Jackee Muntz

Backlogging. 4 days ago. Late Saturday morning.

I’m pretty low on Jackee and I can’t get anymore so I must have been having a shitty morning to have gone for him. But I can’t remember why now. lol. Oh yeah, I woke up at 2am with a seriously bad headache and much nausea. It was gone in the morning, but I always feel off the day after bad headaches. The Jackee was so good though.

Backlogging. 4 days ago. Sunday morning.

This is also a tea I am hoarding. But I gave myself permission to go ahead and have it that morning for no special reason at all. I think I only have one serving left now. =(

It was extra rich, hearty, and delicious. Possibly because it’s nearly gone. The second steep was fulfilling as well.

After groggily making the previous tea I’d decided on before I changed my mind and picked Jackee to have with breakfast the day before, I made up for my mistake by making Jackee with breakfast two days ago – an everything bagel and cream cheese. Ohmigod, Jackee is so good and goes lovely with the bagel. I haven’t had him in awhile because I’m low on him and semi-hoarding him which I think makes him taste extra good when I do have him.

My main man, Mr. Muntz!

Jackee-Jackee
Fo-Fackee
Me-My-Moe-Mackee
Jackee!

My breakfast mug yesterday. It’s been a long time since I last had Jackee, months even. It went like this: no caramel, no caramel, where’s the caramel?, no caramel, half a mug left, CARAMEL! I think the temperature of the tea when you drink it has as much to do with the caramel as the steeping time and water temperature. It could have been stronger overall. Try increasing both a bit. The second steep had a hint of caramel.

2nd steep: 5 min.

It has been A-While since I’ve had Jackee. I woke up this morning and didn’t want the Tiger or Caravan. I went through my teas in my head and decided on Jackee. I refreshed myself with my tea notes on Steepster to get the delicious caramel.

I sip. Whaaa?! There’s a little caramel but more briskness than I remember. I keep sipping as it cools. Midway down the cup, the caramel comes out. There is relief. I will have to remember to let this one cool a bit before drinking. The second steep was light but caramelly good.

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec.

Backlogging. 7 days ago. Sunday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

My morning mug Sunday morning last weekend. And my last serving of Jackee. I don’t know why I chose this day to finish him off. It wasn’t a special day nor was it a bad or anything else negative day. I guess it just felt like the day to. Being from an Andrews & Dunham limited number series, I cannot get anymore of Jackee and am quite sad to see him gone. If I were not quite cold and blah feeling today, I’m sure he’d get a better last tealog from me, which he deserves. I’m not changing the rating as I think he still deserves it. I had two steeps. I will miss this tea and I don’t like having to click the remove from cupboard button.

Yesterday evening, I went to make a cup of tea and notice I had clean nearly dry leaves of Jackee from a late morning steep. I thought why not steep him again rather than throw him out. 2nd steep Jackee is a lightly smoky caramelly good drink. Then I added a small splash of milk for reasons I’m not quite sure of. Woah, did it bring out the smoky taste in a way it hadn’t before. Not necessarily stronger though. And still caramelly sweet. I would definitely drink him this way again. I might even try a bit of milk on a first steep to see what it does. I wasn’t expected it to change noticeably. I’d be interested to see what milk did to Thomas and the Tiger as well.

2nd steep.

Look at your tea. Now look at Jackee. Look at your tea. Now back at Jackee. Your tea does not look like Jackee. But your tea could smell like Jackee. With A&D DFT.

Yesterday morning, I had a cup of Jackee. He was delicious as always. But he deserves better than just an ordinary tealog. Hence, the above.

Ideal 1st steep parameters.

Backlog. 11 days ago – Saturday morning.

I remember that there was a special reason for having Jackee that morning, but I do not remember what. Quite probably my day was already off to a crappy start and I needed some very good tea. I’m rationing somewhat, but I will miss this one so much when it’s gone.

2nd steep: 8 mins.

Backlogging. Last Thursday morning, the day after the previous tealog.

I hadn’t had any Jackee for quite awhile before yesterday and while I got the caramel, I wasn’t as super happy over my mug as I remember being – it seemed weak. So I increased the steep time by 15 seconds and the water temperature by 5°. At first I thought it was better this way, but there was only hint of caramel. Perhaps I drank it too fast and didn’t let the mug cool enough for the caramel to come out. I think I’ll play with the parameters a bit before reverting back to my original favored ones.

I think I’ve found my ideal Jackee this morning. I gave him the same treatment as I gave Thomas yesterday – decrease the steep time 15 sec and the water temperature 5° – as I found them both just a bit strong for my exact taste but still totally crave worthy. While I did not have success with Thomas this way, I did with Jackee.

He was creamy caramel. He was buttery. He had some smokyness. He was a deep dark honey as he cooled. I love this Jackee. Does he get a ratings bump? He does. He’s now tied with Thomas and A&D’s Yunnan. I cannot pick a favorite.

So how was the 2nd steep of Jackee?

Well, I steeped it for the same amount of time as the 1st (3 min 45 sec). Let it cool slightly to be able to drink it. Realized it was weak. Steeped 30 sec more. Still weak. Steeped 30 sec more. Better but weak. Steep 1 min more. I taste tea mostly now, not watery. Steep 1 min more. Now somewhere over 6 min steep time on a black. I stop. I drink the mug. Sweet and smokey.

I think I need to do something different next time. Perhaps hotter water on the 2nd steep and a longer initial steep time. I might also turn my 1st steep at 3 min 30 sec. The 1st steep was quite strong. I believe A&D said on their website that Jackee could take 2 steeps. They said that about the Yunnan and it could. I think I just need to fiddle with it.

So, Steepsterians who’ve had Jackee and done a 2nd steep with him, what parameters did you use? How did he come out?

I had to see if I could replicate yesterday’s Jackee. Yes! Wonderful again. Now I have to worry about drinking him up too fast. Thankfully, Thomas has had two days of recovery from his harrowing evening half-drunk wanderings and should be up to going out again tomorrow.

2nd steep: 205° F, 5 min.

The 2nd steep of this morning’s Jackee was just as good. I enjoyed him thoroughly with a Greek chicken wrap.

I rescued the Breville from the car! Actually, the BF remembered to bring it in when he got back so I can’t really take credit. But I thought since I’d wanted to use it for Jackee’s debut this morning but been foiled, I would start over and pretend this was my first Jackee tasting.

Using the custom setting to steep at 200 for 3:30. I just have to say that watching the Breville do its thing is really entertaining. I love how the basket lifts up after it’s done brewing. It’s like Disneyland.

Now. Let this be a lesson in how different brewing conditions can completely change the taste of something. I now believe that I previously brewed this too cool, rather than too hot as I’d feared. I think that in futzing around with the thermometer I inadvertently let the water cool more than it should have.

Incredibly, I now see the similarities between this and the Harney’s where I didn’t before. Either it has to do with the steeping, or it’s just that I’ve got a frame of reference for Jackee now. There is still smoke, but it isn’t as overwhelmingly smoky as I’d thought initially. It now has a lot more going on. The smoke is primarily on the tail, as it was with the Harney’s, though it is significantly more.

Caramel? I still get the hints, and I’m now getting a lot more sweetness. I can see where it could go to caramel, but it isn’t quite there for me yet. It’s more a suggestion than a full blown flavor. It’s certainly enough to make me want to engage in it’s pursuit, though.

ETA: The empty cup, after drying a little, does smell like caramel! Which must mean I’m pretty close…

Oh Jackee! The time has come to say GOODBYE.

And on my 6,100th tasting note, too!

This is a SIPDOWN.

Anyone know if A&D are coming out with new teas anytime soon?

I’m not sure why…but this taste exceptionally well with Graham Crackers. LOL :)

I’m having some right now…yum…

Finishing a cup and featuring a full review on SororiTEA Sisters!

http://sororiteasisters.com/2010/10/04/jackee-muntz-from-andrews-and-dunham-damn-fine-tea/

Not as smoky this time around but more sweet caramel taste and I still find it to be a good tasting tea!

Tweaking parameters to see about getting back to the stronger caramel flavor. Water from the Zojirushi at 208° into an empty pot, then poured in the leaf, left the lid off for most of the brew (honestly I just wandered away and forgot). Decanted, let it cool for a few minutes while I made the husband a big mug of PG Tips.

Now I’m sipping on it and it’s heavy and silky so I’m thinking this is good. I’m barely into the cup at all and getting burnt sugar. The smoky flavor is just a hint without the edge I sometimes get from it when brewed stronger.

Okay, half way through the cup now and this tastes like a silkier, slightly heavier version of the Lupicia’s English Caramel from yesterday. And the more I sip, the stronger the caramel taste becomes and the more in turns into a caramel chew.

The last third of the cup is filled with sweet caramel. So sweet and smooth and just awesome. It’s like a thin caramel sauce – silky, heavy, sweet, rich, sweet, caramel. I pretty much gulp the last third of my cup down because it is so delicious.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.
^3.7g/12oz

Attempting to replicate this morning’s caramel chew flavor and texture. I’m a bit nervous. I forgot exactly how much my cup holds so I might have used a bit too much leaf, but I’m hoping that won’t make much difference since it was just half a gram….

I’m getting the same silky, rich taste. And letting it cool just a little… and now I’m getting that burnt sugar taste on the tail… I’m excited. Letting it cool just a little more. Oooh, now that burnt sugar taste is melding to a smooth caramel. It’s not quite the sucking-on-a-caramel-chew from this morning but we are going in the right direction……. And there it is. Oh yeah. That beautiful heavy satin feeling on my tongue, the sweetness, the drips of caramel.

Three cheers for takgoti for figuring this one out. Lower temp and a chance to cool a bit makes this Keemun… beautiful. Even the husband can taste it and that’s huge!

Bumping the rating accordingly. Because really. It’s CARAMEL!

I haven’t had Jackee in a while – lately I’ve been too addicted to Chicago Tea Garden’s Keemun to stray – but I decide it was time to revisit him. This was a caramel-free experience but still quite enjoyable, mostly because I noticed for the first time the similarities between this one and CTG’s Keemun.

Jackee is much bolder, but the overall flavoring is similar – lots of depth, some acrid smoky (but nothing to a lapsang lover), a similar sweetness… Anyway, it’s pretty noticeable (at least it was today) that these two teas are in the same taste family. There are differences, though. Jackee, as I mentioned, is much bolder. It has a stoutness that makes it a bit of a wake-up type tea for me. CTG’s is softer and more delicate and overall has more complexity, including a floral end note. It’s also more of a ‘relax and meditate on each sip’ type tea for me.

I still like CTG’s version a bit better (what can I say, I’m a sucker for such soft yet complex teas) but noticing the similar tastes help me appreciate Jackee even when I don’t get to taste level caramel chew.

Work is delayed and possibly canceled today (we Texans just don’t know how to drive on ice) so I’m hanging out at home a bit hoping it will warm up just a hint (too many bridges on my drive). Since I was dreaming about this tea last night, I thought I’d have some this morning. Pouring it out of the pot, I can see why I like lapsang souchong – this has a very similar smoky smell (just without the meat) and I do love me some smoky Keemuns (or non-smoky, too… I’m pretty much an equal opportunity Keemun lover). The taste only has a tiny hint of the smoke though. Instead it’s silky and smooth and just lovely. The smoky becomes a subtle undertone at the very end, almost like very burnt sugar… a little bit of poke to your tongue to remind you that it is still there.

Logically I know that there is at least one other Keemun out there that I like more than this one. But it’s been a while since I’ve had that other Keemun and Jackee’s with me now. So in the immortal words of Stephen Stills, if you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with. Yes sir.

ETA: Okay, this happened after I finished my log but it is VITAL, so I’m adding it in. I remember takgoti saying she found caramel in this – like heavy, heavy caramel. And I had never tasted it (not that I’d had this tea much) so I thought it was neat but maybe something specific to the way she read certain tastes… And then I hit the second half of my travel tumbler of this tea today. It started out with the poke-y taste turning into a burnt sugar taste. Like heavily burnt. I though “Ah ha! This is what takgoti was talking about.” And then about 2 sips later BAM. Caramel city. It was like sucking on a freakin’ caramel chew. Texture and everything. So silky, so rich and SO FREAKIN’ CARAMEL. It was, amazing. Like, stop doing everything and just roll the tea around in my mouth amazing. I have no idea what made it come up but I MUST FIND IT AGAIN! If I do, Jackee’s rating is going to go up. WAY up.

Auggy already commented on how to drive Jackee Muntz into Caramel City, so I’m going to take this opportunity to get a little goofy on y’all. [Like I really need an excuse.] I can’t take credit for this idea. While I’m sure it’s been done elsewhere, I’m sapping inspiration from both an episode of Hey Ash Whatcha Playin’ and a rather brilliant Yelp review a friend of mine wrote. If any of you have never stumbled across text-based games, you might not get this. So here’s something ridiculous that may or may not help: http://bit.ly/DgJqE [Homestar Runner, Dungeonman 3].

Me: Jackee, what the hell? Why don’t you taste like caramel anymore?

Jackee: I do not understand “caramel.”

Me: Cut it out. What I am doing wrong?

Jackee: What’s a “wrong”?

Me: …What?

Jackee: You are holding a glass MUG. Inside of it sit eight ounces of dark copper liquid. Steam rises from the top, swirling into nothingness. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: …
SIP TEA.

Jackee: You take a sip of the TEA and burn your TONGUE. Cursing like a sailor whose ship has chanced upon a Kraken, you bang your HEAD against the COUNTER in frustration at your stupidity. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: HEY!

Jackee: What’s a “HEY”?

Me: Grumble. LET TEA COOL.

Jackee: You sit aimlessly, watching your TEA while you wait for it to drop an appropriate amount in TEMPERATURE. Occasionally, you blow on it, though you are unsure of its effectiveness on the actual cooling process. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: SIP TEA.

Jackee: You take a sip of TEA. The mouthfeel is thin, but not quite watery. The TEA is flavorful – strong, with notes of smoke and pine and a light sweetness. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: POUR TEA OUT.

Jackee: Well, that was wasteful of you. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: It’s not my fault you don’t taste good to me anymore! It’s your fault you don’t taste like caramel!

Jackee: I do not understand that command.

Me: Sigh. READ STEEPSTER.

Jackee: You log into your Steepster account. New reviews have been posted. Please click here: http://steepster.com/aug3zimm/posts/23176. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Just to walk you through my thought process at this point, now I’m really thinking. When I had Jackee the first few times, I was drinking out of a different mug and I didn’t know that my utiliTEA was messing me up temperature wise. Even when it turned, I don’t want to say bad, but “not as good” on me, I didn’t know about my utiliTEA’s little issue for the majority of my experimentation. I’d get a cup of caramel maybe one time out of five, but the parameters wouldn’t match up so I was starting to think it was all in my head.

By the time I figured out the temperature problem, I barely had any Jackee Muntz left, so I tried a few cups on the stovetop and they rendered much of the same. I also tried it in a travel mug, and the smell thing didn’t seem to fix it either. I did discover that steep time didn’t appear to have too much of an effect, though, so long as I kept it somewhere around 3:30 to 4:30, it was pretty consistent.

Part of me must have still thought I could get it back to caramel. I think that I was partially re-invigorated after the discovery of my utiliTEA temperature issue, so I re-ordered Series 2, but the first cup of the first tin was not successful either. After reading Auggy’s review, something clicked though. A lot of it had to do with the fact that she had actually found the caramel and that gave me hope [and also reassurance that I hadn’t completely lost it]. But also I was looking at the temperature [205°] and thinking about maybe it was the shape of her travel mug. But my mug hadn’t been shaped all that differently from the one I like to use now. Except…it had been a bit larger. So maybe the tea to water ratios were a bit different… No, I DON’T KNOW WHY I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT THAT BEFORE.

Me: CHANGE MUG.

Jackee: Which mug would you like to change to? To see your current mugs, type INV.

Me: INV.

Jackee: BODUM MUG, CAFÉ MUG, BIG TEAL MUG NOT SUITABLE FOR DRINKING TEA, BORING STARBUCKS MUG.

This is the mug I was originally drinking tea out of, by the way – http://bit.ly/4Am3Xb – the bottom top one. Oops.

Me: CAFÉ MUG.

Jackee: You switched your BODUM MUG for your CAFÉ MUG.

Me: MAKE MORE TEA.

Jackee: You turn on your KETTLE and wait for the water to heat, measuring out a heaping teaspoon of TEA before dropping it into your INFUSER. In a few minutes, the WATER is boiling. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: LET WATER COOL 195°F.

Jackee: You wait impatiently while the water cools to the appropriate temperature. You really should learn to be a little more tolerant.

Me: SCREW YOU.

Jackee: I do not understand “SCREW.”

Me: MEASURE WATER 11 OZ.

Jackee: You measure out 11 ounces of WATER into a MEASURING CUP.

Me: POUR WATER.

Jackee: POUR WATER where?

Me: Into the mug, you idiot.

Jackee: I do not understand “idiot.”

Me: POUR WATER INTO MUG.

Jackee: You pour the WATER into your MUG.

Me: STEEP 3:15.

Jackee: Doesn’t that seem a bit short?

Me: Now you’re helpful?

Jackee: I do not understand the question.

Me: STEEP 3:45.

Jackee: You let the TEA steep for 3 MINUTES and 45 SECONDS, watching a couple of stupid VIDEOS in the the meantime before removing the INFUSER.

Me: SIP TEA.

Jackee: You burn your TONGUE and your IQ drops another few points. You take out a FLYSWATTER and slap yourself across the face. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: LET TEA COOL.

Jackee: You sit aimlessly, watching your TEA while you wait for it to drop an appropriate amount in TEMPERATURE. Occasionally, you blow on it, though you are unsure of its effectiveness on the actual cooling process. Exits are to the NORTH, SOUTH, and WEST.

Me: SIP TEA.

Jackee: The TEA feels heavy in your mouth. A soft note of pine hits your TONGUE, but then gently fades away. You are greeted with the taste of burnt sugar.

Me: SIP TEA.

Jackee: The TEA feels heavy in your mouth. A soft note of pine hits your TONGUE, but then gently fades away. You are greeted with the taste of burnt sugar.

Me: SIP TEA.

Jackee: The TEA feels heavy in your mouth. A soft note of pine hits your TONGUE, but then gently fades away. You are greeted with the taste of burnt sugar.

Me: SIP TEA.

Jackee: The taste of burnt sugar slowly melts into the background and a salty note enters the flavors sliding around on your TONGUE. Anxious, you hold the TEA a bit longer in your mouth and are greeted with the overwhelming taste of caramel.

Me: OH SWEET POSEIDON, THANK YOU!!!

Jackee: What is a “Poseidon”?

Me: I hate you.

Jackee: I do not understand that command.

Me: …
INV TEA.

Jackee: A FATAL ERROR HAS OCCURRED. NUMBER OF TEAS HAS EXCEEDED CAPACITY. PROGRAM WILL TERMINATE.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I won Thursday.

Just a few more notes on the tea, because really that’s what all that mess up there was about, I did try steeping this at around 185 and didn’t quite get there in terms of the caramel, so I think that your temperature needs to be at least around 190°F, and could probably go up to 200°F but 205°F might be pushing it. [Auggy mentioned to me that her mug was cold and so it probably temperature dropped when it was in there somewhat significantly from the 205°F.] All this being said, all I can say definitively regarding the temperature is that it should be just below boiling if you hope to achieve this. It’s possible that we’re both just mad.

In regards to the tea:water ratio, I use one of these – http://bit.ly/5SpSvE – and when I measured it against a teaspoon last night it was like…1 1/4 tsp. Give or take a bit. I fill that up that spoon with just a teensy bit over, so somewhere thereabouts. The amount of water I put in the cup is somewhere between 11 and 12 oz, closer to 11.

All of this is assuming you a) have some Jackee Muntz on hand and b) want to try to replicate the caramel taste. I usually don’t get this specific in my logs, I know, but this has been bothering me for quite some time and I’m afraid that you’re seeing the aftermath of my GEEK OUT session here.

And thus endeth the really long tea log. I’m giving Jackee the ratings bump back to where he deserves to be, now that he has realized his potential for me again.

Squee!

Confession.

I’ve gotten so used to my tea experiences evolving to surprise me pleasantly that it’s a pretty huge shocker when something begins to lose its hold on me.

Does this mean that I think that Jackee Muntz sucks? Niet. It is, however, different.

I’ve mentioned before that black teas do weird things to my taste buds. Sometimes they taste one way, sometimes they taste another way. On one day I might think, “WHOA, raisins?!” but on the next it might be, “Ooooh, malty.”

When I was reading people’s thoughts on keemuns [not just this one, but others as well] and they kept talking about smoky notes and woody taste and whatever, I didn’t get it. I thought that maybe I was missing something, but I didn’t really care because to me, this tea tasted like I was sucking on a caramel. Caramel was what I tasted, and that was really all I tasted, and MAN was it good.

I have no idea what happened that changed this tea for me. It could be the water. It could be that I was doing something weird with the temperature gauge and I didn’t notice. It could be that I was hitting a very specific time with my steeping and there’s something off now. It could be that when I started drinking this I was having ongoing problems with a cold of fluctuating intensity and so my tongue was out of whack. Maybe I ruptured the space-time continuum and in the warping of time I was unwittingly residing in a magic place where this tea was phenomenal. Maybe a unicorn was pooping in my strainer. I have no idea, but now, I’m tasting what all of the rest of you are talking about and I’m not nearly as much in love as I was before.

That last sentence sounded really depressing.

So, anyhow, woody, check. Smoky, check. Kind of a hint of that caramel, but because it isn’t nearly as present as before it’s become disappointing. It’s got a hint of bitterness to it as well.

What I really need to branch out and try more keemuns to get a better gauge for what I think of this one. I should probably try that one from Adagio that people keep talking about. I need the playing field to level a little bit more before I can fairly judge poor Jackee, as he’s got a lot to live up to in his former self, but for now I’m dropping the rating.

Not that this tea has ever been bad for me, because it hasn’t, but tonight the stars aligned, the fat lady sang, and cows across the land mooed as though they’d never moo again.

I brought the water to a full boil and let this steep for JUST under four minutes in the neighborhood of 3:45. I’m not sure if that made any difference, but all I can tell you is that this cup I am savoring right now? It’s not tea – it’s elation.

At the risk of you thinking me gross, I’m going to say this regardless because I don’t know how else to convey the depth to which I am enjoying this. I don’t want to swallow this tea. I just wanted to swish it around in my mouth FOREVER.

It’s leaking caramel. It’s like I’m sucking on a Werther’s Original. It’s as if I took a bucket of sugar and a stick of butter and melted it all down, let it simmer and bubble for 15 minutes, and am now sitting here drinking it. I mean, if I close my eyes, I can very nearly fool myself that I have a mouthful of caramel.

The feel of this tea is silky and thick. It FEELS like I’m sipping on syrup.

I might as well admit it. I am just fully, completely, and utterly enamored with Jackee Muntz.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

This tea is really good.

This tea is really good who?

This tea is really good and you should get it.

[Drinking this outside on the deck with the laptop. Delicious in every way.]

Last night, after engaging in some shenanigans out at the local bar [some friends and I were replicating the “parkour” they were doing on The Office a few episodes ago, which for those who don’t know entails mainly of jumping on things, spinning around, and yelling “PARKOUR!”] some of us ended up back at someone’s house to watch a movie.

Fake parkour, as it turns out, is rather exhausting [I can’t even imagine what the real thing is like]. Especially when you end up on the floor because you are laughing too hard.

We are fans of hookah, so once that was going I broke out the tea. Tea and hookah, in my limited experience, can go very well together. [Tea and alcohol typically do not, so now may be a good time to add that I wasn’t imbibing that night as I was driving. This also likely catapults my previously mentioned behavior to a new level of ridiculousness. Or AWESOMENESS.]

Yes, yes, I often carry a tin or two of tea around with me. And a strainer. I like big butts [sorry, couldn’t resist – purses, I like big purses], so it’s really not too much of a stretch to throw a couple in there. A lot of my friends don’t drink loose tea, so it’s also allowed me to slowly introduce them to the wonderful world that most of us Steepsterians [Steepsterites?] live in.

If brewing tea in other people’s houses has taught me anything, it’s that it’s well, well worth it to try and control, as best you can, all four aspects of making tea. I cannot tell you how many times I, and I’m sure you, have run into information that advises you to control the time, temperature, amount of tea, and water type [I’ve gathered from the majority of people to use filtered, but not distilled]. This is easy enough to do at home, or perhaps work, but in other people’s homes it may not be so simple for any varying number of reasons. I know that when I started out making tea, I would pay attention to the time, then eventually the water temperature, but I didn’t think that filtered water would really make that huge of a difference. I tried it anyway, and it wasn’t until I made a cup at a friend’s house where I had to use tap water that I noticed there was a definite discrepancy in flavor. All I’m saying is: it’s important.

Tea is also something that I think is overwhelmingly more enjoyable when you have time to savor it and concentrate on the flavors. Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci kicking peoples faces in is not necessarily conducive to this kind of calming contemplation, but it is comforting to have a cup of something good in your hands when you’re watching something dark and kind of depressing.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

12:30pm: Resteeping Jackee. He is teasing me, taunting me from the underbrush with glimpses of caramel and confectionary, but smoky still. I am dogged in my pursuit of my elusive quarry. I will have him. I will record my every cup, and all resteeps.

1:00pm: Blast. Too much leaf. Delicious, and yet I feel I am falling father and father behind my prey. The scent was so close before. Damn it all!

1:45pm: I’ve read and reread the copious amount of notes from those who went before, and determined to decrease the steep time, and the leaf amount yet again…and now the trail is hot again.

2:45pm: I WILL FIND YOU, CARAMEL JACK

3pm: We strike out yet again.

3:30pm: And again…sudden impulse to alphabetize video game and cd collection ignored as irrelevant side-effect of caffeine consumption…

4pm: And again…

5pm: Is it 5? …I can hardly keep track of the time…the cups of tea…the tea that looks for a moment as though it will reveal itself to be caramel tea toward the last, but which goes on to breathe its last, only tantalizingly close to what I seek! I feel it shall drive me mad! This expedition is a failure, a failure! I also may have consumed too much caffeine in my pursuit of this ghost, this paper tiger…

6pm: I CAN SMELL HIS MOCKERY. There in my empty cup, let sit for a time…the sweet smell of caramel…sweeter than the tea that occupied the cup, and now I am sure that he TOYS WITH ME! Hands…have begun to shake…

7pm: So close…so close…I can’t give in now…ohhh, the lovely colors…

7:30pm: Tea… i
s

DanGe rous (halp)

must…
find….
caramel…
fzzbrtth x.x

Been hoarding this because my tin is running low, but my new one came in today, so…time for some Jackee! I spent all day wandering around shopping in the splinter of sunligyht we’ve managed to get. It was jammed at the Pru…because tomorrow is the first day of PAX East. SO MANY NERDS. Seriously…the conversations I was overhearing…it was like walking around in a Kevin Smith film, only without most of the witty. Or funny. Or, I should say, the intentionally funny.

Still, I can’t judge too harshly…my 3-day badge is sitting right here next to my keyboard.

Just a quick cup of Jackee since my Zoji was rather inconveniently between temperatures again.

I like Thomas Samson…I do…but I’ve found enough Assams that are similar to it that I don’t feel as though it’ll be creating an absence in my cabinet when it’s gone. This, on the other hand…this is a different story. I’ve still not found the tea that will replace Jackee, and it saddens me, so every cup that I have is sort of bittersweet — literally and figuratively!

On the up-side, steepster peeps, tonight is going to be a good night, because tonight I go to see Rodrigo y Gabriela play at the Opera House. I am pretty excited, not gonna lie. They’ve gotten me through more than one tired, backside-dragging bout on the treadmill. Their energy is incredible, and if you haven’t heard of them, I heartily recommend checking them out. Diablo Rojo is the track that hooked me, but they’re all good. The album 11:11 is amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/artist?a=GxdCwVVULXfcuOZY-J8rvrP9Hsyf5VVz&feature=artistob

Where are all my Steepsterites at? It seems that there is so little activity these days and so few new posts when I come back. Yes, this from a person who has previously complained about not being able to keep up. Maybe I should have a looksie around and add some more people one of these days.

Anyway, I was in the mood for something caramel-y and since the Kusmi order so infamously disappeared I haven’t actually GOT anything caramel-y. Others have, however, successfully found strong caramel notes in this one, so even though I haven’t had the pleasure myself, it’s still the closest thing to caramel that I’ve got at the moment. I didn’t have that many leaves left, so I’m hoping there were enough to make it a decent cup.

The aroma is quite promising. It has that slightly smoky and quite sweet smell of grain and sugar, although I wouldn’t go so far as to call it out-right caramel. The smoky part of the aroma has definitely suffered under the smaller-than-usual amount of leaves, as it is only very vague.

The flavour, unfortunately, is a bit on the weakling and watery side. There’s no hints of smoke in it and only vague promises of grain. The smoke can still be coaxed out with excessive slurping but I haven’t yet managed to convince the grainy notes to make an appearance with this method. Probably a good thing I’m alone, or all this slurping might annoying to be in the same room with after a while.

The important thing here, however, is not the smoky note.

I shall put in a small break here to let those of you who have followed me for a while pick your chins up from the floor and get yourselves around that statement.

Feeling better? Okay.

The important thing here is the note that comes after the smoky note. The smoke is there at the beginning of the sip. Of the slurp, actually. It fills the mouth and dominates the flavour all the way through to the swallow.

And that’s when the important thing happens. It turns all sweet and smooth and almost sparkly. Just for a moment and primarily on the aftertaste. It’s not that heavy caramel note of legend, but I think it’s something related to it. If I had used twice as much leaf as I did (only had half a decent amount left), I really do think we would have been in business here.

I’ve rather enjoyed this one, even if the last bit of it has been shelved for a while. I just haven’t really felt in the keemun-y grainy mood much lately. Thank you, Auggy.

Trying again. Cleaned the pot and everything and have had both a green and an oolong that didn’t go yunnan-y, so I’m feeling confident that it’ll go better this time.

Yes, I do indeed have a much better result now. It’s super-smoky on the nose and quite spicy. A little oaky but not much and there is a hint of rye. (I feel like I’m getting better at describing the aroma. It may not make that much sense to others but I know exactly what I mean). If I really flare out my nostrils and concentrate on it, I think I can pick up some underlying sweetness, but it’s very very slight)

Surprising touch of spice on the flavour. My initial sip involved a small black pepper association, which may or may not have been the smoky combined with the fact that it’s still a wee bit too hot to drink. It’s not there in the second sip, here it’s just smoke in surprising amounts. Really. Surprising.

Underneath that there is the rye-y slightly oaky body of it. It’s a little prickly and evasive. I had expected many things from this tea. I had not expected it to be shy. Come on out and play, Jackee… How can something so smoky be so shy, I don’t understand it!

As the tea cools the flavour appears to become more couragous as well, coming out more and becoming larger. I wouldn’t say it’s the heavy silkiness that others have described, so I’m not sure I’ve managed to find the elusive caramel. I wasn’t really expecting to either, I don’t typically have that kind of luck.

Of course I’m a little disappointed that I failed at caramel, but for what I actually got, it’s still rather nice. I’ll enjoy the rest of the leaves. And I shall give it another go. Yes. I won’t have to be annoyed at myself for not realising that A&D was unavailable to me before it was too late to try S2 (also have a sample of Thomas Sampson to try, also courtesy of Auggy )

ETA: What a minute, what was that? What the…? It’s not a lot, but at this point, halfway down the cup, there does seem to be a slight sweetness to it. It’s not a lot. It’s very very slight and it may be my imagination. But where did that come from all of a sudden?! That’s not fair when I’ve already posted!

I love it when I find part of a tin of really good stuff I forgot I had!
A whole pot at the ready on this second rainy morning in a row. This is as rich and grainy and (just slightly) smoky as I remember it. Mahogany personified.

Hopefully, Jackee’s ready to add a little punch to my vocabulary, too: blessing arrived in the form of a writing assignment with a bit of a knockout deadline. Time to get at it!

You know how there’s that whole anti-woman b-s stereotype of women always trying to change their partners? Well, I think I’ve been acting out that stereotype—yikes. Because Jackee ain’t no dessert man—-he’s pure smoke, pine, savory velvet. And I don’t know why I spent so long trying to change him to some kind of caramelized wimp, because he is pretty awesome as he is. Giving him a huge ratings bump.

I’ve been spoiling myself all day…first Dawn, now Jackee…

By the way, if anyone has any recommendations for Keemuns or Yunnans that are smokey and delicious like Jackee, let me know! I’m already dreading the day my tin runs out…

I measured up 11 ounces of water. I heated the water to around 194 degrees. I added a little less than 1.5 teaspoons of dry leaf to my teapot. I timed it for 3:45. I tried it plain. With Splenda. With milk. But the result was always the same—no caramel!

This tea is yummy on its own, as a smoky, non-bitter, savory tea. The texture is like silk, and it goes down easily. I won’t have any trouble finishing it off. But I wanted caramel, damn it!

I’m obsessed with Jackee.

I’m not particularly sensitive to caffeine, so I can safely enjoy Jackee in the evenings. It’s perfect, because evenings—the best evenings— are an introspective, contemplative time for me and Jackee serves as a good companion. Tonight, he mainly evokes antique pine bookcases, rows and rows of them. They are filled with with Old World books and scrolls (of course).

And I am in their midst, overwhelmed…..eating a sugared biscuit.

An impulsive Ode to Jackee blurb:
Just rounding off the night with my “ol’ reliable” Jackee. Oh Jackee, I know our time together is numbered—so I will enjoy you to the fullest and without hesitation!

(she says as she carefully measures out each teaspoonful)

I’m discovering that eating something sweet with Jackee makes him taste like bacon! Because right now I’m having this really sweet cheese danish with lemony crumbles and it really enhances his smokey pine notes.

It’s like Jackee but with extra campfire!

Savoring Jackee’s sweetness again, this morning. I wonder if this is a blend of Keemun teas or just a single estate or varietal? Something about this is special. I never knew I could appreciate a seemingly simple black tea as much as this! My eyes have been opened to the possibilities! I am currently in frantic acquisition mode ordering more Keemun teas to compare against this gold standard.

I’m enjoying another mug of this fine tea and basking in my newfound love for Jackee.

I know this is old news to everyone else (and I am clueless sometimes) but I just realized, on my own , that this is Keemun tea! Just like Thomas is an Assam. I knew their names were significant—A&D is so clever with words. :)

So I’ve been reading up on keemun tea. And thought I’d save this little snippet of information for myself (found on thenibble.com’s tea glossary):
“Keemun: A fine grade of black China Congou tea produced in the Anhui province in central China, typically hand rolled and fired. [It]….is smooth and medium-bodied with notes of fresh pine and brown sugar.”

And such a fine specimen of keemun Jackee is!

Yum…I’m liking this tea more and more! Even with no special steeping procedure (I just threw about a teaspoon and a half in my travel mug and poured in boiling water) the taste is mild, woodsy, slightly smoky and sweet! Not overtly bitter or astringent. Very pleasant.

Jackee Muntz, I think I love you more than Thomas! At least for now. ;)

What can I say, I like em tall, dark, and handsome. Oh so hot and steamy, Mr. Muntz you’re making me blush.
I was talking about this tea to my mother, and she had to stop me to make sure I wasn’t going to get pregnant. Once I clarified I was talking about tea, she hung up on me. Granted she doesn’t know I like them petite, fair, and womanly, she knows she can’t get grandkids from a tea.
Seriously, this tea has totally shown me the light of how perfect tea can be. Its burnt-carmel flavor and that oh so smokey smell really makes everything with the world once again. I finally figured out malty and why people like smokey tea, which sounded odd to my novice ears. I think I might have accidentally over steeped it at one point, but found that it hadn’t become bitter. Very smooth and bold with rich full bodied flavor. And a hot one at that.
I hope this tea never runs out, or I will cry. A lot.

I’m a big fan of this tea. It steeps to a nice golden brown color, has a great aroma, and a smooth taste that doesn’t overpower with bitterness, but still packs plenty of punch.

I decided to revisit Jackee this morning to see if I could achieve caramel bliss. But, I thought, even if I couldn’t, I could definitely use the wake-up kick I got last time! Getting up at 5:30am is so hard. :cries:

I used considerably less leaf than I did last time – about half the amount I usually use. (I couldn’t tell you exactly how much that is, because everything is just an estimation, haha.)

It’s gotten a lot smoother this time. When it was still piping hot, the smokiness was still there with strength, but it’s fading a little bit as the tea cools, and I’m getting a little burnt sugar hint. I’m definitely closer to caramel with this cup, but still haven’t gotten it. Maybe my start temp isn’t high enough. I’ll have to try at home, where I actually have control over how hot the water gets. Or maybe I should heat my mug first, so I don’t lose water temperature when I fill it. Oh, the many many things I could try.

But I gotta say, smokiness is a good waking-up tool, so I’m happy about that. :)

Hmm… Still searching for the caramel…. I think last time I made this I used way too much leaf, over-steeped it, and at a temp that was too high. This time I used only about 1 – 1.5 tsp of leaf, steeped it for 3:45 at about 195-200….

This brew still wasn’t caramel tasting, but definitely I was able to notice very very slight undertones of burn sugar when I started to get towards the bottom of my mug.

Still going to leave it unrated until I can experiment more…..