy to drink! Round, full, but gentle. Honey and soft sweetness. Just a complete pleasure. Plus, it’s cute! I wish you could still purchase it at H&S, but it’s not even on the website anymore :(

Thank you Doulton, from the bottom of my heart, for this extraordinary tea!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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As far as I’m concerned, Harney & Sons have really been hitting home runs with their new-ish teas. I am so very loving this chocolatey wonder. Forget about it steeping? It tastes fantastic! Get busy and it cools? Still amazing. Multiple steeps? Yup! Add a little Rose Congou on the third steep for some zip. Oh yeah!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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I can no longer say “I do not like green tea” after trying these French ones. Me-ow this is good! Subtle and delightful. No bitterness. I’d be hard pressed to name a single flavor – I would not say “jasmine!” or “mango!” or “almond!” but I would say “sweet!” and “nutty!” The only sencha I’ve ever liked comes in these French teas – I wonder what it is about them?! I’m so curious to try more!

Many many MANY thanks for Dinosara for showing me a new facet of my tea personality!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Dinosara

Yay! I’m glad this one won you over! I was wondering how you would like it since it’s a green. It is one of my favorites, and I’m definitely going to be ordering the Violet Cassis Macaron green from them!

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drank Chinese Blend - Black by Custom
1112 tasting notes

As I’ve said a few times previously, Emperor’s Red was starting to taste a little lackluster now that I’ve come under the sway of Mr. Keemun Mao Feng! It’s still a nice tea, but I wanted a little more “oomph!” So, I blended together the Emperor, some Panyang Congou from Harney, some Upton China Black, and some Upton Keemun Mao Feng.

…and I love it! I used about 2 oz of the Emperor, so you can still taste him in all his tangy roasty glory, but the few tablespoons I put in of each of the other teas added a little backbone to the blend. I am especially loving the little bit of pastry the China Black is adding!

I now have a tin full of something I’m excited to drink! It’s a perfect daily drinker – delicious, great sans additions, tastes good with any food pairing. Horray for tea experiments!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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Many thanks to Lady Londonderry for this tea!

I was really excited to try this one since “Golden” teas are some of my favorites. This one is SO GOOD! I’m not getting cocoa notes, but more of a rich honey Golden Monkey profile. I am tasting this one to be more like the Golden Monkey I’m used to than Upton’s Imperial Golden Monkey! Deeeeee-licious! It has that heavy mouthfeel that I associate with these kinds of teas, and which I absolutely crave!

I was very much saddened to see that this is discontinued at Upton (I zipped right over there because I wanted to order it I liked it so much!). Alas, this will have to be one of my little special hoarder teas that I have every now and again so I can savor it for as long as possible!

Thank you once again, Lady Londonderry! This is making my Monday morning!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec
LadyLondonderry

I figured it would be right up your alley. Glad to know I was right!:)

Maybe this one will get restocked in the fall, along with some other wonderful China blacks that are currently unavailable. We can only hope …

JacquelineM

You were 1000000000000% correct! It’s a great resteeper too! On my third flavorful steep!

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Another pitcher, iced. This one by request of my husband. Yes, my Earl Grey hating, this is perfume, husband! He adores it iced, and even craves it with his cigars. He says the distinctive flavor goes so well with one, much like a good Scotch or Port.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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I think this must be a blend of Chinese blacks and greens, despite the description. An utterly delicious and delightful blend! It tastes like magic. It’s totally different from Rosy Earl Grey, but it has that black/green/floral synergy going on. It also has the addition of a creamy vanilla flavor which just knocks my socks off!

You know I’m no fan of green tea, but like in Rosy, it really WORKS in this blend. It provides a delicateness that makes the fruits and florals, and yes even that touch of vanilla, shine! I wouldn’t want this one any other way.

Thank you so much Dinosara! This is fantastic and so different from my every day fare. I am really enjoying it.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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Had to call in the Queen! I’ve been having so much trouble focusing since coming back from my little vacation. The Queen needs to put me back in line!!!

So rich. Morning perfection. I think I’m going to jazz up my second steep with a little Rose Congou. I can be bribed to work with roses too :)

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec
gmathis

Let me know if the alchemy works. I have a little of both!

SimplyJenW

I am a little groggy myself. We just got back from vacay last night. Oh, so much catching up to do. I may have to call in the Queen, too!

Ashley Bain

All out of the Queen. And reading this on my dashboard is making me need more. Now. Rush delivery.

JacquelineM

gmathis – it works beautifully imo!!! Give it a try :) And thank you for the thank you note :) It has a place of honor in my china cupboard card display. Also, I love your handwriting!

ashmanra

I finished my rose congou a long time ago, but at Jacqueline’s suggestion I tried adding a teaspoon of Rose Scented by H&S to the Queen. It is quite good! I especially like it in the afternoon.

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My next to last puff of Golden Mudan! Sob! This is another one of my favorite hot weather teas. It’s so flavorful but light. Honeyed and sweet. I’m on my third resteep and it’s still delicious and flavorful.

Those of you who have enjoyed Golden Mudan – do you think this looks like a similar puff?

http://www.artoftea.com/catalog/black-peony-p-138.html

I think I am going to give it a whirl even though they are a bit expensive because I so very love this flavor profile!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec
ashmanra

It looks very similar to me, Jacqueline, and the description of the tea is very similar as well. I am down to only three puffs of this one myself. :( Maybe we can talk Mike into carrying it again!

JacquelineM

Oh gosh – I feel a poem coming on ;)

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Profile

Bio

I love to cook, bake, read, paint, knit, do needlework, and garden. I need my coffee, but I LOVE my tea. I work at an Art School, and attend a large public university doing post-bac work (my BA is in English). I’m interested in the liminal spaces between art and craft, the academic and the practical, the individual and community, and the old and the new. I’m currently exploring these ideas through the disciplines of education, literature, history, and psychology.

I enjoy writing tasting notes, but have decided not to numerically rate teas as of 9/14/10. For an explanation, see my looooong tasting note about Mountain Malt from the Simple Leaf.

My favorites:
Chinese black teas
A good “milk and sugar” English style black
Earl Grey (classic, and in all variations!)
Vanilla teas (classic, and in all variations!)
Jasmine, Rose, Violet and other froofy, flowery teas!
An Occasional Oolong
Flavored Rooibos
Herbal Tisanes

Location

Collingswood, NJ

Website

http://jackiemania.wordpress....

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