Well this morning was a little exciting. A vinegar and calcium scale volcano erupted from my kettle and all over the floor. But I have a clean kettle now! The roar of bringing the water up to boiling has now softened to a purr and there is no longer flaky scale swimming in the ring of water that never seems to drain from the bottom.
I think this tea might’ve be my first taste of green tea from the high elevations of the Nilgiris mountains. I’m not too familiar with the flavor profiles or temperaments of teas from this southern Indian region. It was time to step out of my Chinese green tea comfort zone.
The dry leaf smells like a mix of pastries, a green vegetal tone and creamy white lilies. The brewed aroma is full, sweet, floral-vegetal and subtle. The taste is immensely clean and soft with notes of sweet cucumber flesh and raw sweet cabbage without the sulfuric bite as well as soft white lily. Those flavors are cradled by a full, creamy mouthfeel that swallow juicy. The light astringency at the end and a mild lingering cool leave my palate feeling completely cleansed. There’s no aftertaste, or, rather, it’s almost a little salty.
The second steep sharpens and a mango note comes out in the finish. A well-integrated mild bitterness also shows in the second infusion and if allowed to oversteep, it does become noticeably bitter and numbing. I’ve let the first infusion go for upwards of 6 minutes yet that did not produce any of the bitterness and was a smooth cup.
Overall, it’s been a pleasant tea to work my way through. It seems that maybe Nilgiri teas in general don’t produce much of an aftertaste. They have all been great palate cleansers and very nice afternoon teas.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Cabbage, Cream, Creamy, Cucumber, Escarole, Floral, Jasmine, Juicy, Lily, Mango, Mineral, Mint, Nutmeg, Pastries, Salty, Smooth, Sweet, Vegetal
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WHITE VINEGAR!!!! Thank you! For two days now, I have been trying to remember something I forgot to put on my Dollar Tree shopping list. Just check me into the nearest memory care ward.
Someone should check us both in because the white vinegar for cleaning the kettle was on my Costco list for 3 weeks.
I used up the last of my white vinegar descaling my kettle about a week ago. Thankfully I emembered to put it back on my list, but I swear every time I need it, that it is hidden in a different place in my grocery store.
WHITE VINEGAR!!!! Thank you! For two days now, I have been trying to remember something I forgot to put on my Dollar Tree shopping list. Just check me into the nearest memory care ward.
Someone should check us both in because the white vinegar for cleaning the kettle was on my Costco list for 3 weeks.
I used up the last of my white vinegar descaling my kettle about a week ago. Thankfully I emembered to put it back on my list, but I swear every time I need it, that it is hidden in a different place in my grocery store.