95

Love! I want to scream out loud that I love this tea. In fact I did shout it down the stairs at the husband. I knew this was the next tea I wanted to try when I opened up the tiny tin I placed it in awhile ago when I got it as a complimentary sample. It smells so familiar though I couldn’t quite place it till the first sip. I had a moment of panic, thinking I had somehow drunk this sample, forgot to log it, replaced it with Bailin Gongfu and forgot to relabel. Not a chance, but those first few sips were so decievingly Fujian in nature, by which I mean grainy, malty, cocoa sweetness and a hint of juicy dark fruit. But then came the butter, honey and spice all also wonderful and present unlike my unfortunate Yunnan black brewing yesterday. This is a very flavorful, complex, yet balanced black and I’m only on the first five sec infusion. More to come. Three steeps in, getting darker richer and more savory, LOVE!!! Ohhh steeps 5 and 6 so unbelievably sweet and steep 7… intense sweetness but now with a dark thickness that reminds me of Twin Elephants Trail Shu, oh… my… swoons

TeaBrat

was your husband thrilled or does he think you’re a kook? ;-)

Autumn Hearth

From what I could make out from upstairs his tone sounded mildly supportive. However I am sure the latter is also true, probably always. He drinks tea but he freely admits he doesn’t have a discerning palate and doesn’t like my short steeps. He’s probably just relieved I’m not marching downstairs handing him a cup. Toddler is enjoying it with me now though. “You put chocolate in it?”. No. “You put butter in it?”. Hehe.

TeaBrat

yeah, my dearest tries to feign enthusiasm at times but I don’t think he quite understands. :)

Spoonvonstup

“You put chocolate/butter in it?” That is so cute!!!!! From the mouth of babes.

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Comments

TeaBrat

was your husband thrilled or does he think you’re a kook? ;-)

Autumn Hearth

From what I could make out from upstairs his tone sounded mildly supportive. However I am sure the latter is also true, probably always. He drinks tea but he freely admits he doesn’t have a discerning palate and doesn’t like my short steeps. He’s probably just relieved I’m not marching downstairs handing him a cup. Toddler is enjoying it with me now though. “You put chocolate in it?”. No. “You put butter in it?”. Hehe.

TeaBrat

yeah, my dearest tries to feign enthusiasm at times but I don’t think he quite understands. :)

Spoonvonstup

“You put chocolate/butter in it?” That is so cute!!!!! From the mouth of babes.

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Bio

Druid, artist, poet, mum, lover of tea, ritual and myth. I grew up on Celestial Seasons herbals but fell in love with straight loose leaf tea working at my local Teavana for a year. I am grateful for the introduction and the experience, but have moved on.

I see tea as an experience for the senses, I like to imagine tasting the land and the weather as well as the effect of sun, air, fire and the human hand. I have a soft spot for shu pu’er, yabao, scented oolongs, wuyi oolongs, taiwanese tea as well as smooth naturally sweet blacks, creamy greens and surprisingly complex whites.

I began ordering lots of samples from Upton to educate myself on different varieties of tea we didn’t have at work and have fallen head over heels for the unique offerings from Verdant Tea. I am learning things I like: buttery mouthfeel, surprising sweet or spice notes, woodiness, mineral notes, depth and complexity and things I don’t: astringency, dry and sour notes.

I collect tea tins and am in danger of collecting pots, though I am trying to restrain the urge due to current lack of space. I brew mostly in a glass infuser mug or a tea maker, only using cast-iron for company now (still need to get a gaiwan) and tend not to sweeten my teas unless they are British or fruity and iced, which is not often.

As far as ratings, I lack a definite system and haven’t been assigning numbers lately, wanting to spend multiple sessions with a tea first. I usually only log a tea once, unless it is a new harvest or I have significantly different observations, but will go back and edit or comment if I find something interesting or new.

Location

Baker Street, Berea, Ohio

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