I gave my tea presentation for National Library Week at the library today and I was shocked that 21 people showed up for it! I had kind of convinced myself I’d probably only get maybe 2-5 people at most (maybe because my biggest fear was having a big turnout, since I had five different teas to sample as part of the program and didn’t know how I’d manage brewing enough for a large group) but from the feedback I heard people seemed to like it, several said they wanted a return of the program with different teas, and a few that left early apparently told other staff members that I was very knowledgable on the topic. As a cataloger I don’t really do public speaking/events and I haven’t been in front of a group since college (!) so I was way more nervous than I care to admit, especially when I saw the turnout and was afraid people would be upset over smaller sampler servings. But it went smoothly and our director was happy with the turnout and the community interest bringing so many folks into the library! So I’m pretty happy now (though admittedly exhausted!)
This tea was one of the teas featured in the program (during the history and culture on China I featured a white tea) and I had a bit left over so now I’m finally getting to try it myself. This Peach Blossom White comes from one of my favorite tea shops, Tea Chai Te, in Portland, Oregon, and is one of the teas I got from their website with the generous giftcard my Dad sent me last month for my birthday. I prepared it iced using the cold brew method prior to the program.
This tea is soooooo much nicer than TeaSource’s Machu Peach-u, or at least, more to my personal tastes, as it is completely lacking that strong wet autumn leaf pile taste that is in Machu Peach-u. I know for a fact this tea is using Bai Mu Dan leaf, while Machu Peach-u only states it uses “white tea,” but it is a very brown tea leaf, and I’m now suspecting it’s base is Shoumei, and that’s the difference here; I just have a preference for one type of white tea over the other. I would say that the peach flavor is perhaps a bit more dominant in Machu Peach-u, but since that leafy flavor is also so strong, it is overall less enjoyable to me; here the peach flavor is light, flowery, and delicate, and some of the folks in the program where actually a bit disappointed and confused that it had such a strong peach smell but such a light and delicate flavor. I tend to appreciate my fruit-flavored teas (especially greens and whites) more on the softer side so the base can shine through a bit, and I think this one does a good job. It’s soft, has a bit of peach without being overwhelming, and some lovely floral notes fill the end of the sip. It’s very light, smooth, and refreshing.
Flavors: Floral, Melon, Peach, Sweet
Glad to hear the program went well—congratulations!
Thanks so much!