chrine

Backlogging. 11 days ago. Wednesday morning.

I’ve been reading about people blending two teas to create the smokey cowboy earl grey. But I’ve put off trying it even though I was intrigued. I did this as a half and half with Harney’s Earl Grey and this tea was all I could taste. The resteep was odd and not all that enjoyable.

2nd steep: 6 mins

Backlogging. 11 days ago. Wednesday morning.

I’ve been reading about people blending two teas to create the smokey cowboy earl grey. But I’ve put off trying it even though I was intrigued. I did this as a half and half with DFT’s Caravan and that was all I could taste. The resteep was odd and not all that enjoyable.

2nd steep: 6 mins

Backlogging. 12 days ago. Early afternoon.

Needing some more caffeine, I reached for another black tea. Now every so often, I have this tea with a spoon of jam stirred in, which gives it a fruity tart flavor to go w/ the smokiness and I kind of like it like that. But I also like it plain too. But I’ve never had it with strawberry jam before. Omg so so good. Strawberry, smoke, a hint of tart, and black tea. Love it. And quickly consumed both steeps. I was not planning on getting the Caravan reissue at all once I finished this tin. Now I’m considering it, just to have with strawberry jam alone. I wake up in the morning wanting this tea this way now.

2nd steep: 8 mins 30 sec

Backlogging. 12 days ago. Tuesday morning.

Two steeps made exactly the same ways as last time. I got this one down pat for me and it’s becoming a morning favorite.

2nd steep: 20+ mins

Up next, The Flavor Experiment.

Backlogging. 13 days ago. Monday morning.

First cup of the day. Tart berry yum.

Backlogging. 14 days ago. Early Saturday afternoon.

Still muddled and not getting white chocolate strawberry from it. Will have to try again soon, maybe with more leaf.

Backlogging. 14 days ago. Saturday morning.

A rich first cup of the day. An on purpose extra long second steep mimicking my accidental extra long second steep of DFT R29 ceylon yielded again a much more enjoyable cup than my traditional second steep times.

2nd steep: 20+ mins

Backlogging. 11 days ago. Friday morning.

I wanted to go with a chocolate tea this morning and this one sounded good even though I haven’t tried it yet. Honestly, I’m really not getting white chocolate strawberry from this tea. As it cools because I’m looking for it I think I get a texture that reminds me of white chocolate more than tastes like it and as it cools further I think I get some strawberry. Not a bad cup by any means, just not getting the intended flavor.

Backlogging. 12 days ago. Thursday morning.

Another tasty cup indeed. Made with the more leaf method. lol

The second steep I forgot for about 20 minutes and omg was it good. This I will have to do again sometime too.

Backlogging. 9 days ago. Wednesday late night.

A nice soothing cup of tea after I got home from my Labor Day weekend dog sitting.

Backlogging. 13 days ago. Friday morning.

Quickly consumed a cup to wake me up before I had to get ready to leave. What’s notable about this session is that I steeped a second cup to drink post shower then completely forgot about it and was sad to have to abandon it. =(

2nd steep: 8 mins 30 sec

Backlogging. 12 days ago. Last Thursday morning.

Needed a second black tea. This hit the spot quite nicely.

2nd steep: 6 mins

Drank with a splash of milk after a breakfast of honey wheat toast with chunky peanut butter and strawberry conserves. I’m going to need more black tea this morning, a lot more black tea.

Okay so. During The Great Unlogged Period, I also had this one several more times. The grape instead of raisin flavor diminished some over time but not greatly. But I have not tried it in quite some time.

So this was my second cup of tea yesterday. And it was just weird this time. Something that I think was the oatmeal flavor came out more. But it tasted like fake something that was not fake oatmeal but also not fake plastic but reminiscent of a fake plastic taste at times but at other times tasted like oatmeal or grains. The raisin is still verging on grape-ness but I can get it raisin if I think about it. I’d had hopes this might get better.

Yes, I’ve had this one before too, also during The Great Unlogged Period. It’s from the 2011 Xmas sampler.

This tastes exactly like hot rainbow sherbet in a cup with some black tea underneath that comes out more as the cup cools. This was my first tea of the day yesterday.

This morning I steeped this one as my wake up cup for a change from A&D’s R29 Ceylon of the past two mornings. It was rich and flavorful and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

2nd steep: 8 mins 30 secs
With breakfast of over easy eggs with siracha and multigrain toast with butter and strawberry conserves.

Yesterday morning I steeped this one again as my wake up cup and it provided the same tasty goodness it had the previous morning. I think the addition of quite a bit more leaf to these A&D teas is proving to be quite a good thing. I am again finding myself reaching for plain black teas first thing in the morning instead of pondering which flavored black tea called to me.

2nd steep: 7 mins
With breakfast of over easy eggs with siracha and multigrain toast with butter and strawberry conserves.

Backlogging. 2 days ago. Sunday night.

Yet another tea that I’ve drank half a box of already but didn’t log during The Great Unlogged Period. I don’t have a lot to say about this one. General berry flavor more than blueberry and tart.

For this cup, I added honey, thinking to try it as a last night throat soother for a break from Lemon Zinger with honey. This tea really does not work with honey. But I suspected that might be the case.

From previous cups, I know steeping for only three minutes brought out the berry more.

Yesterday morning I tried out the new and improved leaf amount from A&D’s Holiday Blend on this one. I had been having the same problem with this tea – on the weak side and kind of generic tasting. And boy did it help! So much more yum now. I taste oatmeal or some kind of warm grain with maybe a touch of hay or straw as it cools.

2nd steep: 7 mins
With honey. Soothing to my still sore throat and newly developed cough. (But it’s okay because I’m actually feeling much better and like I’m on the getting over end of this cold.)

Yes, I have a cold in the middle of August. Wtf is up with that?

So yesterday morning I wanted a cup of black tea and honey. But I’d finished all my black teas that I knew went well with honey. Time to try something new. I had originally thought to try the R29 Ceylon. Indeed, I had opened the cupboard to grab it but was pulled to make this again even though I thought it would not taste right with honey. Boy was I ever wrong. This was so good and soothing with honey and carrying all the yummy characteristics of my last time having it, just muted a bit by the sweetness.

Backlogging. 3 days ago. Tuesday morning.

On a whim, I added even more leaf than the last time and omg so so good. This is it. I actually really like this tea now and can’t wait to try it again like this.

Backlogging. 4 days ago. Monday night.

I remember this tea being so weak no matter how I steeped it that I ended up having to use two bags to get a decent flavor. However, I used a small mug this time so I decided to steep just one bag the maximum recommended time. It came out sickeningly strongly spiced with no tea taste at all. I could only drink half the cup. I think I have about 6 bags left and I think it’ll be awhile before I have this one again.

Backlogging. 4 days ago. Monday morning.

Had to see if I could replicate yesterday’s delicious experience. I could. Omg this tea is so much better now.

Backlogging. 5 days ago. Sunday morning.

I tried even a bit more leaf that morning and it was so much better. I could taste a stronger tea now and notes of things, like richness, chewiness, and a hint of smoke.