Terri HarpLady

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Terri HarpLady drank Organic Assam by Butiki Teas

Once upon a time there was a girl who drank Assam for breakfast everyday. Then she got caught up in comparing various English, Irish, Parisian, & other breakfast blends. She loved them all, & it’s so much fun comparing them, savoring them, but once in awhile it’s nice to go back to your roots!

This is a really nice Assam! It’s everything it should be, Malty, hints of chocolate, & not a touch of astringency or bitterness! Thank you, Stacy, for your lovely teas!

2012-09-27 11:20:13 -0400

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Finn88 2012-09-27 12:57:19 -0400

What exactly do you guys mean when you say that something is astringent? I picture downing a bottle of SeaBreeze, the face astringent lol.

gmathis 2012-09-27 13:10:34 -0400

Some teas leave your mouth feeling dry and your tongue feeling puckery. That’s astringent. (Sea Breeze tea…hmmm…)

Bonnie 2012-09-27 13:20:28 -0400

Finn88…kudo’s to you for asking! So many people don’t ask and should. You learn things faster buy draining our brains dry (for me it won’t take long!)

Finn88 2012-09-27 13:30:24 -0400

Well yuck lol I’m guessing thats a taste most people DON’T want. I imagine the seabreeze would do the same ;) Ha my brains been dry since I was about 4 :)

Terri HarpLady 2012-09-27 18:06:51 -0400

Finn, I don’t think of astringency so much as a taste, but more as a sensation, which is extreme dried out mouth. Some people can handle it better than others, & it seems to be more of a problem with white, green, & oolong teas than with black & puerh, at least in my opinion. Also, I’m thinking the longer a tea is brewed (or sometimes the hotter the water), the more tannins are release, making the tea more astringent. (This is, of course, based on my own experience & imagination, so don’t quote me on it). I’m guessing that’s why a lot of teas are better brewed at short intervals in a gaiwan. IN my gaiwan experiences (so far, I’m actually pretty new at this gaiwan stuff, so I don’t really know much, just what I’ve observed), it seems like if tannins are gonna be released, that usually happens on the 3 or 4th steeping. My mouth gets dry, but if I persevere, in another steeping or 2 that’s gone, replaced by a juicier quality. At least, that’s how it seems to me…

Terri HarpLady 2012-09-27 18:07:54 -0400

I hope I don’t sound like a know it all, cuz I’m still learning too!

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I’m so excited to have found this community! I’m a self-employed Harpist (acoustic & electric – Originals, Classical, Rock, Jazz, etc) & Singer/Songwriter. My days & nights revolve around teaching at home, playing gigs, gardening,& fixing awesome food to eat. My schedule is different everyday, but I just go with the flow, & I sip a lot of tea!

My love of Tea began with Herbals back in the 70’s. One of my favorites was a licorice blend from House of Hezekiah, an old tea shop in Kansas City. There was also a tea with mint, rose petals, chamomile, etc called Nuclear Casual Tea.
In the 80’s I gave up caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, (& a few illicit substances…), and brewed medicinal blends & tinctures to support 4 pregnancies (all children born at home). In the 90’s my love affair with green teas began when I discovered ‘The Republic of Tea’. Their beautiful teas & packaging inspired my original song, “TeaMind”, from my CD “Zen Breakfast”. If you’d like to hear the song for free, drop by my website.

In general, I drink my teas straight, but occasionally I add a pinch of Stevia & maybe some coconut or almond milk (I’m allergic to dairy, gluten, & various other things & avoid most sweets.)

I’ve explored a variety of teas:
Whites tend to be a little bland…sorry
Oolongs are wonderful, especially Orchid & Peach! (I love anything with Peaches)
Roobios – I’m not a fan in general
Puehr – a fairly new direction for me
I’m not a huge fan of flavored teas, unless that flavor is peaches or chocolate, but I do make exceptions, & I’ll try just about anything.

And Black Tea, Oh how I love thee!!
I am on a quest for the most wonderful breakfast cup! I will find you, my Love!