1112 Tasting Notes
I don’t know if this tea is not aging well or what, but it once again tastes like cereal! I think I’m going to give it one more chance, and then into the cold brew iced tea tin it is going to go! (that is where I put all my so-so plain teas. Cold brewing takes care of many sins).
Preparation
Owwwww! Hot, hot, hot! This is one spicy tisane! My lips were tingling! I had to look in the mirror after I finished my cup because I was afraid that I would look like those people who get lip injections!!! (nope, just my very active imagination).
What I am trying to say is this ginger tea was way too bitey for moi! I could see brewing it like this if I had a cold, but it was a bit much for evening enjoyment.
Thankfully, I do have an idea on how to make this more palatable! I am going to use 2 cups of water, 1 bag of tisane, and a slice of crystallized ginger next time! It should make it pleasantly bitey and sweet. I’ll letcha know!!
Preparation
A classic. Malty, with an underlying sweetness/fruitiness. Despite the breakfast in the name, I love this one on a weekend afternoon when there is Much To Do and Not Much Energy to Do It!
Preparation
My husband’s coworker brought home a big bag of Crystallized Ginger from her recent trip to China, and she’s been making everyone a tisane from it. She gave some to my husband because he’s been having some digestive issues. He knew I’d love it too, and asked me to make some tonight.
It’s delicious! Slightly spicy and sweet. You can pour the boiling water over your ginger slice, and just let it sit in your cup as you sip. I love it so much that I already looked up some online sources of Crystallized Ginger so that we can still have it once our supply from Ling runs out.
I love finding out about new things!
Preparation
Jacqueline, around here we can buy it at any old fashioned drug store. The large pharmacies (like Target or Wal-Mart) will also order some things for you like Lor-Ann flavoring oils and such that are really surprising. That is where I get my peppermint oils for home made butter mints.
Some of my colleagues do something similar, only they use a slice of fresh ginger rather than crystalised. I can’t tell you anything about what sort of stuff that results in as I don’t care for ginger myself, but they’re very enthusiastic about it.
ashmanra – This is all new to me :) I found some in the King Arthur catalog that looks plump and delicious! I think I’ll try that one. I’ve heard of it for various baking uses but never actually saw it anywhere!
Angrboda – I’ll have to try that when I have some fresh ginger on hand! I don’t cook with it too often but I do sometimes!
I have a little jar of crystallized ginger I didn’t know what to with since I am a non-cook. I believe I know what to do now!
I have never used crystallized ginger for tea, but I like to grate fresh ginger on a nutmeg grater in my cuppa. It it yummy! But I but the crystallized would be good, too!
I had this last night as my “calm down! class is over! time for sleep!” tisane. My pot was filled with chamomile, and not much mango or cranberry, which is ok – it’s very delicious, fresh appley tasting chamomile! – but I did miss that extra fruitiness. The important thing is that it was warm, comforting, and boy did it knock me out :)
Preparation
This is the first tea I am trying from my SweeTea, Michelle. Thank you again, Michelle!
Pretty leaves! Sort of a “black and tan” look!
Smoky and…bacony…but in a subtle way?! It’s smokier than Queen Catherine, and a more of a sweet smoke rather than a dark smoke like Hao Ya A. I began my sips a little hesitantly, not sure if I was digging this new type of flavor, but a point came where it all clicked and I started really loving the sweet smoke!
I think my problem was that I had a sweet pastry breakfast, and I don’t think it went well together. Once I was done the food, the tea really started to shine. For my palate, I’d prefer a bagel or cheese or eggs or even pancakes or french toast (maple bacon!) for this tea. My Gouda breakfast of yesterday would have been perfection.
Steepsterites, I think I’m now firmly in the camp(fire!) of “loves smoky teas!”
Preparation
Did you ever try the Wuyi Shan Lapsang? It is pretty smoky!
My husband sniffed that one and thought it smelled really peaty like scotch, so I gave it to him for work! He and his coworkers drink tea too! I have to ask him if they had it, and what everyone thought of it! His one coworker goes to China for the holidays and she always brings back tea.
The guys at my work have recently discovered Earl Grey varieties (which, for some reason, I don’t associate as a “man tea”) and rave over it … which now gives me a good home for the EG’s that come to me in assortments. Lapsang…now that seems like a guy tea!
My coworker asked for some boiling water from my kettle for noodles, so I thought, “Ah! Good excuse for more tea!” Jaime kindly sent me this one!
The rose and berry mix in a very delightful way. This is sort of like a low rent Marco Polo, I think! It’s a little bitter, even though I steeped it for barely two minutes. I suspect it’s the fact that it’s Indian tea, and of the “dust” persuasion ;) I put a half teaspoon of sugar in after tasting it, and it helped round it out a bit. In spite of that, it’s one of the better tea bags I’ve had! The rose is present but not cloying or “rose lotion.”
I’m really enjoying this, and I’m glad I have one more bag to have the next time someone asks me for some boiling water out of my kettle in the afternoon :)
