Dax Pamela Dean

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Dax Pamela Dean drank Honey Orchid Black by Golden Moon Tea

Dry leaves are big, thick and really black, but only a slight roasty scent. Weighed the portion because so hard to estimate such a bold, fluffy tea. First steep 3.5 min, the honey and floral are obvious in the scent, and repeated in the flavor. Second steep, 6 min, less malty, but with more body and added caramel and roasted barley sweetness. Third steep, 12 min, used less water and got a decent cup, but added a bit of dark agave syrup to round things out. A very impressive tea. I liked the sweeter, 2nd steep best, with the strong roasted flavor toned down and the caramel notes developed.

2011-01-19 03:46:51 -0500

205 °F / 96 °C

3 min 30 sec

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Note: I’m open to offers to swap tea samples. If you can’t message me, just comment on one of my tea notes, and I’ll respond.

I am fascinated and deeply impressed by the artistry and skill which coaxes such an array of qualities from one species of leaf. In 2009, I founded San Antonio Tea & Herb Enthusiasts. For intimate tastings with a small gathering, I’m practicing Asian-style tea service along the lines of Chinese gongfu cha yi. It’s a joy, turning people on to good tea! http://www.meetup.com/SA-Tea-Herb/

The most recent sign of my conversion to the deeply-steeped side: I’ve turned three large file boxes into “tea humidors” for aging pu-erh cakes and bricks at 65% humidity. Remote sensors within the “pumidors” relay the temperature and humidity readings to a base station on my desk.

I write about tea culture for the Examiner online newspaper: http://www.examiner.com/x-49007-San-Antonio-Tea-Examiner

My tea rating system:

0 – 10 … Ugh, throw it out
11 – 20 … Barely drinkable
21 – 40 … Passes for decent tea
41 – 60 … Good but unremarkable
61 – 80 … Delicious cuppa
81 – 90 … Wonder-full !
91 – 100 … The Stuff of Legends !