JacquelineM

Wow! I don’t think I ever had a tea quite like this! It was STRANGE and DELICIOUS! I felt as if I was having an exotic treat from a far off land…in the middle of my parlor in New Jersey! The pear really did taste like a perfectly ripe pear – I loved the taste!! and the honey was really flavorful in almost a musky sort of way, and I didn’t find it overly sweet. It’s certainly not something that I’d want every day, but when I’m in the mood for something unusual, this would be a perfect one! I would purchase a full size of this tea for when the mood struck.

As you can probably tell, my Golden Moon sampler came yesterday :) I ordered it on Monday afternoon and it arrived on Wednesday – excellent turnaround! The ordering process was painless, and I was updated with a tracking number when it shipped.

Not feeling well today. Didn’t go to work, but I must go to school for a test! Making this tea to help me study :) Light on the bergamot, but sweet (the one teaspoon of sugar I added was almost too much!), with a touch of smoke which is really nice on such a cold day.

Not even a cup of this bold, delicious, malty, full flavored tea rounded out with a splash of milk and a dash of sugar could keep me awake for a complete viewing of the film Che!

Again, my husband requested this one for our after dinner tea. We had a dessert of a few pecans and this, and they were heavenly together :) Somehow the nuts made the tea taste extra chocolatey and mmmmm.

In a multiple steep/oolong mood today :) I am finding I really like greens and oolongs for work, because I don’t have to think about sugar or milk (I have not yet evolved beyond sugar and milk in my black teas ;) and the fact that one teaspoon of tea goes reeeeealy far :)

1st steep: My water temp was a leeeetle low (around 180) but I went for it. 4 min. It made for a very light (tea was almost clear!) but nutty/woody cup. Not getting anything floral or vegetal. No bitterness.

2nd steep: being more careful of temperature. Steeped at a perfect 190 for another 4 min. Another very lightly colored tea steep. I’m getting a delicate nutty flavor. Very nice.

3rd steep: 190, 4 min. Getting some floral notes! Yum! Ends with the nutty flavor. Someone on the Upton site said that this tea really comes into its own on the 3rd steep, and I have to agree! The liquor is even a bit darker – interesting!

I’m going to take a little break for lunch, and hope for some more steeps this afternoon! I’ll edit this post.

EDIT: Time got away from me! I have to run to class now and can’t do another steep. Sigh!!

Sooooooooo good. Lots of honey, or…is it maple syrup? Is it toasted pecans? Something toasty bakey and mellow/sweet – like rice syrup, molasses or something barely sweet but rich. I enjoyed every sip, and so did my husband. This tea gets compliments out of him every time :)

I had this at the Toyota dealership where our car was getting an oil change etc. Not anything to write home about, but better than the scary coffee that comes out of the machine which makes my stomach hurt!!!!! I put a dash of sugar in it to take the edge off, and it kept me warm. Sometimes, that’s just fine :)

I had some roasted barley tea at a Korean Restaurant this afternoon. It was delicious! Our waiter brought out plastic water drinking glasses, and served it out of a plastic pitcher! (the tea was hot). I am so interested in getting some more of this type of tea to have at home. It was wonderful with our meal of Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap with various sides and extras (including of course Kimchi!). If anyone has a brand that they have tried and loved, please pass it on :)

We’re having a cold snap here on the East Coast. Tonight, I wanted something warm and spicy. I’m not getting any cocoa notes this evening! I used pure maple syrup instead of sugar for a bit of sweetness – could that be the reason why? Maybe honey would have been a better choice? I want my cocoa notes back!

After teaplz’s tasting note on this today, I knew I had to go home and have a cup :) The taste is a wonderful hint of hazelnut, a touch of chocolate and TEA. What a masterful blend this is. Perfect on this windy cold night (and, errr, really good with umm, brownies).

I made another pan of brownies tonight – I think there needs to be a brownie intervention in my house! I decided to change things up and serve Organic Black with Coconut with this sweet. It was good but there was a bit of competition between the coconut and the rich brownie – I think it was a little confusing to the palate. I prefer enjoying this tea all by its fantastic self.

After my fake butter suntan lotion debacle yesterday afternoon, I wanted to have a tea at work that I absolutely, positively loved. Enter Nahorhabi! Smooth, honeyed, full tasting. I tempered it just a little with a dash of organic sugar and half and half. Ooooooh I am enjoying this one!!

Every night, I ask my husband, “What kind of tea are you in the mood for?” and every night, he says, “You pick!!” Well, tonight was a rare occasion! He said “Chocolate/Coconut!” Of course I made it! I poked around in the bag and made sure there were plenty of truffle chunks in the tea basket so that it would be an extra delicious cup…and it is :) Super chocolatey! A little sugar and a splash of milk to bring out the dessert qualities.

I got this tea at a wedding I attended! It was the favor and our place cards were attached to it. Nice idea :)

This is my first experience with a white tea. The tea leaves almost looked like bay leaves. Interesting!!!

The tea liquor is a pretty golden color. First sip – I taste a sort of tea taste with an overlay of the flavoring. I really don’t like the flavor – I think it’s supposed to be coconut and pineapple, but I think it tastes like the fake butter people put on popcorn with a dash of suntan lotion!!!! Bleah!!!

I am going to finish this cup, but I’m not resteeping and this tin is going into the traveling teabox!!

EDIT: Cofftea suggesting trying it at a 3 minute steep time. I did a cup at 3 minutes/180F and the tea tastes good, but that fakebuttersuntanlotion is faint but there, and it’s just too artificial for my liking. Again, I’ll finish the cup, but out into the world it goes! If one of you happen to choose it from the TTB, lessening the suggested steep time is a great suggestions and improves it ALOT :)

EDIT2: This tea is growing on me as it cools. I think I’m going to keep it for an afternoon cuppa, but I wouldn’t buy it. I would up the rating to oooooh, a 51 at a 3 min steep time. Cofftea – you’re a tea saver :)

EDIT3: and now I have a stomachache!!!!! I never get stomachaches! It’s going in the box again!!

After having to put on my wet coat and go to class this afternoon, I was so DAMP! The damp went right to my bones. There is one tea that always works to get that bone chilling feeling away – River Shannon. After coming home and making a large cup of this no nonsense, strong black tea I finally felt warm again (changing into dry clothes helped too!). I always drink this tea when I’m extremely cold or extremely tired. It is so reviving.

Rainy windy day – came into work SOAKED. I thought drinking multiple steeps of an oolong sounded pretty much perfect on a day like today

Leaves smell much like a green tea. Crazy wavy looking leaves (much like my HAIR after getting stuck in the rain!!!!)

1st: 3 minutes – Beautiful golden color – I LIKE :) Sweet and smooth. Just the slightest bit woody – a bare hint. Nothing like the strength of the woody nutty flavor I got from the Formosa Amber Oolong from Upton. As it cools, this touch of woody dissapears.

2nd: 4 minutes – more of the same – slightly sweeter and the wood is gone. Still a brilliant golden color. Still delicious!

3rd: 5 minutes – can’t believe how golden the tea still is! I am tasting more floral and sweetness. Really nice. I think I’m going to have lunch after this cup, but plan to make more this afternoon :) I’ll edit this post with what I taste!

EDIT: 4th: 8ish minutes (with a student and lost track of time!) Very nice but lighter. I can sense that the flavor is fading but it’s very enjoyable still. I’ve had enough for today, but I could see going at least one more time!

I baked some walnut/pecan/chocolate chips so of course I made this for our evening tea. This tea has never met a dessert that it didn’t like!

Double portion, milk and sugar!

Long day out taking photos. We grabbed some Chinese takeout for dinner, then settled down for biiiiiig cups of this :) Silky chocolatey goodness. Again, the coconut is not very present. I always feel like I’m drinking good tea that someone put a chopped up Godiva chocolate into (hey…has anyone ever done that!??!!)!

I baked brownies for my coworkers birthday and set aside two for my husband and I. I’ve been waiting for this moment all day -brownies and French Breakfast after a long, hard week’s work. This tea is so reliably delicious with dessert – I don’t even think about any other one to serve. That little bit of smoky vanilla gets me every time.

I’m getting tons of honey flavors. It has a great body to it, but it’s not like an Assam – it’s not blustery, it’s more of a refined taste. I sipped it plain, but am enjoying it with a little half and half and organic sugar. My husband said “I think this is my favorite unflavored black we’ve had!” I thought I was an Assam person, but perhaps I need to explore more fine Chinese black teas!!

I have been so! busy! – can you believe this is my first cup of tea since my last tasting note on Tuesday? I got to the point just now that if I didn’t make myself a cup of tea I would have a temper tantrum!!

Anyway! This tea, of course, tastes like the most wonderful tea ever brewed at any time by any person…ever! The citrus is delightful, the tea tastes wonderful, it’s brewed perfectly, the milk and sugar are just the right amount. On any other day, it would have been a quite good cup of tea, but today…it’s the pinnacle of deliciousness!!!

All is good in the world again, now that I have had this cup of tea! Thank you tea! And thank you Bethany, who sent me this tin :)

EDIT: did another infusion, and it’s still very flavorful! I’m surprised!

After the busy day I had today, ooooof – I needed my favorite tea :) I prepared a double portion for my husband and I, and I was able to be still for a half hour! I feel 100% better. I never tire of this gentle coconut and good tea taste.

I just took my last sip and I’m going to walk my dog and get in bed and read my last bit of pleasure reading for awhile (AS Byatt’s the Children’s Book – FANTASTIC – almost done). My own class starts tomorrow and I’ll be full of homework!

Today is the first day of the Spring 2010 semester at the University I work at. I’ve been doing this for almost ten years, so I knew today would be GUARANTEED INSANITY! I took this tea from my cupboard at home because it’s such an even-keeled Assam: not too bold, not too weak. I hoped it would give me an even-keeled disposition to deal with these lines of students! I do feel much better after this delicious cup, even though it sat there getting cold as I dealt with student, after student, after student. Such is life in the Registrar’s Office!

…also excellent with brownies (and speaking of excellent, and brownies – Mark Bittman’s brownie recipe is divine! http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/recipe-of-the-day-brownies/

This tea can do no wrong paired with any kind of sweet! The smoky vanilla suits so well. I want to talk to my tea shop and tell them they should change the name from French Breakfast to French Dessert!!!