Capital Tea Ltd.

This one’s good too, but I was surprised checking now to see it’s Capital Teas’ second priciest Assam because to me it reads as great in the ways the others are—namely the fantastic smoothness—but much more straightforward, with a less complex network of flavors (maybe I just can’t detect them though…I am a subtaster and all that). The flavor is tasty, there just aren’t as many notes, less transformative interplay. This is a softer tea, but don’t get me wrong, it still has a deep sweet flavor. It would make a good first thing cup because of its relative simplicity and first rate smoothness; instead of a harsh tannic pucker you’d greet the day with the palate equivalent of warm soft fuzzy blankets.

So lovely. It’s a shame that the teas I’ve been most impressed with lately—Assams from Capital Tea—I get in the mood to drink at night while snuggled up to watch Elementary, and by the end of that I’m too sleepy to write decent notes. I think I reach for them then /because/ I know they’ll be wonderful and that matches my excitement and comfort looking forward to the evening’s relaxation. Alas for them. But in short, this is yet another excellent, beyond-all-other-shops’-Assams experience for me. Remarkably smooth but chock full of deep, rich, dark-sweet flavor and lots of neat subtler nuanced notes. And just like all the other Assams from Capital so far, resteeps like a dream (and I’m normally very skeptical of resteeping black tea), like the energizer bunny (I don’t even add extra time the first couple, and I can resteep at least 3 or 4 times…nuts). I think the best way to describe this (and just about all of the Capital Assams I’ve tried so far) sloppily/lazily is that it’s like the heft and deep-dark-satisfying classic tea flavor quality one expects from an Assam (or any Indian or Ceylon tea, but with the harsh acidic lemony part removed), the smoothness, sweetness, and complexity prized in good Chinese black teas, pluuuuus an uber satisfying dark bittersweet brawn (but smooth, always smooth!) that hints at good coffee made from freshly roasted oily beans. With spice notes usually. Perfect. Assams! I love you so much right now. I just needed to find the right go-between for us to date again. Now the feelings I’ve got are getting serious. Cohabitation seems inevitable, ha.

Welcome to day 11 little terri’s Sipdown Extravaganza!
It’s hard to believe that I’ve managed to sustain this sipdown thingy for this many days, & although not every tea I’ve drank has been a sipdown, most of them have, & it feels good to be letting go of all of the small quantities that have been sitting around waiting to be drank.

Sipdown #75 was Maharaja, from American Tea Room. I am entering it here because I can’t get the ‘review’ button to work on Maharaja’s page. It’s a very bold & a little tart Assam, sent to me by Sil, & it really hit the spot this morning! I love it when I can actually feel the caffeine coursing through my veins!

Sipdown #76 is this Kenyan from the Milim Estate, Capital Teas. This one came to me from Sil, who got it from Dexter. Thanks girls! Although some of the Kenyan blacks I’ve tried have been very bright & kind of grapey, this one is much more earthy & a little sweet, with a nice wood taste.

Sipdown #64, also from Sil, who received it from Dexter. Thanks girls!
Not really much to say about this one. I shared a pot of it with Ari during breakfast, & although it was pleasant, it didn’t knock my socks off or anything like that.
Sorry for the lame review :)

Delicious. Scattered and vague note, alas; I will try to write a better, clearer, more precise one when I drink this not so late at night after a ton more Elementary (g’ah, I love that show). I reckon it won’t take too long because it’s so good. I also tried Capital’s New Vithanakande because I love Harney and Sons’ but have run out (only had the sample packet) and it has a similar scrummy bittersweet chocolate thing going on. I am loving all these bittersweet deeply flavored bold teas lately! Also, this one resteeps like a charm. Had still another black tea from Capital today too, but I’m blanking right now—it was lighter bodied and mild, sweet, like Golden Monkey, which again is alright but never gets me to sit up and take notice relative to stuff like this. I was kind of feeling sad about not liking Assam as much as I used to back in the day after trying so many Steepster faves (Steven Smith and to a lesser extent even A&D’s), but this parade of delicious bittersweet bold black Indian teas from Capital is changing my tune and reminding me why I fell in love with them in the first place so long ago. Hooray.

My Capital Tea order arrived Friday (well, actually more like Tuesday, but it was in mail jail and I knew there’d be more mail jail slips coming—my carrier changed routes and the new one is more cautious :(—so I waited ’til Friday to pick everything up at once)! A shoutout to Dexter3657, because the samples she sent my way in her amazing swapbox blew my mind and acted as the catalyst for checking them out. Thank you!

I took this out yesterday to do Saturday morning errands. It’s quite upfront smoky, and as you sip through the smoke settles and asserts itself as a barbecue smokehouse-type aroma (could be a subtle result of the citrus of the bergamot combining with the smoke, brightening it and preventing it from being too fireplace ash musty, who knows). The floral aspect from the bergamot is tucked away gently in the back, definitely present but not so strong as to clash. I liked it! Not a combo you see every day. This can go nicely in my little stable of “meditative afternoon smoke break” teas, alongside stuff like Upton Imports Baker Street, Harney and Sons Russian Country, Della Terra Professor Grey, Verdant Earl of Anxi, STEAp Shoppe Smoky Mountain STEAp, etc.

Additional notes: trying this one again with different parameters. It seems like no matter which way I steep, it still has “watery” flavor if that makes sense. Isn’t a ton of depth to it. The color of the cup looks promising, as it looks like Butiki’s Taiwanese Assam, but there the similarities end. And the second steep always has that oversteeped leaves flavor. Though it does seem to work better with a lower temp/ longer steep time like last time. Lowering rating.
Steep #1 // 2 tsps. // 10 min after boiling // 2 min
Steep #2 // few min after boiling // 4+ min

Another from Dexter3657! THANK YOU! I actually wanted to try this one when I saw the tasting note! The leaves are dark and twisty.A little over one teaspoon went into the infuser. I went with Dex’s suggestion and waited for the water to cool and then steep for longer than usual! Unfortunately, I went to do dishes and the wait accidentally went for 32 minutes! A steep of six minutes and I wouldn’t really call the flavor chocolate. But I definitely see where the CONGOU flavor is happening. (I think I’ve only tried one other Congou from Butiki.) The fragrance of the leaves seems like cherry to me, and there are hints in the brew. But it’s also plum. Definitely not astringent at all, of course with that 32 minute wait. But there is a juicy/watery quality to it, if that makes sense, that seems like it’s the flavor of congou.

The second cup was boiled at four minutes, but I think I much preferred the first cup… as the leaves were getting that “overbrewed” flavor. Not bad though! And still no astringency. A nice one and I think I needed a tea to represent Congou in my collection!

Sipdown! I drank the last of this tea yesterday under the belief that I’d be able to restock it from Capital Tea at the tea festival. However, they’re out of stock of this tea, and might not have it for a month!

I have many other jasmine teas in my cupboard, and even some non pearl tea from Capital, but still. However, I must stay strong!

Backlog from last night.

I love these pearls so much I tried to give them two steeps, but something tastes… off about them, a bit. I think it was because I transferred them from their original packaging into a metal tin that used to hold a different variety of tea. The tea first held a fruit-flavoured sencha and then a loose-leaf jasmine. I can definitely taste a difference now that it’s in different packaging.

However, I’m reaching the end of this batch of pearls. I really hope I can finish it in time for the Toronto Tea Festival in January/February, because then I can buy some new pearls from Joel there.

Also, I had the steeps while watching a movie – “Edge of Tomorrow”, which was surprisingly good – and finishing “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. Pretty ideal drinking conditions, I would say!

Backlog from a few evenings ago.

My sister came over on Sunday so we could all celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday, and after a stupendously large meal, I asked if anyone wanted tea. My sister asked if I had green tea.

Of course, incredulous, I said “yeah, yeah, what kind?”

She said she wanted jasmine. Now, I love my sister. So of course, I give her this jasmine tea, the good stuff. I’m not gonna fob off any sub-par jasmine tea on the woman who taught me how to read when I was an itty-bitty kid, am I? Of course not!

I don’t think she enjoyed it much, though. She waited a long time for it to cool, and by the time she left I don’t think she finished the 12 oz mug I poured her. I probably should have given us all 8 oz mugs and then shared some with a third person.

I stored the leaves in the fridge overnight and then steeped them a second time yesterday morning (I don’t often resteep, but this is one of the ones I do) but it ended up tasting a bit tinny. Ah well.

This is a favourite, and there’s not much more to say. I drank a whole pot of this while taking a break from editing and watching an episode of Cosmos instead.

This was still tasty, but I think I either overleafed it or oversteeped it slightly, as the jasmine came off tasting a bit metallic today.

My aunt came over today and asked my mother for tea. Of course, since I’m the tea fanatic, I ask what kind. “Green”. Okay, well, what kind of green? Jasmine green? Plain? “Oh, jasmine.”

Since I’m a respectful niece, I get out the good stuff, even though I have some Teavivre jasmine dragon pearls I need to sip off. Ah well. I prepare the tea, I pour it out, she looks at the liquor, she sniffs it, and proclaims it “very good.”

“See, I know what I’m talking about! This is the good stuff!”

Of course, my uncle is kind of noncommital about the whole thing, but eh.

The problem is, this tea is SO good that I always try to steep it twice. Most teas I just steep once since I have so many in the cupboard. But this is one of the few that I truly hoard.

So here I am, sipping on the second steep a few hours later. It’s still delicious, but this is not a tea you should drink when sick. This is a tea you really need to appreciate, and I can’t do that right now since my throat hurts so much (I really really hope I’m not coming down with an ear infection or something…)

Nothing much to report this morning. This is still my favourite jasmine dragon pearl so far. Jasmine, sweet, with a hint of other floral notes. I used to think it smelled/tasted like orange blossom, but now I believe it’s honeysuckle. Just needed something tried and true to mentally prepare for yet another interview this morning. Leaving the house in about 45 mins.

Ahh, this is the tea I remember falling in love with! Last time I brewed it, it tasted mineral and flat, but this time it’s just right. A nice balance of sweet green base, jasmine, and something else undefinable. I still think it’s orange or orange-blossom that I’m tasting.

Something new this time: after given the chance to cool down, there’s a sharp, almost peppery flavour on the tip of my tongue when I sip this. Hard to define, almost acrid, but somehow pleasantly so.

I think today, instead of focusing on trying new teas, I’m going to attack the ones that I have a LOT of in my cupboard so they can be used up more. This tea is lovely, but it came in a 100g package, which will last a long time if I don’t do something about it.

Edit: This tea really deserves multiple steepings, as the pearls don’t unfurl completely the first time around. The second steep retains as much character as the first. Yum.

I woke up craving this tea, even though I probably need something with more caffeine. I opened the packet containing this tea, and inhaled the glorious, sweet jasmine scent. I boiled the water. I checked the temperature. I watched the clock as it brewed, waiting for my first taste of jasmine ambrosia….

And then I was disappointed. This tea tastes flat today somehow. The throat drying sensation of the jasmine doesn’t really pop, and it’s not as sweet as I remember.

Here’s the thing: I’ve been trying a lot of new teas lately. And I’ve been disappointed that the flavours were flat, dusty, nothing special, whatever. But when that same feeling happens with a tea I’ve had before, that I know I like? There’s got to be something else wrong. Maybe it’s not the tea’s fault.

Is something wrong with the water? Do I need to clean out my kettle? More investigation is necessary.

Okay, so I’m onto the 2nd infusion now.

One thing I noticed about this tea as I was drinking the 1st infusion was that if left to sit in the teapot even with the lid on, this tea will get darker and darker. The liquor from the first infusion shifted from warm greenish-tan to something nearly coffee-coloured by the end.

The 2nd infusion is very jasmine-y, but has a bit of a metallic tang in the background. It still has that honey-like scent that the 1st infusion had, and the liquor is of a similar colour. I can easily see this tea being good for another 1 or 2 infusions.

Another purchase from the Toronto Tea Festival! And these are the guys behind my new favourite, Shincha Kuro.

Packaging/Instructions: This tea came in the kind of bag that uses a flexible metal bar to keep the bag closed. The instructions on the label said to use 1 tsp of leaf for 1 cup of tea, and to steep it in 80°C water for 3 minutes. I ended up using about 2 tsp of dry leaf for 24 oz of water, and steeped it for the recommended time.

Dry leaf: The dry leaf looks about average for jasmine pearls: little tightly-rolled balls of green tea with white streaks of jasmine visible. The smell of the dry leaf is very jasmine-y, but there’s also a sweetness alongside it that’s similar to honey or orange. In any event, it’s an unexpected yet lovely scent.

1st infusion: The liquor is a nice clear greenish-tan, and the jasmine smell is very strong. However, the taste is a really nice balance of green tea and jasmine – it’s not astringent, and the jasmine is noticeable without tasting “soapy”. Overall, this is a really nice, light jasmine. I’m looking forward to seeing how it holds up to multiple infusions.

Sipdown!

I finished off the last of this this morning, and while I did enjoy this tea quite a lot, I’ve realized that gyokuros (which I’m assuming this is) are a bit too finicky for my taste.

Ah well. This was one of the teas that really got me kickstarted into exploring loose-leaf tea this year, and I thank it for doing yeoman’s work.

Backlog from yesterday morning.

I have only a few spoonfuls of this tea left after sipping and swapping with others, but I don’t mind. I genuinely like this tea, but now that I have more experience, gyokuros are a bit fussier to deal with, so they’ll probably remain only an occasional purchase.

This was good though – very green, slightly bitter taste.

The more I drink this, the more I wonder whether the steeping parameters on the package are correct, or whether my initial taste of it was an outlier. The first sip I had of this a few months ago seems a lot sweeter in restrospect than current sips of this tea.

Perhaps I should also stop making it in pots, and just do single servings.

Anyways, I think this might do a bit better at a higher temperature – 75 or 80 C, perhaps.

This is still good, though. Just pondering.

Oversteeped and overleafed it today. This tea seems really delicate, so I should have been watching it more closely – damn you, YouTube, with your funny videos!

Although this is bitter, I’m still getting grassy, vegetal notes. I really should try more japanese teas, since right now most of the teas I’ve been getting appear to have Chinese or Indian bases.

Update: I’ve now infused this tea three times in 1 day. Thoughts on the multiple infusions are below.

1st infusion: my first tasting note was based on the first infusion. Light, fresh-tasting green with lots of floral notes.

2nd infusion: I steeped the second infusion for the same length of time as the first. It was a bit weaker, and while the floral notes were there in the scent, they weren’t as strong in the liquor. There was also a good amount of dust in the tea from the first steep, which lent the liquor a darker green colour.

3rd infusion: I steeped the third infusion for 5-8 minutes. The floral notes are back now due to the longer steep, but they’re still not as strong as the first steep. The liquor is a darker yellow-green than the first steep. There’s also a scent of seaweed (which I don’t find unpleasant).

This is still a light-tasting, enjoyable tea, but perhaps it’s best to stick to only 2 steepings.

I purchased this at the Toronto Tea Festival on Feb 2, 2014. I was unable to taste a brewed sample, but the dry leaves smelled wonderful.

Packaging: Unlike most loose-leaf teas I’ve seen, this tea came in a vacuum-sealed foil pack, so the leaves were initially packed in quite tight. You cut open the top with some scissors, and after it’s open, it’s got one of those pliable metal bars so you can reseal it. The front of the package has some Japanese characters on it, so I believe this vendor just buys directly from a particular tea farm/importer and then applies their own label once it’s been received. I’m not saying this to be negative – the tea is of VERY high quality. I paid $12 for a 50g package, but it typically sells for $15.

Leaf: The leaves look thin and deep green, almost like grass clippings. Dry, the smell is highly vegetal – it smells strongly of fresh-cut hay. Sweet and almost floral, even. Wet, the smell stays exactly the same (floral and hay-like), although the leaves don’t expand/unfurl much.

Liquor: This tea needs only 1-2 minutes to steep. Once steeped, the liquor is a pale green-yellow, like tender plant shoots. The taste of the liquor stays very true to the scent of the leaves – fresh, green, and floral, with only a hint of the astringent taste I find in other green teas.

Overall, this is a lovely and light green tea.