Autumn Hearth

122 Followers / 113 Following

Autumn Hearth drank Lavender Earl Green by Verdant Tea

Ohhh this is lovely! I wouldn’t trust a Lavender Earl Anything from anyone but Verdant as me and super floral teas do not get along. I once tried to make something like this at work with Lavender Dreams and Earl Grey White and winded up with a headache. But this is perfectly done, so very fresh and soft yet bright, I thought there was something like lemongrass in this! And I still can taste the Jingshan base nice and green and lineny. So much better than an astringent white or filmy citrus base (I’m looking at you Teavana). I did quite a short steep on this and could probably get many infusions but I’ll try not to overdo it because lavender can indeed give me headaches, I was shouting at my sister to take the oil warmer out of the birthing room as soon as the droplets hit the chafing dish almost three years ago. This tea does not evoke those memories (just thinking about my past sensitivities did) no, this is like walking through the fields of Provence this time of year and gathering a bundle lavender and taking it back to a cool white walled, dirt floor kitchen to to weave wreaths, infuse in homemade dish soap and to a brew a fresh cup of tea with. Not that I’ve ever been to Provence or that this is at all soapy, but my favorite Seventh Generation dish liquids are Lavender and Lemongrass ;)

2012-06-26 22:49:51 -0400

175 °F / 79 °C

0 min 15 sec

I Like This

13 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

Bio

Druid, artist, poet, mum, lover of tea, ritual and myth. I grew up on Celestial Seasons herbals but fell in love with straight loose leaf tea working at my local Teavana for a year. I am grateful for the introduction and the experience, but have moved on.

I see tea as an experience for the senses, I like to imagine tasting the land and the weather as well as the effect of sun, air, fire and the human hand. I have a soft spot for shu pu’er, yabao, scented oolongs, wuyi oolongs, taiwanese tea as well as smooth naturally sweet blacks, creamy greens and surprisingly complex whites.

I began ordering lots of samples from Upton to educate myself on different varieties of tea we didn’t have at work and have fallen head over heels for the unique offerings from Verdant Tea. I am learning things I like: buttery mouthfeel, surprising sweet or spice notes, woodiness, mineral notes, depth and complexity and things I don’t: astringency, dry and sour notes.

I collect tea tins and am in danger of collecting pots, though I am trying to restrain the urge due to current lack of space. I brew mostly in a glass infuser mug or a tea maker, only using cast-iron for company now (still need to get a gaiwan) and tend not to sweeten my teas unless they are British or fruity and iced, which is not often.

As far as ratings, I lack a definite system and haven’t been assigning numbers lately, wanting to spend multiple sessions with a tea first. I usually only log a tea once, unless it is a new harvest or I have significantly different observations, but will go back and edit or comment if I find something interesting or new.