1112 Tasting Notes

drank Emperor's Red by Premium Steap
1112 tasting notes

I am drinking Emperor’s Red in honor of Ashmanra’s mole!

I ate a protein bar with it – no waxworms or earthworms!!!!!

It was really satisfying despite my lack of worms. I think I’ve been very sloppy with my steeping parameters lately, and have been having weak tea! So I measured my leaves carefully, and made sure I did not put in too much water, and ahhhh! There’s my roasty, tangy friend!

If you haven’t seen this cutie yet:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackiemania/5850807458/in/photostream

!!!!!!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec
ashmanra

Awwwww, thank you! After stuffing him with worms, he was released today and seemed very VERY happy! The blow of his departure was somewhat softened by the discovery and capture of a second summer mantis yesterday…

Stephanie

Oh how cute he looks!!!!

ashmanra

He was so soft and sweet, and chirped beautifully!

JacquelineM

I hope he has a very nice new life, but I too will miss him!

mpierce87

I know it seems silly, but I had never really seen a mole. How cute is he!!!

JacquelineM

mrawlins2 – that’s ok, because they have never seen us, either, as they are blind! They are so down in their tunnels they don’t need to see! They have supersonic hearing, though! Can you tell I became fascinated with moles since this? :) :) :)

ashmanra

Oh, and I must tell you….one of the cutest things you could ever see is a sleepy mole yawning! Their mouth is tiny and almost invisible until they yawn, and that long tippy “nose” curls downward and bends in a C shape as his mouth opens. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that! It is baby killdeer cute, and I don’t compare many things to baby killdeer!

ashmanra

We removed some patio boards this morning to study his tunnels! Amazing!

Angrboda

OMG how cute! I wonder if the boyfriend will let me have moles has pets. Although, probably it wouldn’t go well with the kitty plans…

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Many thanks to SimplyJenW for this tea!

Ohhh, peaches! This is juice dripping down your arm peach flavor. So good! I am amazed this is a decaf good. And that’s saying something, coming from me! What a great night time cup! I took it with not even a teaspoon of sugar, and upped the water to about 11 oz since this is in a silken sachet. Perfect.

I KNEW I was going to fall for another Harney tea right after I placed my order! ;)

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
ashmanra

I just ordered, too! Wild Wuyi Black, Lover’s Leap, and I am kicking myself for not trying Snow Dragon.

JacquelineM

Don’t you just hate that?! I am going to make a running list for next time. :)

JacquelineM

I made my list, and I have 1 1 lb bag, 8 tins, and 8 samples on it! Then, once new teas start coming in… oh dear!

SimplyJenW

I always have a revolving list there……

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Yup, having this one again! I was pulling out all sorts of teas to have this afternoon, but the little voice inside was whispering “Have the Trafalgar! In the Beehouse! Have the whole pot!!!” and, well, I listened. :) Classic and wonderful. Even better at 4 minutes instead of 5.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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I’m trying to restrain myself from placing a Harney order (new Chinese tea available! free shipping code! Discount code! I have a $5 points thingum! wait – that’s encouraging me – slap my hand!) so I am having another Keemun which Lady Londonderry gave me a very generous sample of (so sheesh! I can certainly hold out a little longer because you KNOW what is going to happen. The minute I place my order some more Harney Chinese teas are going to come out and I’m going to to be mad at myself).

Ahem! You’ve had enough of my internal monologue – let me talk about the tea!

I went heavy on the leaf, and got a really nice cocoa-y, satisfying cup. Rich and delicious.

THEN I gilded the lily! I took Harney’s Chocolate Mint which Ashmanra sent to me into work because I wanted to taste it sans additions. I added a scant teaspoon to the Keemun Mao Feng leaves and had two more steeps of such a treat! The cocoa notes from the Keemun paired with the chocolate and mint was exhilarating! I definitely prefer the Chocolate Mint sans additions. This is so refreshing and chocolatey and Mmmmmm!

Thank you so much Lady Londonderry & Ashmanra! You both helped me keep a sound mind and pocketbook today, whilst having a delicious and decadent tea day!

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

…and after all that balderdash I wound up ordering Wild Wuyi and Keemun Mao Feng. My birthday is coming :) I will still place my big fall order in the fall. This is just a tiny little treat :) :) :)

SimplyJenW

Happy Birthday!
You deserve it!

JacquelineM

Thanks!! It’s not until July 15th but my husband gave me my present early so I feel like birthday season has started! He gave me wonderful Nikon binoculars! I love bird and butterfly watching and this is a prime season – he didn’t want to wait and have me miss things :)

And…after all the discounts, points etc it came to a little over $30 so I shouldn’t beat myself up too badly, right? :)
SimplyJenW

Definitely not! I recently used up my points there on my small teapot and some tea….I did not think it was too bad to spend $40 on a teapot, large tin of Earl Grey Supreme, and small ones of Rose Scented, Vanilla Black, and Black Currant. It was my Harney deal of the year…. plus I added in some Queen Catherine for a friend.

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I’m home today – finally, the permanent glass is getting installed in our door after the firemen broke it (remember that saga?)!

I am glad to be home, because I’ve been craving this tea all week! I am so excited for this afternoon pot. And what a pot! Not only did Doulton gift me with this delicious tea, but she sent along this beautiful Beehouse pot!

http://www.spo.gs/RetroCamera.jsp?img=Ri8g

How did she know I have blue speckles in my countertop!!!??? :)

Anyway, this milk ‘n sugar classic is so good. Smooth. Strong. Tea with a Capital T! It must be blended really well because it tastes uncomplicated – just the epitome of British style tea. And let’s face it, brewing it in a beautiful little pot instead of a fill your own teabag with a saucer on top of the mug like I usually do at home when I am alone (my other pot is a biggie) makes it taste even better :) :) :)

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
ashmanra

Doulton is amazing! You will love that teapot. The girls and I each have a small one, plus one to spare. My husband shakes his head at four lined up on the countertop, each with a different tea! But you understand, I am sure. (One daughter doesn’t drink tea – gasp! That is why there are only four pots instead of five!)

JacquelineM

I totally understand :)

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drank Golden Monkey by Harney & Sons
1112 tasting notes

Golden, golden, golden! I am having golden cravings: first Golden Mudan from Harney, then Yunnan Golden Buds from Samovar, and now Harney’s Golden Monkey! The “Golden” profile is my equal favorite along with the roasty chocolatey sometimes smoky Keemun-esqe profile. Even more delightful is when they converge like in Golden Snail, but we won’t go there!!

Anyway! I think this Golden Monkey is my favorite one. It’s light and honeyed, and has a strength that doesn’t compete with the golden wonderment. It’s like magic!

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

the ‘Dayeh’ leaf varietal is one of my favorites as well…love the biodiversity of Yunnan and all the amazing teas that were born there

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Many thanks to Lady Londonderry for this tea!!!!!

I had a wee bit of this before with Rose Scented, but this morning is the first time I’m tasting its true character.

It’s really nice! Wine-y, a sweetness – I’m getting that pastry cinnamony flavor I get with some teas – but it’s a little thin. I think I was wimpy with the leaves. I also let it brew a little longer than I usually do (5 min) and I’m getting the teeniest bit of astringency.

I need to make this again with a bit more leaves, and stop the steeping at 4 minutes. If I can preserve the pastry notes – mmmm! This would be a super bargain, and it’s organic to boot! I could see this as being a wonderful everyday drinker!

Oh! And before I forget – completely unrelated to tea – I have another guest post at the blog I wrote the Bronte tea post at. This one is about John Adams and…mushrumps!

http://unputdownables.net/2011/06/10/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-mushrumps/

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec
LadyLondonderry

I had a feeling you would like this one! And do try it with a pinch of the Keemun Mao Feng sometime; they blend together beautifully.

LadyLondonderry

P.S. I enjoyed your post and the recipe! I agree that sherry is wonderful in soups. My favorite lentil soup recipe (tomato-based) calls for a quarter cup of dry sherry added at the very end, and that addition gives it a certain je ne sais quoi.

ashmanra

Mushrumps it is, from here on out! We dined at The King’s Arms tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, and loved that the waiter gave us a great lecture on the foods and why they were served as they were, what the colonials would have cooked and how. I also LOVE their ingenuity – folding tables, hidden drawers, convertible furniture! What a time!

Kashyap

any chance the vendor is likely to disclose where the tea actually comes from in China or what varietal leaf it comes from? China BOP sounds like a generic mix or a low grade tea that they are blending for profile….but I bet it makes great cold steeped iced tea

LadyLondonderry

I assume it’s a blend, and Upton lists it in the category “Other Congou,” to distinguish it from the Keemuns. Full description:
“Well-twisted leaves with golden tips, producing a liquor that has the character of a non-smoky Keemun. The Burgundy-like flavor notes end with a sweet, clean finish.”

Don’t dismiss it on the basis of the generic-sounding name; this one is well worth trying. It is a staple in my cupboard.

Kashyap

I dont’ dismiss the tea I question the nature of those who would keep us from truly appreciate its origins….golden tips is usually an indication of the ‘dayeh’ varitetial of camillia sinesis sinesis….though not always…..‘congou’ means ‘finely crafted’ …

JacquelineM

Kashyap All of my dealings with Upton have been very good. I’m sure if you asked, they would be forthcoming with more information. I don’t think they are trying to hide anything – I see them more as no nonsense New Englanders :)

I love a single source tea, but blends have their place as every day drinkers for me. I really like this one, Queen Catherine from Harney, etc. I work at an art school and take classes too – I can’t drink $24 a tin Keemun Mao Feng every day (although I’d like to. I dream about it every day to tell you the truth!)

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Finally – I brewed my first liter of cold brewed iced tea of the season! I picked this one to start off with because I always enjoyed Snapple Peach iced tea, but now find it much too sweet. I also loved the peach flavor of this hot, but found the tea base a little rough sans additions, and did not find the idea of adding milk to this appetizing.

I let it steep about 15 hours in the refrigerator, added 4 teaspoons of simple syrup, and YUM! It’s delicious, refreshing, and the cold brew took care of the astringency/bitterness issues I was having with the hot tea.

(Note about cold brewing: I usually save the teas that are too strong/bitter for my liking for cold brewing. If you love a tea exactly as it is hot, you will probably have better luck hot brewing double strength and icing rather than cold brewing – you may find the cold brew too weak. For example – I love Golden Monkey iced, but I’d never cold brew it.)

Right now I have some of my Earl Grey Melange + Tippy Yunnan cold brewing. That Tippy Yunnan can put hair on your chest, so I think it’s a good candidate for cold brewing. Will report back on what happens!

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more
Kashyap

the tea doesnt indicate whether you used bags or loose to make the iced tea with…just curious as I know they offer this in a loose leaf as well….makes a good simple syrup for waffles

JacquelineM

I used the loose leaf :) I got it as a gift. I love the flavor profile but not the tea base. I am going to try Harney’s next since I love that ginger peach flavor.

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Absolutely lovely on a near 100 degree day! Even though I’m at work in the air conditioning – I KNOW that it is steaming out – and that lovely citrus makes all the difference. Yum.

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

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I used a teaspoon of this, and a teaspoon of Vanilla Comoro to make a “half-caf” type evening tea. It was absolutely delicious – nutty vanilla chocolate! – but oof. I was tossing and turning and tossing some more! When will I EVER learn?

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
Kristin

Thanks for that. It’s 7:30 at night and I got a new tea order in the mail this evening and I was contemplating some caffeinated tea, which I never do after about 4.

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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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