Picked some up at TeaSource when I had first expressed a curiosity for dark tea. At something like $1.50 for four mini tuochas, who could refuse?
Brewing…should’ve known to put it in my brew basket. As soon as the water hit it, it started dissolving, sending cool bubbles up everywhere…pretty awesome to watch. I dumped off this steep after about 30 sec and salvaged the leaves, putting them in the basket. Here we go!
Steeped for probably 4 min, because the smell was so strong that I wanted to try it step by step. The aroma is of a fire, more specifically our cooking fires up in the Boundary Waters. Imagine this: it’s cold, misty, and gray, with the rain spitting down on you and your inadequate rain gear. You can feel all the twigs and pebbles sloshing around in the three inches of water that refuse to leave your boots. Your fingers are starting to do that thing where they get all pale and spotty from the cold, and you’re huddled up as close as you can get to your two new best friends while you try and try and try to build a decent fire. Someone went into the woods to find dry kindling, and the flame finally takes, while you watch, awestruck, like the first humans to ever see fire. Set the pot of lake water on…and soon we’ll have rice and beans. Feel the char and smoke envelop you as you get as close as you can to those life-giving flames, thanking them each moment for their existence.
Can you feel it?
That’s what this tastes like.
I LOVE this description! I can feel it!