Mmm the smell of this conjures up holiday memories, its all mulling spices and whole cloves simmering on the stove. But there are other more exotic notes and it is truly intriguing. It brews up a beautiful deep warm wine in my mug and a lighter more vibrant pink when poured into my sipping cup. I’m not anti-hibiscus but this is a tad tart for my personal tastes at least this evening, I get the orange and a hint of clove but can the fennel is escaping me. It has the opposite problem that the Spiced Elderberry Pu’erh had for me yesterday, not enough spice coming through in the taste. I’m sure it can be played around with time wise and I’m sure it would be brilliant with cider. Must rebrew so I can breath in the heavenly aroma. Ooo yes! There’s that touch of licorice sweetness. Second steep at 1 min is perfect for me!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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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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