I got the nicest surprise today! Another amazing card handmade by GMathis! So cute, and she knows I am nerdy enough to LOVE the Soft Kitty song and that is on the front of the card. I actually sing it to Sam, except we say “Soft puppy, warm puppy, little ball of fur, happy puppy, sleepy puppy, grr, grr, grr!” Thank you! It was a good mail day! (Have you looked at that book yet?)
Well, tonight was writers’ group night at my house and of course I had to serve some tea. I made my big tetsubin full of this tea and put it on a warmer. There were only three of us drinking tea, but it was very enjoyable. Every time I drink a good Ti Kuan Yin, I crave it for days afterward. This is a great, smooth tea, and I think it is excellent for introducing people to the world of unsweetened fine loose leaf. The flavor differs so much from our Southern iced tea that is super sweet, that it doesn’t make them crave all that sugar!
I needed a tea to pair with supper. I made loaded baked potato soup topped with shredded cheddar and crumbles of bacon, and some sprinkles of California Spice on hubby’s and Penzey’s 4S on mine. On the side we had grilled cheddar and mozzarella sandwiches with raspberry sauce. What could hold up to that?
THIS TEA! My gosh, it was fantastic, too. The first pot is gone and I am definitely resteeping tonight and I don’t care if it keeps me up all night long! It is so dark and roasty, so mellow and smooth, so sweet and good. For some reason it makes me think of brown sugar.
Dessert – tea and Bissingers chocolates, coming up.
I got up this morning and tended to the little foster dog we are keeping for a few weeks. Then I discovered that we are out of English muffins and we don’t have any bagels. I decided to make a little breakfast for my husband and myself since the kids will probably sleep until noon or after since it is the first day of Christmas break.
I made grits, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast and with the meal we actually drank milk, but I could hardly wait for some tea to follow the meal! It was hard choosing this morning, especially since I wanted hubby to drink with me and he is tea picky. He has generally liked oolongs though, so I gave this one a try with him.
First of all, I love dark or traditional oolongs. I love green ones, too, but the dark ones are heady and addicting to me. And this is a great TKY. I never thought about it this way before, but today as I sniffed the cup deeply I thought it smelled a bit like brown sugar or caramel. There is a lovely lingering aftertaste – that is what makes me crave dark oolongs for days after drinking it once.
This is a great tea, and I am torn as to whether I will purchase more when this is gone or whether I will purchase their Dong Ding, which I finished in record time last time I bought it!
Last night was Writers’ Group at my house and nowadays that means TEA! And lots of it! We had homemade bread with jam and some flavored tea first, and I saved the big tetsubin of this for after we were through snacking.
This is so good. It makes me crave more every time I drink it. I used to wonder what all the fuss was about TKY teas. Now I know.
Driving home today I was suddenly haunted by the memory of how this tasted last night and the ghost of its flavor filled my mouth. I had to have some when I got home. It was such a spiritual experience that I was struck by the many hands that worked so hard to bring me this tea, and the great distance it had come. I feel very thankful, and humbled.
I really want to try the Top Ti Kuan Yin from Harney and Sons now. It is much, much more expensive, and I really want to experience it.
I was going to edit and add this info, but this steep deserves its own tasting note.
Still roasty and dark in flavor though not a deep dark cup in color, this tea is disappearing quickly as I take long draughts of it. The dark roasty part is exquisite – I love this in an oolong, though I love green oolongs as well. But I am really getting this amazing lingering sweet taste, almost the feeling left behind by a tisane with licorice root in it. And there is a slight nutty component as well.
Excellent tea and a big thumbs up. This one actually seems to be improving over time rather than losing flavor or freshness.
