chrine

Backlogging. Last Sunday morning.

I wanted something plain and good = Ceylon. =)

Backlogging. Last Saturday morning.

We got some not entirely unexpected bad new last the night before. So I let myself sleep in some and have a mug of chai, which is a bit of a treat for me. Made stovetop method, it was spiced and yummy. Again, the cardamom was way overpowering. I didn’t check my previous tealog before making it or I’d have known to use less green pods.

1 cup water. 1 tbsp natural cane sugar. bring to boil. 1 rounded tbsp chai tea leaf. simmer 6 min 30 sec. 1 cup almond milk. bring to boil. turn off heat. let steep 10 min.

Backlogging. Thursday morning. (This is the end of the very long backlog that has kept piling on itself as I tried to work my way through it.)

Mixed with equal parts of Ceylon and EG in hopes of recapturing an earlier tea blend full of deliciousness. It did not quite work as well.

Backlogging. Thursday morning.

Mixed in combination with EG and the Tiger equally in an effort to recreate a previous mix. The effect was not quite the same.

Backlogging. Thursday morning.

I actually felt like I needed (and wanted) more black tea after drinking two mugfuls of LiberTea’s Breakfast Blend. I had just typed my tealog the night before for the second steep of my Ceylon and EG combo that I randomly decided to add the Tiger to as my bit of fresh leaf. So it was fresh in my mind how much I liked the surprising outcome of that mixing. So I decided to try to replicate the effect on purpose. I used one third each of EG, Ceylon, and the Tiger. Good, but not anywhere near what happened last time. I did not resteep.

Backlogging. Thursday morning.

Mmm. I like this tea. A strong black tea blend with a bit of bite and a bit of vanilla.

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Wednesday morning.

Mixed half A&D’s EG and half the Tiger. It was okay but not enough to resteep.

Backlogging. Wednesday morning.

Before I tried the Ceylon and EG combo, I had tried the Tiger and EG in several ratios and decided they worked well enough together. So I tried them again then. They did not work as well as I remember them and I was not inspired to resteep.

Backlogging. Tuesday afternoon.

So I wanted a green and I didn’t really know what one I wanted exactly but I like this Dragonwell so that was it. As opposed to feeling like it’s been awhile since I last drank it, it actually has been awhile since I last drank this. I made a smaller size cup and the leaves are big so I thought I’d used an appropriate amount but I wasn’t totally sure. When the tea was lighter than usually, despite trying a higher water temperature for the first time, I knew I hadn’t used enough leaf. It was still tasty but after two steeps I stopped instead of making my usually three.

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Monday morning.

Since I didn’t have a special tea to celebrate my 30th birthday the previous day, I decided to have one the next day. I really like this Bai Lin Gong Fu and I only have a limited amount. I love the way the dry leaves smell and it tastes different from any other black I have. Despite increasing the amount of leaf I used last time and being happy with it, I felt again this time that I could have used more leaf (but not as bad as the first time I made it when I really needed more leaf). Still, SO GOOD!

2nd steep: 3 min.
3rd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Sunday the 19th = my 30th birthday!! Happy birthday to me!

Out for a fancy dinner, dessert, and drinkies the night before with my two best girl friends, I wasn’t feeling the greatest the next morning. So a plain Ceylon for me was tasty and soothing. I had been planning on drinking something special but felt I should save it for when I was feeling better and better able to enjoy it. This Ceylon has always reminded me of a nicer, better quality version of the standard black bagged teas my dad used to make me when I was sick. Just one steep with a bowl of cereal with raspberries and almond milk.

Backlogging. Last Friday.

I always think it’s been longer than it has since I last had Caravan. Guess I should drink more often. Smokey-sweet goodness.

2nd steep: 6 min.

Backlogging. Last Thursday morning.

When isn’t the Tiger a good idea? (Okay, maybe not at 11pm.)

Backlogging. Last Wednesday night.

Enjoyed a ginger-minty mug before bed!

Backlogging. Last Tuesday morning.

Second steep. A mug of my usual half A&D’s EG and half A&D’s Ceylon was good, if a bit boring. I decided to kick it up a notch by using the Tiger as my fresh leaf addition. It was surprising SO GOOD.

Backlogging. Last Tuesday morning.

Drank mixed half and half with A&D’s EG for a nice decent cup. Decided to punch things up a bit on the second steep by adding the Tiger as my fresh leaf boost.

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Last Tuesday morning.

I had my usually half and half of this EG and A&D’s Ceylon and it was perfectly fine. But I wasn’t too interested in a second mugful. I needed some kick to wake me up. This combo usually needs a little bit of fresh leaf to keep the flavor up for the second steep. So instead of adding a pinch of EG and Ceylon, I added a pinch of the Tiger. Now I do not like the Tiger and this EG as a combo. But somehow the three of them together was magical. I will be trying to replicate this effect in the future.

2nd steep: 5 min. Pinch of Tiger.

Backlogging. Early Monday evening.

I gave the first steep to my husband when he woke up to go on night shift. Then decided I needed a bit of a perk up so I steeped the second one up and drink it. Yum.

Backlogging. Last Monday morning.

Oops, I did it again. I drank this lovely vanilla and honeybush Breakfast Blend black tea (on purpose actually) for the second day in a row and enjoyed it just as much as I did the first.

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Last Sunday morning.

I received this tasty black tea from a tea swap with LiberTeas. Upon opening the bag, I smelled a baked goods vanilla and strong but not overpowering black tea. This tea tasted strong but smooth with a good vanilla taste, which I couldn’t help wishing was a little stronger. It did come through more in the second steep though. (Ugh, I’m so tired that I keep zoning out glazing at my stretched out sleepy cats and have to keep reminding myself ‘Chrine, you’re writing a tealog’. I should prolly be drinking a mug of tea instead.)

I’m rating this tea a 68, which is on the upper end of my nice range (60-70). It’s a thoroughly good breakfast blend, easy drinking and wakeful with the bonus of a taste of vanilla.

2nd steep: 5 min. Moar vanilla!

Backlogging. Last Saturday afternoon.

I’m not too fond of this Sencha and don’t drink it often. But I found myself wanting an unflavored sencha and thought ‘go drink it then and use some of it up’. So I did. Grassy and better than I remembered. Perhaps I will try it again sooner.

Backlogging.

Last Saturday morning, I skipped the farmer’s market to sleep in. When I woke up, I enjoyed two mugs of Napal while reading the newspaper.

Backlogging. Friday morning.

Strong and delicious as always!

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Last Thursday morning.

Cause it goes so well with A&D’s Earl Grey. Mixed half EG and half Ceylon.

2nd steep: 6 min and a pinch of fresh leaf.