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11/05/2013
i finished this tea yesterday and i wanted to update my post and say that this tea completely grew on me.
i understand it better now and love it.
i’ve even considered trying all the other Heritage Gourmand flavors.
somehow it’s extra special when a tea starts out as a mystery and ends up a best friend.
wonderful.

05/08/2013
let the experiment commence!
i’m trying to duplicate my accidental steep experience. i really wanna figure this out.
i just steeped 12 oz of water with 1.5 tsp worth.
i tasted it at 2 min, 3 min, 5 min, 7 min, 10 min, and 13 min.
all i can say is DO NOT steep it for more than 7 min. but if you do add some more hot water to your strained cup.
the steeps from 2 to 7 min were all mildly bitter but also almondy and still slightly soapy.
the 10 & 13 min steeps were awful. but then i added more hot water to the strained cup and they were actually great.
all i can say is maybe i steeped it for 13 min with fairly cooled down water.
at least that seems more likely, and i wouldn’t put it past me. i’m a flibertyjibbet sometimes.

i hate this freakin puzzle.
and i feel like all i’m doing is confusing the situation for everyone else.
i’m weary of liking a tea more due to reputation than actual experience.
or due to a pretty hot pink canister.
but when i smelled this tea in the store i HAD to have it. it smells spectacular.
maybe i’ll just put some in a baggie around my next to wear haha
i’ll probably delete this entire note soon.
blerg.
i’m totally annoying myself today.

04/26/2013
please DISREGARD this 13 min steep bullplop written below.
i have no idea what i’m doing.
…………………………………

okay wow something cool just happened.

i kept waiting to review this tea because, though it seems like something i would love, every time i tasted it something seemed off to me. and i just didn’t want that to be true. i know it’s not how it’s supposed to go, but i really just wanted to like this tea.

then this morning i accidentally steeped it for 13 minutes. and now the tea makes sense!

i mean WTF you can steep a tea for 13 minutes and it still tastes okay??
sure i know good chinese black teas can hold up really well to long steeps but i still think 13 minutes is a bit extreme don’t you?

so yes, the long steep made this tea great for me. it made the tea a bit more dry in the mouth and gave the sweet bits time to really disintegrate and dissolve. at first when i tasted this tea it gave me a strange soapy & floral aftertaste that i could NOT get down with. but i figured if i kept tasting it that weird flavour would eventually make sense. the brew did seem kinda nutty but that aftertaste always got me down.
but NOW after the long steep it’s all blended. it’s almondy. and lightly sweet. and has notes of sugar at the top with cakey almondy notes at the back. and perhaps the dryness the long steep creates reminds me of dark bitter chocolate or something. i don’t know why really, but i’m happy about this mistake.

so if i sent you enough in the sample, and you don’t love this tea immediately, try steeping it long. i guess that’s my advice.

what a good day!