Nik

On my second try to play nicely with 52t’s Gingerbread Chai, I used the stovetop method: I brought water to a boil and then added (vanilla soy) milk, sugar, and a little more than a tsp of tea. I let it do its thing for about three minutes, instead of five.

The resulting brew was not bitter, which is great, but it wasn’t gingerbread, either, which isn’t so great. It’s a decent enough ginger tea, but the baked, cakey sweetness I was expecting didn’t appear in the fragrance or the flavour, only in…the aftertaste. I tried it just off the stove, and I tried it after it cooled some, but I still only got ginger chai. If only I could get the taste to match the perfect aftertaste, I’d be happy. :D

I don’t _dis_like the tea and I’m happy that I have enough left to experiment with a few more cups. If you’re ever wondering about The LiberTEAS Sampler box, I have no complaints about the size of the samples! They’re really the perfect amount of tea to really play and get a feel for whether you can make a tea work for you, whether you want to pass it along to someone else or stock it permanently in your cupboard, etc. Thanks, LiberTEAS!

Tea amount: 1.25ish tsp/~6g
Water amount: About 8oz/~237mL
Additives: Vanilla soy milk and about 2 tsp Demerara sugar
Dry mouth factor: 7/10 (Even with milk, such a strange sensation!)

2012-11-03 13:26:24 -0400

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LiberTEAS 2012-11-03 15:55:51 -0400

I’m glad that this brewing method worked better for you. As I mentioned before, for whatever reason, the second batch of this tea just didn’t taste quite the same as the first. The first batch was very gingerbread-y. This time – the reblend – it’s more of a ginger chai, with only hints of a baked cake like taste.

Nik 2012-11-03 16:40:07 -0400

I am glad to hear it’s not just my tastebuds, LiberTEAS, thanks. If it really is just more of a ginger chai this time around, then it’s spot on—but Frank should consider changing the name (or “fixing” it).

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2012.10.07: I hear people like to understand other people’s ratings, so here’s a loose guide:

01-29: Dear God, why.
30-49: I’ll finish this cup, I guess, but no more.
50-59: Meh.
60-69: Decent. Maybe I can blend it with something else and make it better.
70-79: Heeey, this is quite good!
80-89: I love it, but I’m not in love with it.
90-100: Permanently resident in my Happy Place.

Update: I have steeped, and it was good. =] Still a tea-ophyte, though.

This is a tea site, so I feel like “well, I’m Indian” should be enough of an introduction. Because, I mean, it’s kind of in my genes, right? But the fact of the matter is that I’m an absolute tea-ophyte.

I’ve just discovered a world beyond Celestial Seasonings. I’ve just discovered “sachets” instead of “normal” tea bags and bought my first loose tea sampler. I don’t get the whole water temperature and steep time thing yet, nor that if I want to get a yixiang tea pot, I’d need one for each type of tea. I have this infuser ball thing, but I haven’t used it yet.

Don’t cringe, but right now I’m still just boiling water and pouring it over a teabag, adding some sugar, and drinking a nice, hot cuppa. I’d like to learn more, I think, and I’d like to train my palate. I figure participating in this community is the best way to do that.

So ya. Hi!