8 September 2015
Grand Yunnan Impérial, China
97-deg, 5 minutes
As the water was added, the aroma was immediately sweet, reminiscent of clover honey. At three minutes, the smell of black tea began to overtake the sweetness. Color was certainly of the amber variety but you would describe it as red sunset if this was the hue of the sky. The nose was a bit grassy after the five-minute steeping. The flavor character is very mild compared to a typical black breakfast tea. From the color, I was expecting flavors similar to a Golden Monkey variety, but I found the tea flavors much more subtle in the Grand Yunnan Impérial. I found that as the tea cooled, I enjoyed the flavor more and more.
7 July 2014
Gilan Tea, Iran
95-deg, 5 minutes
Gilan is a black tea cultivated in Iran and while Iran is the 8th largest grower of tea in the world, very little of Iranian tea ventures out beyond its boarders. The first thing I noticed when taking the leaf basket from the brewed liquid was a color that was very much like the cup of tea I had this morning. Earlier in the day I had accidentally left my English Breakfast tea to steep for somewhere between 8 to 10 minutes and the result was a very strong and dark tea. I was actually surprised that the tint was more in favor of polished mohagony than a more drab and simple wood. But color is where the semblance ended for me. The Gilan was very subtle on the nose and just as subtle on the pallet. There was slight acidity to accompany the very mild tea flavor. As my cup cooled I could almost say that the flavor more resembled a strong green tea than it did a mild black tea. For the next attempt at Gilan, I think I'll try a few more leaves and a little more time. I fear that my first brew just didn't do justice to the flavors unless a whisper is what makes an Indian sage spout with poetry.
29Apr2014
Pu-erh Tea, China
100-deg, 4 minutes, 2nd Brewing
The first brewing was a late afternoon treat that was as rich and dark and mysterious as you would anticipate a proper Pu-erh would offer. On the advise of a colleague with a Chinese father that claimed that the Pu-erh was much better on the fourth or fifth brewing of the same leaves, this brewing was with yesterday's tea leaves. Normally one would expect that the leaves themselves would dry completely over the course of a 16 hour sleep in the tea sieve. But in fact this morning, the tea leaves still held a semblance of moisture, albiet an oily moisture. When mixed again with boiling water the color of the water immediately went to the deep mohagony color that you would expect after a few minutes on a first brew. The result was a cup that was in fact delightfully smooth. Any bitterness that may have been in the first brewing was not evident in the second cup. Much milder in all aspects but with similar characteristics of raw earth. The only variation I notice on the typical theme is a slight nose of the freshest raw fish. In fact a second brew of Pu-erh might pair quite well with hamachi.
28Apr2014
Thé des Moines, Tibet
95-deg, 3 minutes
Served Two Cups
The scent of the dry leaves, the steeping liquid (at about 90 seconds) and even the fully soaked leaves which I seriously questioned on throwing out was phenomenal. Like the best perfume. Subtle floral and fruit on the nose. The scent of the steeped tea in the cup is a little stronger - cinnamon comes to mind. The flavor of the cup is stronger than I expected, but not at all bitter. I taste the hints of a mild english breakfast tea but with the influence of honey, cinnamon sticks, and darkened cherries. The Théophile Guide shows this as an all day tea, but this would be brilliant as a breakfast tea to accompany toasted sourdough with or without jam.
14Apr2014
Genmaicha, Japan
80-deg, 3 minutes
Bright and golden with a slight hint of green. Definitely grassy and the toasted rice is notable but not at all overbearing. Absolutely perfect with some toasted bread.
25Mar2014
Thé des Sables, the Rose of Damscus
70-deg, 3 minutes
Very light golden color. The aroma was of perfume at the end of the soak, matching the floral notes of the loose tea. The taste did not match the sweetness of the nose. Very balanced. Slight acidic with pepper and a mellow hint of green tea flavor.
7Mar2014
Flor de Oro FBOP, Argentina
82-deg, 5 minutes
Copper colored. Light in color and flavor. Taste is very mild and not at all bitter - balanced. There is a mild sweetness in the background that would make you think of flower petals. Nose is grassy.
