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Maybe this is what I am drinking? It’s labeled only “SpecialTeas Ti Quan Yin”, and I don’t even know who to thank for this sample! Pretty nice tea. That is all I have the energy to write. You know it’s been a rough day when your first cup of tea isn’t until 8 PM!

I was in the mood for Jasmine again after enjoying the Craft Revival Hand Tied Jasmine Buds from Verdant last night. This one is pretty good also, but at least in early steepings there is too much jasmine and not enough of anything else. I’m also tasting this right after having the best jasmine tea I’ve ever had, though, so it’s hard for me to be overly enthusiastic about this one.

The dry leaves had only a very subtle smell. This brewed an to be an incredibly dark purple color on its first 1-second infusion. The color was shocking, actually- both ruby colored and yet also blueish. The wet leaf has a wonderful aroma, the finish has the taste of red clay. There are many layers of flavor (which I am terrible at describing). This tea was incredible through many steepings.

Yup. I’ve had this sealed in my fridge since spring of 2012, and I only now brewed it. The wet leaves had an aroma that was more truly buttery than any other tea I’ve ever had. It smells just like salted butter melting over warm, fresh greens. The tea broth was very pale, but was full of flavor. It’s very unlike anything I’ve had before. It is so full of umami flavor. I’m not sure if I really like this, but it was something to experience for sure.

I still love this tea. I brought my little packet of this to our local Chinese restaurant. (I wasn’t sure if this was a rude thing to do or not, if someone knows what the etiquette is, please comment.) Anyhow, I was with Casey and I dropped three of the little twisted bundles in each of our cups. The restaurant provided us with hot water, and we refilled our cups perhaps 5 times each. I think this tea had a calming effect on me, as I am more relaxed tonight than I have been in weeks.

It’s been so cold in the Napa Valley! We never get weather like this. When we take our dog out in the mornings, the normally spongy earth by the oak trees is crunchy and sparkles. My thermostat is set to 80, but the house will only get as warm as 65, and that is in the late afternoon. The weather made this a perfect blend to have this morning, because it is the quality, grown-up version of the Sleepytime tea I used to drink as a child on cozy winter days. Yum.

A nice way to end to a wonderful evening.

This was just what I needed at the end of the day. It has some nice juicy notes that I’d normally associate with a Phoenix oolong. It is a little light for my taste, but besides that it’s awesome. I wish Red Blossom teas weren’t so expensive…

Another disappointing Dragonwell. I’m just not in the mood to talk about it. :-P