Jenn-cha

How strange that my last tasting note two years ago was for this tea and, not even realizing it, I reached for it this morning! This is still one of my favorite teas though I do not reach for it as often now due to the time constraints of dealing with two children.

This morning I used a bit more than a teaspoon of this in my 12oz tetsubin and did an initial infusion of 1 1/2 minutes. The second infusion I’m drinking now was steeped for 3 minutes and is darker than the first. I probably could have gotten away with a 2 minute steeping time. I’ll likely do a third infusion at 4 1/2 minutes and might even get a fourth. I’ll have to update this if I do.

On the third infusion of this and loving every moment. I’m so glad I took advantage of Chi of Tea’s samples offer and if the other two teas are as good as this I will definitely be ordering from this company.

The first two infusions (2 and 4 1/4 minutes respectively) had identical color and flavor: a deep red liquor with an earthy-sweet and slightly floral orange flavor. The third infusion (7 1/2 minutes) has a slightly lighter, deep peachy-red color with a slightly lighter flavor.

I had to do a lot of experimenting to find just the right steeping time for this tea. I started with the recommended 3 minutes and gradually lessened the time. I think I finally got it down this morning. 2 1/4 minutes seems to be just right for my tastes.

Beef Jerky!

That is totally what this tea reminds me of in both taste and fragrance. One of my friends describes Lapsang Souchons thusly: “Smells like beef jerky, tastes like tires.” I have to agree with the smell part but you know, I LIKE beef jerky. Quite a lot actually! My favorite is hickory smoked with teriyaki-glazed coming in close second.

A lovely medium-amber color with a malty/earthy/fruit flavor. I even picked up a couple floral notes and a bit that I want to say was . . . pumpkin? Yes, definitely pumpkin for a few sips there.

I oversteeped this yesterday and was interested to note that the flavor overlay was distinctly different from that of a Chinese black that has been oversteeped. Not quite bitter, more like, I suppose woody would be one way to describe it.

No notes yet.

I’ll admit, my interest in this tea was mostly because my Pakke’s family is from the section of Friesland that lies in The Netherlands. After tasting it I’m very glad that I decided to purchase it.

I’ve had this twice since my package from Upton tea came in yesterday. It is a very enjoyable tea with or without milk though I wish I had some cream so I could try it with it’s traditional presentation. The first infusion requires precisely 4 minutes, anything over and it starts getting quite bitter. If you go for a second infusion you can be much more lenient with the time, I forgot about it while dealing with my kids but even at 10 minutes there was no bitterness.

One of the random teabags that Dan sent to me. I really like this one, can’t say as I’ve had a good apple-flavored tea before. This was juicy and slightly tart, very much like a Gala or Pink Lady apple, though not tart enough for Granny Smith.

Many heartfelt thank yous go out to Dan for his generous gift of this fascinating tea! I have been waiting for enough money to be able to order it for months now only to find out last week that the company had closed up shop. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed but then Dan stepped up with his generous offer of a sample of this tea and I must say I was over the moon.

But of course Murphy had to have a good joke on my behalf this morning. As I was waiting for my tea to steep my son needed to use the bathroom. Being just under four he still needs someone in there to make sure he washes his hands. Just as he was turning on the faucet I caught a glimpse of the time on my watch and I let out an expletive. MY TEA! Rushing to the kitchen I hurriedly removed the leaves from the pot and looked at my watch again. 8 1/4 minutes! I had oversteeped it! This tea I had been waiting so long to try and would never be able to buy more of. Not one to waste tea and being much more hopefully optimistic than most (or just plain mule-stubborn!) I poured a cup, added sugar and waited for the liquid to cool a bit.

Oh my goodness! I was overjoyed to find that this is one of those rare teas that do not go bitter when mildly oversteeped. The toasty, nutty notes hit my tongue first. It wasn’t until about halfway through the cup that I picked up the vaunted cocoa flavor that had hit me full in the face when I opened the sample package. I certainly tasted it through the rest of the pot though!

Currently working on my second pot (9 minute infusion) and the flavor is just as lovely as the first steeping.

Again, many many thanks to Dan! I’m looking forward to trying the other teas he sent as well :)

Still loving this. It is definitely going on my list of “teas to keep in stock AT ALL TIMES”

Going camping this weekend and for some reason the thought of campfires and tents made me start craving some of my favorite tea.

You know, I’d originally bought this because the description said there were coco notes. I keep drinking it because of the subtle smokiness and the earthy-sweet flavors. I am still amazed by how much I like this.

Having this tonight and I made up a mug for the hubby too. His exact words: “Odd. Not something I would expect to be hot.” He’s still drinking it though XD

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

I tried having this yesterday and completely miss-read my previous notes on it. Complete disaster. The only thing more guaranteed to ruin my day than not having tea at all is ruining good tea, especially one of my favorites. Determined to have a better day today I decided to take another shot at this. So glad I did. I’m on my fourth infusion and looking forward to even more.

You know, this makes me think of a certain spot I used to visit when I was a kid. Hidden away in an area of pine woods, granite outcroppings lifting out of the hillside, a little area with tumbled granite boulders and a comfortable dry granite cave tucked into the hillside. It had obviously once housed human occupants because someone had hollwed out a shelf large enough to sleep on and there were large rocks wedged together over the doorway to fill in a natural gap.

I think I might have to try finding that place again so I can bring my kids. I’ll have to bring a thermos with this tea along as well.

Wanted to have this last night but I was good and went to bed instead. So of course I have to have it when I get up!

Two infusions. 1st – 5 minutes, 2nd – 5 1/2 minutes. My son tried the second infusion and thought it was yummy :o My son, a tea connoisseur at the ripe old age of three years, seven months XD

Oh, I think it’s official now: I’m in love with this tea. Bumping the rating up to 100.

For some reason I was craving this tea this morning. And then I nearly over-steeped it. Need tea timer with a nicely annoying buzz/beep/whatever.

Backlogging from yesterday.

Thanks go to Jillian for the chance to try this tea :)

I have got to say, I love the color of the liquor: dusty, antique rose. The disparity of the primarily rose aroma and hibiscus taste threw me a bit but it was still enjoyable. Pleasantly tart with a lingering aftertaste of roses, it made me want some candied rose petals to munch on. I’ve never had candied rose petals but I suspect they would go perfectly with this.

I followed a link from the Miscellaneous Sales thread, because who here is NOT interested in checking out new-to-them tea companies? And while browsing the black tea selection I found a word I never thought I would see associated with black tea outside of my own blendings: JASMINE. A BLACK TEA with JASMINE. I was amazed. I love blending my green jasmine teas with my black rose and chocolate teas but I never thought I’d see a TEA COMPANY blend JASMINE with a BLACK TEA. Can you tell how amazed I was? And then I got to TASTE it…..blissful sigh

1st infusion: 4 minutes, boiling water
The color of the steeped liquor is a brown-ish amber, nothing spectacular, but the FLAVOR…mellow, malty, jasmine. Actually, it reminds me of the Black Locust trees that are currently in bloom, the full, white, fragrant blossom clusters buzzing with bees and butterflies.

2nd infusion: 6 1/2 minutes, boiling water
The color is the same, the flavor just a bit mellower.

I think I can get another infusion from this. Will update later if I do.

Backlogging from yesterday.

15 second rinse, boiling water

1st infusion: 2 minutes, boiling water
The color is a deep, deep maroon. It was so dark I couldn’t make out my spoon at the bottom of the cup. A lovely color but I’m afraid I might have over-steeped. But when I went to take my first, hesitant, sip my eyebrows flew up and my eyes got wide. It wasn’t over-steeped at all! In fact, it was rather pleasant! The liquor had a mellow, earthy flavor with a hint of apricot. It reminded me of a sun-warmed woodland floor, complete with moss, ferns, loam, and crumbling dead-wood.

2nd infusion: 2 1/4 minutes, boiling water
The color is the same but now I’m getting something like…almond? And an unpleasant sour-bitter taste. I think the extra 15 seconds were too much at this point.

3rd infusion: 2 minutes, boiling water
The color is still the same deep maroon, the almond note and bitterness have disappeared and the apricot is much more prevalent than before.

4th infusion: 2 1/2 minutes, boiling water
The color is perhaps a tad lighter and the flavor is definitely lighter. Now it’s more like fresh-harvested hay or wheat with a slight raisin note.

5th infusion: 3 1/2 minutes, boiling water
Definitely a lighter color now and the liquor tastes a bit like plum.

6th infusion: 4 minutes, boiling water
The color has lightened to a lovely peachy-brown and the wheat/raisin flavor has returned.

I probably could have gotten another infusion or two out of this. I must say, this is much better than my first pu’erh experience. I’m glad I still have four of these little touchas left.

We have another winner here.

1st infusion: 3 1/4 minutes
The liquor of this is pale gold, though not as pale as the blend I did with the Long Jing. The flavor…exquisite. Soft jasmine melding seamlessly with delicate lilac. Like a chord played by a single instrument rather than a duet.

2nd infusion: 4 minutes
Contrary to expectations the color of the liquor this time is actually a BRIGHTER gold with faint green tones rather than the same or lighter. The flavor is the same floral melding as in the 1st infusion.

Backlogging from yesterday.

Yes, more lilac experiments. Having done the two extremes I decided to start exploring the middle regions of the tea spectrum and chose Life in Teacup’s 2010 Pre-Qingming Da Fo (Great Buddha) Long Jing first day harvest. After steeping, the liquor was the palest of pale green-golds (oxidizing to a slightly darker pale gold by the end of the pot). The lightly vegetal, acorn-like flavor was a perfect compliment to the delicate lilac note.

Backlogging from this morning.

One day you are walking through the woods. It’s a sunny day, new growth deciduous trees, past season’s leaves covering the ground in layers of leaf mold. A faint whiff of something floral wafts past you on the light breeze. Following the scent you come out into a clearing to discover an abandoned house, crumbling into ruin, with a giant lilac tree abutting the remains of a stone chimney, roots pushing through the age-softened mortar of the stone foundation.

Yeah…it’s kinda like that.

1st infusion: 2 minutes, boiling water

2nd infusion: 3 1/2 minutes, boiling water
The lilac note is barely noticeable this time.

I have been longing to try some lilac tea…seeing as I have a lilac bush right in my backyard I decided to try making it myself! I wasn’t sure how delicate the flavor would turn out so I picked the lightest tea I had which turned out to be the perfect choice.

1st infusion: 3 minutes
The liquor is a pale gold, almost shimmering, with a delicate lilac note and a lightly vegetal aftertaste.

2nd infusion: 5 1/4 minutes
Same color but the flavor is a bit lighter.

I still have lots of lilac left…wonder what I should try blending it with next.