99 Tasting Notes
okay, I stand corrected, the 3min steep is the optimal time for this tea (yay scientific method!)
this tea is incredibly heavy on the cinnamon, has a smooth black tea base and there’s… something? that sort of clings to the tongue in a pleasant earthy-acid way — reminds me of the way hibiscus has a very specific taste!
it’s an overtly winter brew, and I wish they had more teas they made specifically for each season; alas, not all seasons have a ‘magical’ (consumerist) … vibe, I guess?
(on a personal note, my advisor FINALLY started reviewing my thesis, yay! enjoying this tea as I listen to the new Capitão Fausto album and continue trying to find stuff to cut to send my work to a conference as well)
Preparation
although letting this tea cool down for 45min helps, letting it steep for 2min is entirely too much for me; although a much nicer black tea base than what I first tasted (half of a box ago?), it still lacks the citrus-bergamot-fresh thing
Preparation
Back on the 3min steep time, and I think this may actually be better than the 4 minutes.
Although the black tea itself is pretty disguised, the ingredient that apparently leaves a film on my tongue is gone as well.
My philosophy for this tea is basically: considering how the shop advertised the different bases of this tea as basically interchangeable, I don’t think I’m actually SUPPOSED to be tasting the black tea and all its subtleties
Preparation
just wanted to get on here and say that I got to have tea with Ailin, the wonderful owner of an Asian import store in my town (that I go to at least once a week)
We drank two different black teas and a tea-filled orange as well
It was wonderful to chat with her, and she taught me how to use the gaiwan I bought from her a couple of months back!
she also made me feel more like I DONT have to be hyper scientific with gongfu, which made today’s session (a rolled oolong I got from her) a lot more flexible as well — no more timers! no more precision scales! I’ll save that for western brews :D
I’ve been going to her shop for months, it feels great that we’re more than client-shopkeeper <3
How neat! I remember theteahouseghost on youtube said that the tea will tell what temperature and time it wants if you pay attention. So now I warm the gaiwan and put the keaves in and smell the steam after a moment or two. The sharpness or mellowness of that scent helps me decide how I want to do my first steep.
Isn’t tea exploration delightful?
That is great news on your thesis!
thank you so much ashmanra :) it sucks to deal with all the corrections, but hopefully I won’t have to hound the man in the near future
Sofia Vaz — at least your advisor is reviewing it, unlike mine :/ (bitter memories a year back)
ooooh Martin, I feel you; I had to wait for my advisor to move for three whole weeks (!!!) and this is the second time I’ve written my thesis in its entirety, the other time I had to keep reminding him for two weeks as well
(to note that I had to rewrite because, in his words, the thesis lacked orientation; funny to hear that from your advisor, which in Portuguese is orientador, AKA he who gives orientation)
I understand advisors are busy people but…… do your job please? ADVISE US!!