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SimplyJenW

209 Followers / 175 Following

SimplyJenW drank Tan Yang Te Ji by TeaSpring

First tea of the morning…..

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers, aunts, mothers to be, and the good people who stand in for mothers who cannot be there for a multitude of reasons. I lost my mother almost 14 years ago, and I am so thankful for my friends as well as my MIL who have helped to fill her role a little. Me, as a mother myself, I know there are things I could do and could have done better. But, I would not trade this gift for the world.

I am doing a “Parade of Panyangs” of sorts in celebration today. I started with this one, and I have another sent from the lovely Dinosara that she brought back from her trip to China. Then I will probably throw in my bargain basement Panyang from Upton that I also love. I might even brew up a cup of Keemun Mao Feng. It is an odd Mother’s Day for us, because we are scrambling to get some work done on the outside of the house involving door frame replacement and painting before we have contractors back on Monday or Tuesday. And the kids are pretty swamped with homework, since there are about 10 days left of school.

This one is chocolatey, has a bit of heft to the mouthfeel, a bit of malt, and very smooth, plus there may be a little fruitiness…plums, maybe? It is very rich, and it seems that the big difference between this and my beloved Kemmun Mao Feng is that KMF has just a hint of smoke (which I will be double checking this later). I was looking at the leaves on this one compared to my Keemun Mao Feng, and they are really very similar, except that the Keemun Mao Feng’s leaves are longer and a bit wider dry. I was also comparing it to the Tan Yang Dinosara brought from China, and her version is much more golden tipped as well as longer than TYTJ. It is a definite love for me in the tea world.

Usual mug method.

2012-05-13 09:09:55 -0400

Boiling

4 min 0 sec

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Cheryl 2012-05-13 11:38:00 -0400

Having lost my Mom going on 6 years ago, today is bittersweet. Since 2004, have lost MIL, sister, Mom, Grandma (at 94, and Mom’s Mom) and one and only Aunt (who hated kids and truthfully didn’t bleep on my emotional radar because of her, umm history). But it is my own 2 great kids who keep me going. So I’m trying to push away the sadness early, to fully appreciate their calls today. You are right Jen. Wonderful gift indeed. Yours are teenagers, right? It gets better, so hang in when you get to the rough-teenage-patches : )

Missy 2012-05-13 12:15:46 -0400

Happy mother’s day to you!

SimplyJenW 2012-05-13 12:28:04 -0400

Hugs to you, Cheryl! Yes, I have one teen, and the other will be an official teen late summer. They just grow up so fast.

And thank you, Missy!

JacquelineM 2012-05-13 12:52:45 -0400

Happy Mother’s Day to you, Jen!

The post office had this one hostage for a week, but I finally have it as of yesterday. I am hoping to carve out some time to try it in the next few days.

Azzrian 2012-05-13 15:59:13 -0400

Happy mothers day!!

LadyLondonderry 2012-05-13 18:53:37 -0400

Happy Mother’s Day, Jen! Hope you’ve enjoyed drinking your Parade of Panyangs as much as I’m enjoying reading about it.

SimplyJenW 2012-05-13 19:11:57 -0400

It was very fun. Just for the important observations on the resteeps…..the two higher grade Tan Yangs tasted pretty much the same on the resteep. No real noticeable differences. (I tried them side by side.)

Angrboda 2012-05-16 03:14:06 -0400

WOOT! Another TYTJ fan! :D Om nom nom! (Am out myself. Gave the last bit of leaf away in a swap because clearly I’m too nice…)

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Tea enthusiast, trying to keep up my cardio for the zombie apocalypse. I have come to accept that I am a western brewing black tea drinker as that is where my ‘tea heart’ lies. I started on loose leaf as a way to have my dessert and not suffer the caloric issues. Once I tried it, I was hooked.

I drink what I like, which is mostly China blacks, traditionally scented blacks and Earl Greys, plus a few other flavored teas. I don’t mind spending a bit on premium varieties on occasion, but an expensive tea has to deliver. My favorite places to order are Harney & Sons and Upton Tea Imports. TeaVivre is great for Chinese tea.

My ratings are pretty subjective. If it falls under 70, I may not take the time to post about it unless I had something specific to say. If it is 70-80 I like it, but I will probably not rebuy. Favorites are over 80 and up, but sometimes the less expensive or more easily obtainable version of a similar taste will win out for my cupboard space.

Usual teapot steeping method: 24 oz teapot, 3 perfect scoops of tea (4 1/2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual mug steeping method: 15 oz mug, 1.5 perfect scoops of tea (just over 2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual pan method: 1 1/2 cups water, 2 perfect tsp chai (3 actual tsp). Simmer for 3 minutes. Add 2/3 cup skim milk. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Strain and sweeten.

Usual pitcher method:
5 or 6 Perfect Spoons of tea (this means about 7-9 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, brewed essentially double-strong in my 24 oz teapot for 4 minutes. Fill my Fiestaware Disc pitcher (about 60 oz.) halfway with ice. Add brewed double-strong tea to the pitcher. Stir it a little and enjoy. No additions.

(*SRP is my Sample/Stash Reduction Plan starting on April 12, 2012. I got so far, but just decided it was too fussy to keep track.)