Autumn Hearth

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Autumn Hearth drank Cran-Blackberry Rooibos by 52teas

Thanks to the Traveling Tea Box I finally get to try a 52tea blend! Unfortunately this one doesn’t seem to have much love on Steepster and may be meant to be drank cold. Not setting my hopes high. So level teaspoon with this one, steeped for 5 mins, boiling water, in a tiny 3-4oz tasting cup.

The dry leaf does smell berry like and can you even smell tart? It seems I can. It reminds me of something, some kind of bath product or candle. The liquor smells very sweet and reminds me a bit of a fruit wine or mead. As I pull the basket out it looks like its almost going to be wine colored, but there is definitely rooibos orange here. Hmm such a familiar smell.

Now the taste, oh! This is familiar in a different way, this is like blackberry frozen yogurt! No mistake! And I’m drinking this hot! I’m guessing Frank is known for stronger flavors and perhaps his followers come to expect that, but this is really quite nice to me! Again bar set low so pleasant surprise! I do get a bit of cranberry but this is mostly blackberry yogurt to me, frozen and not. Fun!

I don’t drink many fun tea. Incredibly amazing complex teas yes that can be joyful to drink, but not straightforward fun. Then again may be part of the Traveling Tea Box experience! Toddler says quote “Mmmm, that was very good!” after remarking that it too is orange. He’s taking a second helping and requesting a third, Rowan approved!

2012-09-17 13:13:21 -0400

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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.