SQUEE!
Auggy sent me an extremely awesome package in the mail of a bunch of teas for me to try. Just because she’s amazing and awesome like that. It wasn’t even a tea swap – it was a gift! Once I amass a large enough tea collection, she’s getting lots of yummy goodness her way!
Anyway, the package arrived yesterday, but I was so busy that I barely had time to tear it open and inspect all the wonders inside. I was out late last night, and I woke up super groggy and completely out of it. I was out until 4:30 am last night at a friend’s birthday party, and it was freezing out. 7 degrees with wind chill. So yeah, I woke up not in the best of spirits this morning. I wanted something delicious and strong. Something pirate-y that would be a nice kick in the pants.
And boy, did this deliver! The wet leaves smell strong and assertive, the way a proper Irish Breakfast blend should. The cup brewed up to a much darker color than Adagio’s, but less cloudy than Twinings. On first sip, I had a huge smile on my face.
Auggy knew that I had been disappointed with Adagio’s blend – that it wasn’t RAWR-in-your-face assertive enough for me to call it a true IB. The Twinings blend is such a punch-to-the-face it could almost be TOO aggressive at times. This one is the perfect happy medium to those two. The Assam gives a nice, malty kick at the end of each sip, pulling you awake by your lapels. And the Ceylon is the beginning of every tasting note, that smooth, default essence-of-tea taste. They complement each other very nicely, creating a very drinkable cup with more sophistication than the Twinings blend but still enough kickassery to really wake you up in the morning.
This is the way that I pictured Irish Breakfast loose leaf to taste. Smooth but bracing with a some astringency and spice. Auggy hit the nail right on the head when she sent this to me! I can’t wait to tear through everything else she sent me!
