I love everything evergreen in my tea, and this one fully delivers. I’d previously pegged down White Wolf, from Bellocq, as my quintessential, super-expensive, cedar-vanilla tea but this one is really good too.
Port has a nice balance of flavours: cedar, smooth vanilla bean, and accents of salt and of something “nippy” that is distinctly eucalyptus. It’s a nice level of eucalyptus, and not at all like the time that I put a little too much eucalyptus oil on my hot hand towel and inhaled deeply- when hot, that stuff burns with righteous intensity. I probably won a Darwinian award somewhere in that story.
This is a “darker” tea than my other cedar-vanilla option, which has a white tea base. However, it also isn’t as cold, and so set in the dead of winter, as my other one. I can drink this at the lake camp in the midst of a broiling summer too, or on a foggy autumnal day.
I haven’t had a lot of exposure to saffron and I’m going to have to carefully budget it out, but I love this tea and I want it to be a part of my life! Also, the dry blend reminds me ever so slightly of marzipan. It also resteeps well, although the cedar is more pronounced in the second steep.
Flavors: Cedar, Eucalyptus, Malt, Vanilla
Preparation
Comments
It is expensive, but it is so worth it, I love Port. Have you tried cold steeping the used leaves? I put them in a mason jar for 24 hours and I get so much vanilla goodness!
I haven’t yet, but I’m planning too; my other cedar-vanilla tea cold steeped really well too. Do you think I’d get any flavour out of leaves I’ve already steeped three times?
Yes!!! I did mine after 3 steeps!! i figured I pay big bucks for this baby, might as well get the best out of it…minimum 24h or more…it tastes like vanilla water, subtle but very yummy.
It is expensive, but it is so worth it, I love Port. Have you tried cold steeping the used leaves? I put them in a mason jar for 24 hours and I get so much vanilla goodness!
I haven’t yet, but I’m planning too; my other cedar-vanilla tea cold steeped really well too. Do you think I’d get any flavour out of leaves I’ve already steeped three times?
Yes!!! I did mine after 3 steeps!! i figured I pay big bucks for this baby, might as well get the best out of it…minimum 24h or more…it tastes like vanilla water, subtle but very yummy.
Guess this is going onto my shopping list! :P
Ok, I’m looking forward to revisiting that jar in a 24h time period. Fingers crossed!
I can send you a sample, Cavo! It’s so expensive, I’d rather you tried it that way, especially if you’re not a crazy cedar fan like I am. :)