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I’m back after a week with no internet. No Facebook (didn’t miss it). No Steepster! Still shuddering over that last one. Today I broke in to this loose leaf offering. The leaf has lots of golden tips. The dry scent is light leather. I know we are going to be friends. In the Yixing it goes. The brew is a rosy orange as I pour. The wet leaf is a bit barnyard but there is nothing off about the mug. Mrmopar got apple out of this. I wish I did because that would have made this even more awesome. I got a cross between book leather and horse tack. As it cools a bit it takes on aspects of nutty – what many of you call chestnuts, although I have never had them so I can’t confirm. There is also a woodsy bark flavor. My brain keeps saying oak but the rest of me wonders how it knows. The point is this is very flavorful, at the same time it is a gentle easy to sip cup.

At first this is peppery with bite – not hot peppery, just spicy. Then the ginger, cardamon, and clove kick in to kick it up a notch. Under it I taste hints of apple coated lightly with cinnamon. There is pineapple and lemongrass here as well though I can’t single them out. The coconut adds just a touch of creamy to the mug. I would like the white base to be a bit more assertive but I really don’t miss a black tea base at all.

In other news, it is the 24th of the month and this will almost certainly be my last note until after the first of the month thanks to Verizon – the bane of my existence. I usually make it to the 30th. My son must be downloading games again. See you in July!

I wanted tea this morning. Thinking hurt. This is morning tea. Strong but not bitter. Brisk. Astringent – like most breakfast teas. Woodsy. Malt in the aftertaste. Never thought to call it this but Awkward Soul is dead one with raisin late in the sip. Not likely destined to be anyone’s favorite tea but it is more like that friend that is always there for you that kind of goes unnoticed – and shouldn’t.

The keys are located just slightly different on this laptop than on the desktop. I keep hitting something with my pinky and sending notes into oblivion. So I will try again. I wasn’t ready to part with the Zenjala Bohea leaf from yesterday. It still had some smoky goodness in the aroma. So I added some Ahmad Earl Grey loose leaf to see if I might end up with Cowboy Earl. Sadly, the Bohea is too far gone. Happily this is Earl Grey. Doing the dance of bergamot joy even as you read this. May explain why I keep hitting the wrong key.

Inexpensive but solid loose leaf Earl.

Today I prepared the last of this one. I made it last two years. I’ve changed my mind, this is my favorite from Zenjala. I am moving White Monkey into that second spot. This has a wonderful smoky aroma but it is not super intense. This is a milder version of lapsong souchong. There is also a hint of malt in the dry leaf. Brewed this is kind of sweet. It’s very easy to drink with no bite or astringency that I am catching. The smoke is more in the smell. You can feel the tea gently along the sides of your tongue. There is a fruity woodsy presence. This was one of my early ventures into loose leaf and it still stands the test of time. One day I will have more of this.

Hurrah! I seem to have my tastebuds back. Actually it was an impaired sense of smell due to allergens in the air. The wet leaf is intoxicating with its steamed vegative aroma. The sip is crisp with an edge. The leafy green scent is also present in the mug. There is a light butteriness, and a nutty element. Despite the description this is not a bold cup. It is one of those whose great strength is in drawing you in to relax and enjoy. It does it well.

This is a well reviewed tea and I have nothing new to say about it. It is very good and worthy of the attention it has gotten. Rich and smooth.

I’m sitting here trying to relax by sipping Laoshan Black while I wait for 2:00 pm. I have to go to the vet and pick up Buffy. Poor little fuzz ball has a broken leg. Last night my son was trying to get his cat over its loathing of the newest member of the house. The cat was having no part of it. Of course Buffy loved the idea. So when my son stood up to carry his cat to safety, it jump from his arms and landed paw first on Buffy’s back leg. Her crying in pain was almost unbearable. It was ten minutes to five. We called the vet and they told us “Sorry we are closing. Bring her by at 8:30 in the morning.” If there were a better vet in town I would not go back. We bandaged her best we could and put her in her cage. I think Buffy slept more than we did last night. Jerks. What if that were a member of your family? On the other side of the argument – when we got there this morning there were 3 other injured dogs waiting in line… but still Buffy is just a tiny ball of fur… and she is ours.

This one came my way from CelebriTEA. I love jasmine pearls when they are done well. The peals seem smaller than others I have tried. Could be my imagination. They smell lovely. The bottom of the unopened sample pack was not completely sealed. That may greatly affect this review. After steeping the leaf really expanded. Almost completely on the first steep. Tastewise this seems kind of metallic tasting. Otherwise the jasmine is very nice. The one question I have with the Steepster samples is what’s the point? I mean, if this were the most incredible tea I had ever tasted, it appears it can’t be purchased anywhere.

I continue to learn this morning. According to Teavivre, green tea powder is steamed not pan fried. I have no idea where the roasted nutty oolong notes are coming from. I prepared a mug with hot water using the amount of powder I have been using with my morning milk – about 1 tsp. The tea does not resemble the cup picture on Teavivre’s site. Their’s is bright algae green. Kermit would feel at home. Mine is murky deep olive brown and looks a little (lot) scary. What creature lurks beneath these waters. My mind wanders to Poke Salad Annie. The gators got your granny. Chomp. Chomp. I digress… So too much powder on my part I presume. The taste without milk, or other additives, is strong and bitter. Even with sweetener this is bitter. Wow. Time to cut back on the amount. I also need to dial way back the water temp. Teavivre calls for 60-80 C on the description. I was way hotter than that (d’oh). I probably won’t have this again today but I will change what I am doing next time and give an update. One of the things Teavivre suggests mixing this with is chocolate, so you know we are going there at some point.