Last tea from the traveling tea box brewed up this morning! This tea is sparkly, there are pink shimmering flecks in it, dry tea should not sparkle, nor should vampires. I felt better when I realized they were candy pieces, caramel “candy”, okay I can live with that. So this is another lip gloss tea. Not Lip Smacker this time, no, this is a very particular lips gloss I got in a set of lip glosses years ago, there were in tiny clear hard plastic cases shaped like candy wrappers. Yeah. I see the apple pieces once they have plumped up, but I barely taste them. Not bad just not conjuring up caramel apples for me. But its definitely not the thai curry that Amanda tasted. Farewell Traveling Tea Box, it was fun while it lasted! I just got my order from Verdant in the mail today, as well as another pair of free samples from Nuvola and I still have to review one and brew the other. Plus samples from Michelle and Allison. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the tea right now. Going to go curl up with with my cup. Oh who am I kidding? I’m going to log it, after I backlog. Thank you Amanda!
This is You :-D
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.
Location
Baker Street, Berea, Ohio
