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Editing: Done! Just dropping in my notes on the tea made during the day before going to bed. Didn’t make nearly as many infusions as I had thought I would.

2nd infusion much like 1st, in spit of being forgotten, oversteeped and lukewarm. Completely drinkable, shockingly enough. Would probably have been a different story had it been the first steep

3rd same as the others. More or less. One note has come out of it here and it reminds me of popcorn. I think my gunpowder thinks it’s genmaicha… At least now I know what to do in a pinch when I run out of genmaicha.

This would be the tea for the day, chosen because I want something that I can just recycle. I have Writing Ambitions today, so I’m going to be lazy about tea and try not to spend too much time on Steepster either reading or writing. (snort as IF! And while I’m dreaming I would also like a billion kroner.)

I haven’t steeped it more than two-three minutes here in the first go. It has a rather soapy smell today. Well, not really soap as such, I don’t really know how to describe it but soap is as close as I can get. This isn’t really surprising since I don’t know what the quality of this stuff is, but it came in an ordinary clear plastic bag without even a brand name on it and ‘Gunpowder green tea’ or something like that stamped directly on the plastic bag, so I’m inclined to think it’s probably not top quality.

The taste is strong and spicy and I can see why some would call it bitter. I don’t think it’s bitter, but it has potential to become so if oversteeped. It tastes like it would be good with a bit of mint in it, but I’ve tried that before, and I didn’t really think it worked as well as I had hoped. It might have been better with further experimentation, but the result wasn’t interesting enough that I’ve ever bothered trying again.

So, this is the tea for the day. We’ll see how much I can get out of these leaves.

And now you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got stuff to edit.

WHOOOOOOAAAAHHH!!!

Last night’s insomnia is finally catching up with me. I had maybe a total of four hours sleep and have still been, to use a danish and directly translated expression, fresh as a fish all day. In spite, I might add, of having acquired the sniffles.

It’s now 9pm and I’m beginning to suspect that tonight I’ll sleep well. Although I’m not really ready for bed yet. I’m not finished being awake for today. And I wanted a good cup of tea first too.

So why this kinda mediocre generic one? I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of people review green lately (and pu-ehr but sadly I don’t have any of that) and what can I say? You lot are inspiring.

It’s really dark. Okay, so I was busy writing the intro on this post and nearly forgot, so it’s probably just a teensy bit oversteeped but it’s still good. I kinda wish I could remember what I said about it when I reviewed it earlier because I hate ending up contradicting myself. It makes me look like a dork who can’t make up her mind. (And I don’t want anybody to find out the horrible truth)

Today though, I’m finding that I still agree with my previous rating. It’s a nice tea, but not super-duper awesome. The first Gunpowder I ever had was from Chaplon and it was also iirc the first green I ever had (that didn’t come in a cheap bag). I just remember that one as better than this.

OMG! I just realised I also have dinner leftovers heating in the oven! Man, imsonmia really IS catching up with me.

These oven potatoes are a bit bland, possibly they should have been heated just little lon-WAIT! I’m supposed to be talking about the tea!

Anyway, the tea. It’s pleasant. I think it would be a good one for my travel mug in the mornings (gosh, I love that thing! How did I go for so long without?). I’m picking up a kind of… Well, there’s definitely a note there, I just can’t really describe it. It’s not nutty or salty (Salty? Really? I’ve never found a salty note in a tea! Where do you lot get that from?) or grassy or leafy or anything. It’s just sort of… green. Yeah, it has a green flavour.

I’m getting nowhere with this. I’m finishing my tea and my meal and going to bed. Clearly, since I also wrote ‘imsonmia’ up there, it’s the only sensible thing to do.

This was given to me as a gift once in a clear plastic bag with no details as to origins of any kind. I wasn’t expecting grandness and it is indeed pretty mainstream. It could have been a whole lot worse. Just had a sort of craving for green tea last night and it’s lasted into this morning.

I don’t really care much for mint flavours on their own. My colleagues drink this mint/liquorice root concoction that they claim is delicious. I disagree. You don’t even get the two flavours at the same time. First it’s minty mint and then the liquorice root doesn’t come through until you swallow, which to me seems like trying to have two different sorts of tisanes at the same time. Like they couldn’t decide if they wanted one or the other. But that’s not what I’m having now so I’ll shut up about it.

As mentioned I don’t really care much for mint. I have it so I can mix it into other stuff.

But then, on days like these where I’ve apparently eaten something or other that I shouldn’t have, it’s the only sort of tea or approximation of tea* that I can stomach. The very idea of anything else, even my normal favourites just make me go bleeeeargh!

So I’m having plain peppermint infusion now. I’m not enjoying it really, but it’s the only thing I want.

*Herbal infusions are of course NOT tea. Herbal infusions never HAVE been tea. Herbal infusions never WILL be tea. Herbal infusions have never even as much as seen a tea bush and are therefore no more tea than cocoa is coffee.

This is normally one of those things that I only drink if I’m ill and real tea tastes weird, or to experimentally blend wtih other teas. Here is a different sort of tip for you. You know that cocoa powder for making hot cocoa? Just a spoonful in a cup, add boiling water, stir and you’ve got hot cocoa. Make a pot of peppermint herbal and use that to make your hot cocoa instead of regular boiling water. It’s very delicious, like drinking melted After Eight, except without the icky cream

Brewed several pots in a coffee brewer, added stevia then chilled and drank cold.

Threw in the whole packet(about 2 handfuls) and boil over low heat. Enough to make 3 cups. I will usually get the roots instead of ginseng’s head as it’s cheaper but doesn’t taste as strong. ✌✌✌

I love this tea. I just wish it weren’t so expensive.

My mom likes making this to fight something the Chinese call inflammation, translated literally it’s ‘going up in flames’. The body has a balance of five different elements, and certain foods (often spicy or fried) raises the fire element and upsets the system. Chrysanthemum is supposed to be a ‘cooling’ plant. I’m not sure how much scientific backing is in this, but I do know that homemade chrysanthemum tea is delicious. ♥ It’s just the flower heads and water brewed over low heat for a long time, simple. I had a cup this morning, chilled and with a bit of rock sugar.

Quite a delightful German loose leaf tea.

This is one tea that I deeply enjoyed. So far this year, this tea is number 1 on my list. Too bad we are not sure where it came from. We will keep you posted if we find out any details.

This is OK hot but lovely iced. It is tangy and sweet and pure delight.

It’s time to study.

Oversteeped because its finals so I was like, “Hey, I need tea and it should be green”. Prepared, walked off, drank anyway.

Light green tea that can be steeped several times. Usually put this with my cup infuser teas. I like it when I just want to drink something.

This is what I’m drinking at work at the moment. It was part of a christmas gift, bought it a small local store where my parents live. Keemun in general is one of my favourite blacks and is no different.

One of the 5 rarest and most famous Wu Yi Oolongs and it’s easy to see why.

Online, it’s described as being the rarest, because the process requires such high skill that most people won’t even attempt to create it.

I don’t know what brand or what year this Oolong was harvested, but I will ask my friend who gave it to me.

(It’s pricey and rare, so he only spared me 3 grams of it, but that 3 grams was little enough to get upwards of 8 infusions, in a small Yi Xing teapot)

The complexity of this tea makes it hard to describe, but that’s also is what makes it such a treasure. Unlike most Wu Yi’s, the leaf is not a deep dark brown.

Dry Leaf:
This Bai Ji Guan was a medium brown, almost cherry like color with spots of olive green. A truly beautiful and distinct leaf, unlike any I’ve ever seen. The leaf style is typical Wu Yi, large curly, these were not particular long and wiry, but shorter and wider.

Dry leaf aroma: Smoky, hint of some kind of wild fruit.

After rinse aroma: Passion fruit, floral, soap-ish (good in this tea)

First infusion: 15 seconds. WOW. The flavor is incredible, it might have been even slightly over-steeped at 15s, but the initial fruitiness is unmistakable. Followed by a slight smokiness. And then comes the sweet finish, and what a lingering sweet finish. I noticed that 5 minutes after, it was still there and you only really realize it after you forget that it’s there-if that makes sense.

I won’t bore you guys with the details but I went on to steep this tea many times for my friends and each time, something unique, different, distinct and most of all, delicious.

We don’t currently carry this Oolong (but we do have 2 grades of Da Hong Pao) but we might in the future. So if you ever get your hands on some, savor it and treasure it…and send me a few grams ;)

Wonderfully fruity, smoky, long lasting sweetness, the complexity is amazing. I wish I have more than 3 grams.

Very forgiving oolong. We used our small red Yixing teapot, and did four infusions. The leaves can probably handle one or two more before the flavor will fall off. Leaves a nice taste in the mouth long after you’ve put down the teacup.

Bought in Germany on my last trip there. Very good, lots of fruit flavor. Brewed with my TeaDrop.

Soft taste. Relaxing. Perfect for drinking after dinner.