Robert Godden

It’s a celebratory mood here. For the benefit of everyone else in the world, you may have heard that Australia is planning to install the same technology to control the internet that countries like China and Iran use. It’s for our own good, apparently.
Then yesterday, the govt. of my home state of South Australia announced new laws censoring election content.
The resultant fury led to a backlash that in ONE DAY repealed that law, as I found out this morning when I got up.
So, a celebratory Darkeeling.
Smooth, warm, soft tannins.
I think any tea would taste good today*. It’s the taste of freedom and democracy restored!

(*Japanese Greens excepted, of course)

Last night’s cup was bitter-ish. I don’t know why. Any suggestions?

The great Pai Mu Tan Experiment.
I found myself with a coffee machine, 7 teas and a migraine.
Eliminated English Breakfast as too boring, Gunpowder a little bitter for today, Earl Gray, Wild Cherruy Rooibos and Fresh Breeze too fruity(for my migraine causing allergies), and I’d already had a chai.
Then I remember the PMT in my desk drawer. But no teapot. Will an infuser work for this majestic tea?
So, here’s my experiment:
The same amount of tea into an infuser and just naked into a takeaway cup. Infused them both. Then removed the infuser and decanted the other one by affixing a lid and pouring thru the spout.
So, first steep, and it must be said, both excellent. Great fresh taste.
However, on the second steep, there was a marked difference. The un-infusered one was considerably better, with that woodsy tate I’m always rabbitting on about.
So, after bravely drinking 4 cups of tea, I think I’ve proven that PMT prefers to run free!

Too much politics and not getting any work done. Must stop for a cuppa.
Second steep – oh so fine.
I think that some teas offer a better 2nd steep than first. This is all gooey and flowery on the palate. Scrumptious.

Big mistake last night. I ate half of an iced fruit juice thing. It said grape juice – the migraine says otherwise. lemon or Orange for sure in there somewhere.
Took some heavy duty painkiller, but couldn’t sleep.
So, it’s my famous green tea cure.
HUGE cup of this delicate green.
The first third is needed to wash away the aspirin/codeine taste.
Then i start appreciating it’s lush floral tones.
Taste, mouthfeel and aroma all combine to start me on the road to recover.
I suppose I’ll have to force myself to drink another cup…

Last night’s supper!
A really great tea, mildly perfumed. It’s long been a favourite, but almost impossible to get. In fact this batch, which I got from someone who used to work for me, was actually from a batch I made myself about 8 months ago, using my usual “add the cornflowers until it looks about right” technique of careful blending.
Like most scented blends, it improves over te hsort/medium term.
I served it with fairy bread! Haven’t had that since I was a kid, but saw it on a menu yesterday. I have a whole bunch of different variations on pink/purple sprinklies, so it was pretty fancy.
It was like a kids tea party for really spoilt kids!
The sweet tea teased my tastebud and lingered on my plaate, forcing me to make another cup.

Last cup last night – as always a great tea.
I think it’s great to enjoy a tea that tastes of tea!
I understeeped it slightly for my better half, as she takes milk, but for myself it was perfect.
Really pleasant aftertaste.

I was meeting someone who has returned to Adelaide from London. Fearing that he had trouble getting a decent cup of tea there, we wnet to T-Bar, Adelaide Central Market. We decided on the Pai Mu Tan for two.
It was a pretty small pot and we polished it off, but got so engrossed in conversation we forgot to request a re-steep
It was fine, sweet enough by itself with a lovely woody warmth.
It went down very nicely.

Thought I’d finish this one off while browing steepster and appraising the hornet’s nest I (somewhat) inadvertently stirred up.
It’s strong today, and it seems to match the slightly cooler, strong wind buffetting us here.
Nice tannins, earthy, real old-fashioned tea.
Probably the last decent cup I’ll get until I arrive home in 8 hours.

Yes, another cup of this. It’s great, as you’d expect. 2nd steeping from last night’s nightcap.
But the tea has been tinged with tragedy! I have dropped the lid of my purple teapot (“Jasime”) and it shattered.
Now, I know there are vastly bigger tragedies in the world (please don’t send me a list) , but it’s not a grteat start to a week to have smashed a favourite teapot lid by 6:30 on a Monday morning.

As it’s my tea of the week, my better half demanded a cup.
And it was great. Malty, rich, a true gift of nature.
A pleasure to make and drink.

A really sweet tea with some banana bread.
I must remember to use an alternative teapot for this tea, Clarence has a spout-width of exactly one re-hydrated raspberry and it makes it difficult to pour it.
It’s sweet and fruity, and lays back. You get sort of a real raspberry taste first, then it strengthens toward more your raspberry flavoured sweets.
Very, very nice.

As promised to myself, I brewed a pot with passionfruit herb and rose petals added.
It was just perfect with Sunday Breakfast

While shooting yesterday, this is what I had, and how it tasted:
Daintree Black, to which I added sage and thyme: Gloriously savoury, wonderful with roast meats. (try Nilgiri or PNG Wahgu Valley if you’re not in Australia)
China Green Jasmine with Pinapple Sage and Lavender – my “go to sleep” tea, wonderfully floral and fresh.
Moroccan Mint with fresh mint; Ok, no real surpise there!
Pai Mu Tan with Rose Petals and Passionfruit Herb – absolutely stunning to look at, taste or smell. Fruity and sooo fine.
I am now editing the video, whoch I’ll post later today. I am drooling as I do it. I might take a break to collect some rose petals and passionfruit herb.

Had it last night with slightly lower water temp.
Loved it!

I picked some of this up yesterday whilst preparing to shoot “Shoving Garden Herbs in your tea”
I had a mind to use it with lavendar, but didn’t.
So I brewed it yestaerday arva, and now again this morning.
The first thing I noticed is a rich red colour. Really striking.
I oftenh find that organics lack colour and flavour. Not so with this tea.
It has a rich, distinctly Ceyon flavour and feel.
I beleive that Ceylon teas last longer in the mouth than any other, you can taste them for up to an hour afterwards.
This one does not disappoint. I will be going back for more.

Ah Pai Mu Tan
You understand me and support me,
Encourage and exhort me to better things
On soft orange yellow wings of taste, aroma and style
Salty and sweet and complete

“Why not try it again?” I thought.
“it can’t be as bad as I remember” I thought.
I was making my other half a giant Velvet Kilimanjaro layered Latte with a shot of Father O’leary’s Irish Cream (a cheap Bailey’s substiute my mother-in-law buys) and I hasd a sudden post-pradial attack of laziness as far as my own tea was concerned, so I went for the bag.
I only have myself to blame. It was murky and leathery. Not nice

My better half was eating Turkish delight, so I changed my mind from Darjeeling and reached for this malty assam to cut through the sweetness.
It is everything I want in a tea, great black for me or with milk for anyone else.
malty and caramelly, luscious.

Just having one of these neat – no milk, no sugar, no wineglass.
It’s silky smooth and refreshing.
Must remember to dig out the Quince version I have at home

Minty and great, with breakfast, which is cheese and tomato on toast.
Wonderfully mediteranean feel with this meal, this tea, in this glorious sunshine ahead of a hot day.
Hard to resist a second cup.

I am specifically reviewing a cup that is a long way down the chain.
Yesterday, I made a Pai Mu Tan for myself and my better half at about 3pm. Nice
I did a second small steep on the spot.
Just before dinner at about 7pm I had another. Thean around 8:15 had another.
So, now we come to this one. It’s the next wmorning, just before seven. This tea has produced 5 cups from 4 steepings prior to this; and we come to number 6 or 5 depending on your point of view.
It’s a little insipid.
I was asking too much of it. To be fair, it has no bitterness, no staleness, nothing wrong at all – just a little underflavoured.
It would be unfair for me to change the rating. This tea has done very well.

Hmm, good midday boost. Had it with diet jelly and diet yoghurt.
Smooth, not very bitter. This time, I just dumped the leaves in a cup and sipped off the top, about 100ml at a time.

Talking with Cofftea about chai and stuff, so I had to have one.
really frothed the hell out of it in small steaming jug. Piping hot, sweet, smooth, creamy, foamy.
At this moment, I am king of the world!