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SimplyJenW drank Chance Combinations by Custom

985 tasting notes

This is my way to pare down the sample stash. I just hate to waste good tea and this kind of makes it an adventure. These are the ends of samples I have tasted or teas on their way out (as I do have seemingly endless samples, but often not enough for a pot of tea…)

Today the blend is of two black teas from Upton. It is about a 1:1 ratio of Imperial Golden Needles (ZP99) and Tippy Golden Needles (ZP77). Both teas are no longer in stock, nor does it look like they will be returning as the product information for them is no longer on site. I do recall that the first one of them was a higher priced tea ($6/oz), and the other was in the low to mid range (just over $2/oz).

I steeped this up by my usual method. There might be more tea in the pot than I usually use. What resulted was an incredible pot of tea. It is malty with notes of cocoa and honey, and it is thick and very enjoyable. I guess the takeaway from this is that it is not a bad idea to perk up the more basic loose tea offerings with a little something special. It becomes a good way to balance out the cost and taste of premium teas. I do recall comparing the two of these in the Spring, and deciding the more expensive version was lost on me at the time. Mmmmm. Thoroughly enjoyable! I would blend them again if I could.