412 Tasting Notes
I got a bag of this at SpecialTeas going out of business sale a few months ago, so it’s a bit old now, but still enjoyable – I just up the leaf a little. Rich malt and honey flavors, but emphasis on the honey; it’s sweet for an Assam.
Taken with a dash of milk.
Preparation
Cold-brewed this overnight, and it turned out pretty well. Teas like this are why I bought a glass waterbottle; it’s delicate enough to be overwhelmed by plastic or aluminum.sweet and refreshing, though- a good tea for a summer morning.
This tea also has the most gorgeous leaves I’ve ever seen, wet or dry: green, and maroon, and sparkly from the “silver” hairs on the needles.
I just placed an order with Rishi (last day for 20% off with their mother’s day code!) So I’m trying to finish off some of my last round from them. I was looking forward to this one, but tragically didn’t rinse my filter well enough after washing it, so lost a whole mug to soap :(
More rinsing and a fresh batch of leaves makes a better cup, but now I’m paranoid and keep thinking I taste soap. Arg! It is being a little bitter, but I probably just used too much leaf…
Backlogging: I picked up a tin of this a couple of weeks ago from Cardullo’s, being too overwhelmed by the awesomeness to decide on anything else. (They carry Golden Moon! And Kusmi! I have never seen so many great teas in one store O_O)
I’ll add a rating later, since the slider doesn’t want to cooperate with my phone. This was a little too tart/rooibos-y plain, but tasty with a bit of sugar. Also good chilled! I haven’t decided yet whether it’s better with or without milk.
Finally got around to drinking this again, at work a few days ago. I keep trying to wait until I have time to pay attention to the brewing, but at that rate I’ll never drink it. So: I used enough leaves to thinly cover the bottom of my mug, and water slightly below boiling. I left the leaves in the mug, drank it when it was cool enough, and added more hot water when it was mostly empty. I probably steeped the leaves 3 or 4 times.
It was really good! Sweet, and nutty, and roasted. A little fruity. Very smooth. It went surprisingly well with the cashews I was snacking on at the time!