1379 Tasting Notes
I thought I would do a quick review before bed time and after my conversation about cider on the forums I took it as a sign to try this one.
The raw tea smells like sour apples with a little spice.
Once brewed the tea creates a dark golden brown liquid that smells very similar to it’s raw state.
I can taste apple, clove and cinnamon and each gets stronger the more I drink. It reminds me of mulled wine that we have at Christmas time here in the UK, I wonder if that is the equivalent of warm cider in USA?
It’s definitely very tasty and happily appley. I’m being warmed up before bed time :)
Preparation
I have a lot of work to do today and when I get stuck in there are only a few things that I crave.
1 – Crisps (chips)
2 – Something good to watch (in this case I’m watching numb3rs)
3 – Earl Grey tea.
I’m working from home to gather and make 35 jewellery orders which will take me around 5 hours to finish since I pack them myself as well. I do get enjoyment from making jewellery and the fact that people love what I make gives me a huge smile :D but 35 orders is enough for me to stress.
No idea why I go for Earl Grey when I’m stressed but I do and I recently bought this brand after not having it for quite a while. Steeped for 4 minutes with fresh boiling water, one sugar (which is natural stevia extract zero calories) and a good splash of soy milk.
My creation is a beautifully sweet and fragrant drink that is perfect for gulping down to create an instant boost. Yummyness.
Now to get back to work, not to mention watching numb3rs. I have a thing for genius’s and geeks :D
Preparation
I’m writing an article for my blog about green tea and thought I would cheat and have an Oolong. This is a green Oolong (hence Jade Oolong) so I don’t feel as though I have cheated too much. Still writing an article about one thing and drinking another will have it’s challenge.
Light green buds with a fresh green smell. Brewing creates a yellow coloured tea soup with a gentle flower smell.
Taste is floral, subtle, sweet and gentle with a refreshing grassy taste. Lovely light Oolong suitable for everyday drinking.
Yummy. (Shall do a better review soon).
Preparation
Since my doctors fiasco this morning and having had stomach ache for half the day I have decided to treat myself to a gaiwan steeping of this wonderful jasmine dragon pearl tea.
My tasting notes are just quick, I will write a better review soon.
The pearls are magically perfumed before and during steeping and the only thing that could match it’s fragrance would be it’s taste. Perfumey sweet jasmine with fresh grassy green tea leaves and a pinch of sunshine.
It’s fun to look at the pearls after each steep to see them change, at my second steep in they changed from being tight pearls to becoming 6’s or 9’s due to unravelling slightly. Fourth steep and they are starting to look like long spirals.
My stomach feels better now too :) Plus the jasmine has perfumed my mouth.
I’m starting with a cup of this tea this morning, it was a good luck gift from a friend. The good luck part was due to me needing a doctors appointment to tell them my physiotherapist has recommended I get some orthotics for my torn ankle ligament (that is still giving me hell 2 months down the line). After two weeks of trying I finally managed to book an appointment so all I can do now is wait to be picked up by taxi and taken to what I consider to be the second circle of hell….NHS health care.
I’m not really complaining about all of the NHS, after all they saved my husband last year from cancer and my mother from cancer a few years earlier. My doctors however is given my district and I have to attend what is mentioned as being the worst GP’s office in Leicester. The staff are rude, the doctors are all temp and don’t care and I know I’m going to have to sit in the waiting room for over an hour because “the doctor is running late”.
As you can see I am getting stressed just thinking about going….around an hour or so now for my actual appointment. It’s times like this that I go for green tea as it soothes me. Sipping this I can see lemon tree’s and green tea plants next to each other in a peaceful and quiet far away land with millions of cats running around and playing. sigh of relief It’s wonderful.
Taste wise it’s a little bitter and by far not the best that I have on my shelf but I appreciate the thought of receiving this as a gift so that takes away some of the harshness.
It’s lemony and fairly fresh tasting for bagged tea but great to grab to take to work for convenience.
I ranted I now but right now I am not looking forward to getting orthotics, a large plastic cast that is worn around the ankle and makes me stand out in a crowd (which is always the last thing I want)…..oh joy.
Preparation
I just got to my dr’s office and have just been told that my dr is running at least 45 minutes late so my appointment has been moved back 60 minutes. I forgot my book at home so now I can just sit here and stare at people to freak them out, only bit of fun to be had. :(
Awww… =( Did the appointment go well, in the end?
Yes it did go well, my doctor is very eccentric and had me walk around in the reception without any shoes on so he could monitor my back ankle. The other visitors couldn’t help but look with surprise lol. I’m being referred to a specialist now to diagnose and build my orthotics. :)
Glad that’s sorted, then. I reckon as long as he knows what he’s doing, he can be as eccentric as he wants, eh? =)
This long awaited cup tastes very similar to the smell, the Oolong is woody and reminds me of a forest while the peach is slightly sweet which gives the Oolong a nice finish. It’s starting to pick up a toasted flavour that over rides the fruitiness. I would say that it definitely tastes like peach but I was hoping it would be a little sweeter or perhaps that the Oolong was not as woody. It’s a nice blend don’t get me wrong but I thought this would have been more of a fresh green Oolong and I’m a little disappointed that it’s not.
For pictures and a larger review please visit my blog.
http://kittylovestea.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/do-i-dare-to-eat-a-peach/
Preparation
Your Ivy Kitty is pretty!
Thank you :) He is a natural show cat, he puts himself into my pictures whether I want him in them or not lol.
Hey Kitty have you tired the Oolong Peach from Two Guys’ Tea? It is my favorite and a great price. http://www.myteaguys.com/apps/webstore/products/show/3707997
First Steep – 7 seconds
Colour is yellow that smells of subtle yet sweet melon (I wouldn’t say specifically watermelon) . Taste wise it’s sweet and fruity, a little floral and fresh. Simply put this does tastes like a combination of melon and cucumber but very subtly so, as far as the first steep goes that is. So far this is delicious, if it increases in strength then things will go from good to great for me.
For pictures and to read my next steeps please visit my blog at:
http://kittylovestea.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/hawaiian-volcano-green-by-canton-tea-co-tea-club-week-5/
Preparation
This sounds lovely. I am not sure I have the patience for these teas that give the gift of soooo many infusions. =)
I’ll be honest and admit that I do have to be in the right frame of mind to have a gaiwan tea, not to mention the time. I have noticed the difference in taste and flavour when using the gaiwan and that makes the effort worth while. I also have an online stop watch saved in my favourites so I don’t have to keep counting, fine for anything under 30 seconds but when it comes to 3 minutes it becomes a little tedious lol.
I’ve been satisfied with just a kettle until now, but the temptation to do it up properly is getting overwhelming. I think it’s time to get a gaiwan!
Looks like the gaiwan club will have a new member :) It truly is worth having a special tea and utensils, they brighten up any day. The only problem is that once you go gaiwan you may find it hard to stop lol. Teavivre have some great tea’s for gaiwan’s and they also print their recommended steeping times which make it easy. :)
I’ve heard nothing but good about Teavivre and look forward to trying their tea (I think I may have one or two). And you’re right, I tend to try preferred preparation methods on everything (I’m currently in the process of trying to turn everything into a chai). :D
I hope that the Guayusa doesn’t keep you awake! It’s pretty invigorating! More of a morning tisane than an evening one, in my opinion!
I’ve actually had mulled wine, and it was very … wine-y. I’m very sensitive to the taste of wine, and I wasn’t a fan.
Warm cider, on the other hand, is really just warm apple juice with spices. We also have hard cider, which is usually cold, and is alcoholic, but still tastes a lot like fruit juice – just with carbonation – because of how sweet it is.
And then there is my favorite – sparkling apple juice. It’s basically wine for kids, since it doesn’t have any alcohol in it. There’s also sparkling grape juice :)
Sparkling grape juice is my favourite! Although, during the holiday season, my supermarket has this, which I might even like a little bit better than my beloved sparkling grape juice:
http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=677365