Ceylon

Hubby and I both had a cup last night and I wasn’t online to log. Mine standalone and his with sugar. Both great cups!

Backlogging – and DAMN Good!

Well, since today has officially been dubbed Unofficial Ceylon Day, I thought it time to pull this one out again. Typically, Ceylon just doesn’t do it for me but Teas Etc’s Ceylon has made me rethink my fairly anti-Ceylon view. So I thought it was time to revisit the only other Ceylon in my pantry. And the fact that it will lead to an additional decupboarding is just a bonus.

Yeah, still just not really feeling it. It doesn’t have the sweetness Teas Etc’s does, or the malty-esque notes. There’s a hint of fruity in it but it is overpowered by something that is akin to bitterness or tartness but is not quite there. A mild sourness perhaps? Maybe a nutty sourness? Something like that. Whatever it is it makes me think that this tea needs a little sugar and milk to taste properly balanced.

I’m pretty sleepy this morning so I didn’t have the brain power to fully explore this guy as I drank it this morning, but I’ve come to a conclusion. It’s good – a nice, nutty but somewhat default ‘tea’ flavor. Not rough or bitter. But a little uneven. Just a little. I feel like it’s missing one little taste that would really pull it all together and make this tea really wow me. A soft or sweet or fruity top note seems to me to be lacking. I want just that little bit of extra effort from it. Then it would be pretty awesome.

Had it with a little sugar and milk because I wanted to give it a try. Very nice – light cardboardy taste that worked well for morning but not too thick or overly aggressive. The leaves look so lovely and really smell nice and fruity. I wish some of that smell would show up in the tea (with or without additives) because then I’d enjoy this a little more, but overall this is a very nice tea.

De-cupboarding another one. In a way it’s a shame that these are limited edition teas, because I wouldn’t say no to more of this one. It’s been serving as my morning wake-up call for quite awhile so I’ll need to find something else to replace it with. Adios amigo.

Backlogging. Sunday the 19th = my 30th birthday!! Happy birthday to me!

Out for a fancy dinner, dessert, and drinkies the night before with my two best girl friends, I wasn’t feeling the greatest the next morning. So a plain Ceylon for me was tasty and soothing. I had been planning on drinking something special but felt I should save it for when I was feeling better and better able to enjoy it. This Ceylon has always reminded me of a nicer, better quality version of the standard black bagged teas my dad used to make me when I was sick. Just one steep with a bowl of cereal with raspberries and almond milk.

Backlogging. Sunday, late afternoon.

My husband and I enjoyed a pot of A&D’s EG and this Ceylon blended, one rounded teaspoon of each in a two cup pot.

2nd steep: 7 min.
An additional rounded half teaspoon fresh leaf of each tea was added.

Headache due to storm most of the day. Finally took ibuprofen late at night. Headache is gone now.

Anyways, headache inspired me to have a single cup of black tea last in the afternoon for the caffeine. I chose A&D’s Ceylon since it’s nice and plain. At the last minute, I decided to add some local raw honey which I just got from the farmer’s market since I’ve been enjoying A&D’s Napal with Tupelo honey so much – it’s so comforting. I was hoping for the same effect.

It don’t know if it’s a Tupelo honey in black tea thing. Or if I just luckily hit a magical combination of Napal and Tupelo honey accidentally. I don’t usually put honey in tea. I had just decided to try the Tupelo honey in Napal one day on a fluke and ended up loving it so.

But local honey in Ceylon did not have the same effect. Or even close to it. This was not tea with honey. It was honey with tea. The honey was a bit one noted too.

I had natural peanut butter and plum jam on multi-grain toast and a cup of Ceylon for lunch. A delicious combo. I’m about finished with this cup and will steep one more with these leaves before heading out to run errands later.

Backlogging. Yesterday.

Used in a 1:1 ration with A&D’s Earl Grey. A delicious pair. I did not resteep.

Backlogging.

Part of my current EG combo steep, using a ratio of half of this tea to half EG.

2nd steep: 5 min. A bit of Tiger as the fresh leaf.

One of the correct black teas to be mixed with A&D’s overly bergamotty EG. Used in my mug this morning. No second steep.

Backlogging. A couple of days ago.

I had an itch, scratchy, swollen throat that day from allergies and the heat. So I made an afternoon cup of Ceylon with honey. Tea with honey always sounds good to me when feeling any allergy-head-type symptoms.

1st steep: 4 min.
I used less honey when the Ceylon this time. A much better match. Still more honeyed tasting but the tea strong up nicely in the background.

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec. Some fresh leaf.
I have another cup almost immediately after I finish the first one. It’s just as enjoyable.

Early evening, my husband wakes up before he goes on night shift. He asks me to make him some of what I’ve been having. He drinks one steep. So…

3rd steep: 6 min.
I add my husband’s leaf and just a bit of fresh leaf, thinking I’ll get a weak but drinkable cup from it. I don’t add honey this time. Wow, is it strong. There is a strength/roughness on the end of each sip that I’m not sure that I like but think I do. It adds character to this tea. I might try more leaf and/or time next time with the tea and see if I can find this deliberately.

4th steep: 6 min.
Based on the strength of the last steep, I know I can get another steep out of these leaves. I add no new tea. I get a cup of normal strength. I can still taste a bit of the end taste if I look for it.

Slightly sick for the past few day, I’ve had a bit of an upset stomach in addition to the dry, scratchy throat and the runny, sniffy nose. I haven’t wanted to eat much and haven’t had any tea.

Today marks my return to tea. A nice, simple cup of Ceylon. (2nd steep: 5 min. Pinch of fresh leaves.)

Backlogging.

I mixed the last small bits of leaf of this one with A&D’s EG. It balanced the overly bergamoty EG without adding bitterness.

This tea has been my go-to when I’ve wanted a better quality cup of standard black tea. It mixed well with honey when my throat was sore. It’s also the first A&D tea that I’ve finished off the tin of now.

Would I buy this again?
3 – maybe. This tea was a limited number release which is sold out so that’s a moot point. But it was a good reliable tea and while I likely wouldn’t go out of my way to order it specifically, it might be something I’d throw in an order if I were ordering other things.

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Last Sunday morning.

I wanted something plain and good = Ceylon. =)

Backlogging. Tuesday morning.

I had a cup of plain black tea that morning which I did not resteep. I remembered which one it was until right after I did my tealog for the cold brew Wild Cherry Sencha and went to tealog it. I hadn’t written them down because I only had four teas to backlog and the last two I drank yesterday and today. But I’m fairly sure it was this Ceylon because I don’t remember it being any of the other blacks I regularly rotate through in the mornings.

Backlogging.

Half Ceylon, half A&D EG. Very little of this tea left so tea dust made for a strong cup.

Backlogging. Two days ago.

Halfed with A&D’s EG. My mug came out strong that morning.

Backlogging.

A single simple mug of Ceylon. This tea tin is getting empty. This has been a v good standard tea for me.

(I’ve decided to backlog in sets of three, with three sets total, so the second set is coming later today.)

Backlogging. Last Thursday morning.

Cause it goes so well with A&D’s Earl Grey. Mixed half EG and half Ceylon.

2nd steep: 6 min and a pinch of fresh leaf.

Backlogging. Morning, three days ago, the day after the previous tealog.

A repeat of the previous morning’s 1:1 ratio of Earl Grey and Ceylon. Just as yummy. Second steep weak.

2nd steep: 7 min.

Backlogging — sometime early this past week.

Woke up in the morning with stuffy, icky allergy and/or starting-to-get-a-cold head. Wants something nice and plain. No resteep.

A&D Ceylon won the Battle of the Black Teas today. The Ceylon is complimenting my turkey wheat wrap with red onion, tomato, cumber, spring mix, feta, red pepper white bean spread, and balsamic vinaigrette. Will I win the Battle of Bathroom Cleaning after lunch though?

Somehow this has become one of my morning teas on those mornings when I drink tea. Several tealogs suggest this is better as an afternoon tea. I need to try it during the day (again – I think I did when I first had it). I like it in the morning cause it’s a simple tea to drink and not too strong. I steep with 30 sec less this time. Still good.

2nd steep: +1/2 tsp fresh leaves. 6 min.
I added a bit more fresh leaves this time thinking that it would increase the strength and let me decrease the steeping time, however even with the steeping time decreased by 2 min, the tea was a bit too strong. Next time 2nd steep will be less fresh leaves at 6 min.

I drank the 1st steep while reading online and getting organized for the day. The 2nd steep while studying.

Sooo ugh, I’ve accumulated over a week’s backlog again. And I feel that I’ve had some tea that I’ve forgotten about and didn’t make it on the list.

As for this one, drank in the morning. Consistent. Added the Tiger as my bit of fresh leaf for the second steep. I don’t remember liking it or disliking it much.

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Last Tuesday morning.

Drank mixed half and half with A&D’s EG for a nice decent cup. Decided to punch things up a bit on the second steep by adding the Tiger as my fresh leaf boost.

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Sunday morning.

Another blah-feeling allergy day. I went with a nice cup of Ceylon since I wasn’t feeling a smoky or drying black. I needed a nice morning black tea and this cup met that need.

I forgot that I usually add a liberal pinch of fresh leaves to the 2nd steep of this to keep it from being on the weak side. (I’ve been drinking mostly Jackee and the Tiger in the morning, which will take a 2nd steep with no new leaves.) So it was on the weak side. Still drinkable and it got drank.

2nd steep: 5 min, 205° F.

I had a yucky morning headache today. Between allergies, the weather, and being a poor/erratic sleeper, I often wake up with a small to moderate headache in the morning that usually goes away with time, caffeine, and food in 20 to 40 min. Some days are headache free, some days are worse or lingering headaches. I could tell this one might be one of those so I took two ibuprofen and a large glass of water. I was also really dry when I woke up too. I knew I should have more water but I needed and wanted tea. A good basic like Ceylon to calm, sooth, and enjoy. I realized this morning that one of my favorite pottery mugs is much larger than I thought it was. I had thought it was only slightly larger than a standard mug but it turns out it was one and a half times as large. Tea turned out just fine though. I wonder why. But not too much. I’ll just go with it since it works.

Backlogging.

With EG. Again. =)

2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging. Thursday morning.

Mixed in combination with EG and the Tiger equally in an effort to recreate a previous mix. The effect was not quite the same.

Backlogging. Last Monday morning.

I’d imagine I was looking for a plain basic yummy single mug of black tea to start my day. =)

I had the 2nd steep of this morning’s Ceylon late afternoon with a snack of artichoke and spinach hummus on garlic crisps. While this morning’s steep in the larger mug remained the same as usual, this steep did not, despite using the same amount of fresh leaf I’d add to a 2nd steep of Ceylon in a standard mug. It was watery and DRY big time and tasted of tea, but not strongly.

This is a second steeping from a cup I had earlier this afternoon. I added about a 1/4 tsp of fresh leaves to see if it would make the steeping a bit stronger and steeped it for about 10 min. It’s still too hot to sip much into my mouth right now since I burned my mouth on too hot food yesterday, but I think the addition of fresh leaves helped. This tea is an enjoyable cup.

I have steeped the Ceylon leaves again. The wet leaves smell more strongly of dusty cinnamon when I removed them from the tea as well as of dried old paper. The tea smelled of dust, paper, and old under its natural tea-y smell. It still tastes good, but much weaker. I will steep it longer the second time next time. I don’t think it will manage a third steep.

Two steeps of Ceylon during a slightly stressed out morning makes for a short Tealog and tea drank a little bit warmer than lukewarm but still needed. Steep #2: 5 min.

A cup of Ceylon after breakfast this morning and another cup after that. The 2nd steep was rather weak as I forgot to add a bit of fresh leaves like I usually do. 2nd steep: 5 min.

Backlogging
Yesterday morning. Mellow with milk for my first steep. Plain for my second steep. Second steep: 5 min.

Wow my best friend’s wedding last night turned out perfect! We all had so much fun! Now its the morning after and I’m enjoying a mug of Ceylon. Delicious. The milk rounded the Ceylon pretty well.

I made this strong today and added cream and sugar. Ceylon always has that distinguishable taste that I can’t seem to describe. It is good though. Almost metallic bur not really. Good breakfast tea. Im stressing because my close friend is getting married tomorrow. Being moh is a lot of work. I just hope i dont forget anything! We will see what happens!

Breakfast tea! My boyfriend decided to mix this with Star of Africa…

I’m about halfway through this tin. Where did it all go? This was our breakfast tea this morning. Delicious and light.

I’m feeling really ill this morning, and I’m struggling to get ready to go to my rotation. ugh! I’m having Ceylon this morning. Hopefully I start to feel better.

I made chai today for my cousin, and used this as a base. It was really delicious. I might try and buy some regular milk for my chai teas. I bet it would add more ‘creaminess’ to it. :)

Theres a certain satisfied feeling that I get when I finish a tin of tea. This is how I felt when I finished Ceylon today. It is certainly tasty and one of my favorite types of black teas. Delicious with a small amount of sugar and milk. I love the tin though! I cleaned it out and will use it again later! Woo! Now I can try the teas that are waiting for me.

Breakfast tea with my boyfriend. I’m on call today sigh

My respects to coffee, but tea is so much easier to drink first thing in the morning. I guess I never got my taste for straight black coffee, though i did try it once, by drinking 7 cups of straight coffee through a 3-hour period. Didn’t work. Oh well, good work, tea shrub!

Arguably the best cup of this I’ve made to date. Dunno what I did different, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Whoops, ruined this cup. I poured the water in, but I forgot the timer. 12 minutes later I had undrinkable swill. Let that be a lesson to fellow tea drinkers: DO NOT FORGET THE TIMER!

Alright, yeah. This stuff is fantastic. It’s got a nice roasty taste to it. Goes good with the slightest hint of Splenda, or sugar if you prefer.

This is the last of the Ceylon. Just Dragonwell left from series 1.

It’s still a favorite morning tea

Trying this today with some Hazelnut Juice & sugar…very smooth and delicious

I’ve been enjoying this tea in the morning with some soy juice and sugar. Great tea to get the day started!