Yunnan

At 7pm yesterday, it was too late in the day to be having a black tea. But I needed one so I had one anyways. It’s been a tired week so I thought the boldness of the Tiger might stand up well to some local honey and it sounded comforting. The honey came through nicely but it totally muted the essential Tigerness of the tea. Hence, I think this is not the best combination. Though, I did enjoy drinking it. I gave my husband the second steep when he woke up before going on night shift.

In other exciting tea news in my world, I am cold brewing for the first time! I’ve been thinking about doing it for awhile now, but have been unsure what teas would make a good cold brew. I’m also not a huge iced tea fan. I decided on a Lemon Sencha that I only had two servings left of.

I think flavored greens might cold brew nicely. I think flavored blacks would too, but I don’t have many of those. I have mostly plain blacks and I think the nuances of nice black loose leaf teas would be lost in cold brewing them. Ditto for plain oolongs and whites. I don’t know, for some reason, it just seems like flavored teas/tisanes would be better for cold brewing than plain ones.

Anyways, the Lemon Sencha. I only had a small bit left and it is not a tea I like a whole lot so if it doesn’t turn out well, I won’t feel like I wasted a yummy tea. If it does, I’ll be more inclined to try cold brewing teas I like more.

It went in the fridge at 7pm. I’ll check it when I wake up in the morning and see when it needs to be tried again. I’m curious if one resteeps the same leaves when cold brewing? It seems like it would be a one-time thing and I should try to get the most flavor out of the leaves without it going bitter.

The eagerly awaited A&D DFT Yunnan arrived today!

The husband brought it up. We didn’t wait until I’d rescheduled his eye dr appointment tomorrow. We didn’t wait for the husband to take a shower. We didn’t wait until we were ready to drink it. We opened it up within moments of it entering the apartment.

The tin was wrapped in brown paper instead of in a bed of shredded zig-zags. I liked the art better on this tin than tins from Series 1. This tin opens like a mini paint can lid. I had to open it with a flat screw driver and bang it closed with it. I do not like that about it but am hoping it becomes easier to open and close with time. In the meantime, I’m keeping a screwdriver over the stove in the misc. cabinet. Oh, and we got two Series 4 stickers in our box. Anyone else get two?

The tea leaves were dark brown with golden yellow brown and ash gray mixed in. They smelled smokey and like something else that I can quite put my finger on right now but am hoping will come to mind when I’ve smelt the tea more. It smelled strong, bold, and good but not what I was expecting.

After putting a huge pot of chilli on to cook, the husband pushed to try the new tea tonight even though it was after 7pm at the time and it’s a black tea. So we steeped up a pot. The wet leaves were a dark brown of two shades and smelled smokey, like burning paper in a good way if that is possible. The tea was deep brown in color. It smelled smokey, rich, and full.

Sip sip. Sip sip.

It tastes smokey, no surprise there. But yummy smokey. I thought I wouldn’t like a smokey tasting tea. It also tasted ashy, non-cigarette ashy though, unctuous, and bold. The surprise was no bitterness or dryness. More notes on taste will comes as I drink more of this tea I’m sure. It’s unlike any other tea I’ve had. The husband also liked it but wasn’t as surprise he liked it or as into it as I was.

We steeped a second pot for 5 min. I was expecting it to be watery and need a pinch of fresh leaves to keep the taste strong enough. It was not at all. It was as full of flavor as the first steep but muted, less smokey. I think I liked this steep better. I also drank the end of this steep as I started to eat my chilli and was surprised that it held up to the chilli and complimented it well.

I decided to steep the leaves a third time to see what happen since the second steep went well. I steeped for 6 min this time. It was watery with nearly no tea taste. I threw it down the drain.

In conclusion, A&D’s Yunnan is a damn fine tea, I look forward to drinking it again quite soon, and it’s possibly better than Series 1’s black teas.

Yesterday morning I had Tiger with breakfast – an English muffin with butter. It came out very strong. I drank the second steep right after the first. Mid-morning I had a smoothie to use up very ripe fruit – plain yogurt, peach, strawberry, blueberry, and spinach. It was one of the better smoothies I’ve made lately.

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec.

^{Standard ceramic mug = 10 oz. One rounded teaspoon.}

I was planning on 52 Tea’s Black Current Bai Mu Dan as my mid-day tea today. I’ve been wanting it for a few days but it and I keep missing each other.

I ended up having a late lunch of Indian leftovers from last night and wanted something that could stand up to their spiciness and be tasty with them. I’m finding the Tiger to be a great all purpose tea. Good with food, good without. Good in the morning, good at in the middle of the day. It’s pretty much all Tiger all the time, sometimes. =)

2nd steep: 5 min.

When it’s got to be good and it’s got to be strong (cause you can’t seem to wake up), it’s got to be the Tiger. A bit less water, a bit more leaf. Strong, but not bitter, goodness. I had to hurry and get out of the apartment to get some time dependent errand done so I didn’t get to resteep, which I badly wanted to, and it was too late in the evening by the time I got home to.

Cravings for a specific tea don’t usually occur often for me. Normally, I’ll want a cup of tea, maybe I’ll have an idea of what type of tea, and then I’ll go to my tea cupboard, look at the teas, and pick one or peruse until one makes its need to be drank known. The past three days, not only did I want tea but I wanted a certain tea. First, the odd urge to try a jasmine tea despite my mistaken belief that I wouldn’t like a floral tea, then Dragonwell saying drink me now and lots of me, to today’s Yunnan calling. I could not resist. But who can, when such a handsome tea makes his intentions know?

I steeped for 15 sec less again today, making that 30 sec less than the recommended steep time, and I think I’ve found my ideal time for this tea. Smoky but not too smoky, strong but not bitter, and all around enjoyable, sure to lead to increased drinking.

On Saturday at Earth Fare, I splurged on some tea purchases looking to lay in some tisanes for evening consumption. I got two Earth Fare blends on sale, Cold Season Tea and Red Wellness, and a berry tisane from Two Leaves and a Bud. I also got brave and brought a Puerh, Numi’s chocolate one. It had a coupon on it, and who can resist four boxes of sale tea? I need to lower the top shelve in the tea cupboard to convert it to housing for tea, which will make one and two-thirds shelves in the cupboard for tea.

Backlogging. Three days ago.

Tuh-Tuh-Tuh-TIGER! yeah.

No resteep. Too hot for more tea, then too late in the day.

Sometimes you just know you want the Tiger. Yesterday, it was a day for the Tiger. Strong and bold. Two good cups.

2nd steep: 5 min 15 sec.

On Saturday I peeped into my mailbox, and there was a Tiger in there!!!!!!! Ricky was kind enough to send me some Series 4 :) I gave the tiger his own little area in a nice basket in the tea cabinet so he wouldn’t hurt Florence and Marco Polo (Thomas Sampson and Jackee Muntz acted all brave but I could see it in their eyes that they were a little scared – what with that blue tongue and pointy teeth!).

He brewed up so dark and strong! Almost like coffee! I was frightened out of my wits! Imagine my surprise when I took a sip, and found out he’s just a pussy cat!!!! A bit feisty (I am definitely getting some pepper!) but purrrrrringly smooth and sweet. I of course used some milk, him being a cat and all. A little sugar too. Very very delicious!!!

2nd Steep – 6 min It’s Grrrrrrrrreat! (Tony the Tiger humor! Please forgive me!)
just a little lighter in body and taste, and no pepper. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The Tiger is now curled up in the basket in my tea cabinet. (There is enough for at least one more pot!!) I saw Florence furiously knitting him a toy, and Marco Polo somehow produced some catnip (most likely from his vast spice travels around the world). I was totally SHOCKED to see Thomas Sampson and Jackee Muntz huddled over the basket talking “wickle puddy tat You so cuuuute awwwwwwwww!” baby talk to the tiger! NOW I’ve seen EVERYTHING!

I have a test today so I had to wake up the TIGER!!!

I brewed my first steep nice and strong for 5 minutes, and gave Mr. Kitty Cat some milk and sugar. Puuuuuuurrrrrr! Full bodied…tangy!! what is that smokychewy tangy yummy taste? and pepper! Gosh I love this tea! I intellectually know it’s strong (it kept my husband up all night the evening we had it) but it tastes so smooth! I’ve had teas that make your eyes pop (in a good way…like River Shannon) but this is just like buttah – I would equate it to something like limoncello – it’s pure vodka but the lemon infusion and keeping it in the freezer makes it so smooth going down that the next thing you know you drank 4 glasses and you’re babbling nonsense on Thanksgiving with a house full of your family and you still need to serve dessert and (whoops!)!!

Ahem! Anyway!

Second steep: 6 min. Another reason I love this tea is that it is a black tea that stands up to another steep quite beautifully, and the second steep is different but just as good as the first! The only other tea I’ve had that does that is Jackee Muntz (go A+D!). This one is even smoother, less pepper, but so sweet and rich.

Love, love, love this tea!!!

I’m gonna be so sad when this sample is gone. I wish I had caved and gotten this tea when I had the chance. It’s so deliciously nommy. This morning I wanted something nicely stout to wake me up but not too aggressive so I reached for this one. Mmm. Matches exactly what I was looking for. I added a splash of half & half to my cup since I really didn’t want anything mean this morning and it made it just a hair smoother which was, again, exactly what I was looking for. See, if coffee were like this – strong, stout, fragrant, tasty and manly without being so acidic – I could totally get into coffee. ♥