afitting select Send Message

A cup of tea brewed by an idiot, full of scent and smokiness signifying nothing. In this case, the idiot is me and the nothingness is a pot of under-steeped tea.

The lower temperature was an accident rather than an experiment, but somehow it did work out better. I’ve felt like the bergamot oil and the tea are better balanced when the steep time is longer. In this case, it seems a bit less astringent that when the water is boiling.

Its summer in California. The ground is dry, the grass is dead, the flowers are gone, but the fog has yet to burn off. The coastal redwoods are drinking something that probably tastes like… This. Woody, slightly astringent, without (as far as I can tell) any floral or honey notes.

I’m often overwhelmed by the bergamot oil in Earl Grey teas (including Ahmad’s). However, this tea has just enough to brighten the taste. I think it has a sort of Ceylon crispness to it. This is my current favorite breakfast tea. I normally steep for 4 minutes and I think that works better.

First, did I mention the importance of adding cardamom to this tea? Ok good, also it seemed to have a bit more body with a longer steep time. I really should be at work by now but the combination of Sadaf Special Blend and a little Piazzola has put me in a spicy haze that has rendered me incapable of getting anything done (including writing coherent metaphors).

Bland, tepid, dull: my life, my tea. The same two black teas in the morning, the same yard full of weeds, the same job. It was all so exiting a while back. Perhaps this is an existential crisis. Perhaps I need some more tea.

Time seems to move so slowly at work. That may be why my tea oversteeped. Despite its bitterness, it still has a vegetal almost woody taste.

Feeling exhausted by a mediocre existence, I looked for something to help me rise above. Super Irish Breakfast, with its intensely dark liqueur and honeyed scent, seemed just the thing. The flavor is light and with a hint of acidity. So is my mood: I feel more awake now, but I have to get to work.

Just another day in the life.

Unlike the Assam, this tea is changing noticeably (even to me) with steep time. Its now substantially more astringent and slightly honeyed. Its still medium/full bodied and not bitter at all. The more things change, the more I’m late for work. Tune in next time.