First teapot brewed with the sample sent by CTeresa. Thanks a lot, that was a good hit!
The smell of the dry leaves was very fruity appealing – definitely peachy.
I must confess I did not follow the instructions she had given me (80-85° for 5mn) as I did not feel like waiting long enough for the boiled water to cool to that temperature. And then I forgot to take it off after 3-4 mn and left it a whole 5 or 6.
It nevertheless turned perfect. The brew is very clear and nice to look at. The smell divine. And the flavors: very peach, though the vanilla left a very pleasant aftertaste and feeling all inside the mouth.
And I like that the tea base though delicate is not absent or tasteless as it can sometimes seem with some other blends.
I cannot compare with Nosy Bey that I have never tried but this sure is a win. I’ll try it again and compare it with both Boléro from Mariages and possibly Alfonso from TWG which both seem slightly similar in the “sweet and mellow fruit overload” department.
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By the way, it can also be pleasantly drunk in summertime, though I understand its appeal when it’s cold.
This is rather magic, not sure if my brewing instructions are really the “best” way to brew it, it seems to turn out right always!
And just to add, you do not have to wait for water to cool, just add some cold water. Best of all I think is not letting water get past the desired temperature but on real life, that is not so easy. What I do is let water boil or close to it, and then eye how much cold water to add. Assuming room temperature water is 20 degrees more or less, and boiling water close to 100, I just eye it. If I want say water at 90 I had what i think is about a tenth of the pot, if I want water at 75 degrees I had about a third (the math is not totally exact but you loose some heat to the air and surface anyway). I usually put the cold water first, on the leaves, to protect them from scalding. It works well for me though of course it´s really just eyeing things.
And unlike Ysaurella, I prefer Galice to Nosy Bey – but might have just been each of us preferring the tea we had first.
Good and practical tip; I’ll probably try that out next time.
I’m struggling hard, trying to decide whether I should use the opportunity of my hubby’s trip to Paris to have him bring me back some teas – knowing that he will complain that I already have more than enough, until he tastes and likes some of them (sure win) or take the opportunity to really empty my cupboard and wait for Christmas. Or bet that one my friend will come later this year and will bring me the teas without tipping the hubby.
Hmm, difficult choice! Though you know the saying, better a bird in the hand than 2 flying?
By the way, it can also be pleasantly drunk in summertime, though I understand its appeal when it’s cold.
This is rather magic, not sure if my brewing instructions are really the “best” way to brew it, it seems to turn out right always!
And just to add, you do not have to wait for water to cool, just add some cold water. Best of all I think is not letting water get past the desired temperature but on real life, that is not so easy. What I do is let water boil or close to it, and then eye how much cold water to add. Assuming room temperature water is 20 degrees more or less, and boiling water close to 100, I just eye it. If I want say water at 90 I had what i think is about a tenth of the pot, if I want water at 75 degrees I had about a third (the math is not totally exact but you loose some heat to the air and surface anyway). I usually put the cold water first, on the leaves, to protect them from scalding. It works well for me though of course it´s really just eyeing things.
And unlike Ysaurella, I prefer Galice to Nosy Bey – but might have just been each of us preferring the tea we had first.
Good and practical tip; I’ll probably try that out next time.
I’m struggling hard, trying to decide whether I should use the opportunity of my hubby’s trip to Paris to have him bring me back some teas – knowing that he will complain that I already have more than enough, until he tastes and likes some of them (sure win) or take the opportunity to really empty my cupboard and wait for Christmas. Or bet that one my friend will come later this year and will bring me the teas without tipping the hubby.
Hmm, difficult choice! Though you know the saying, better a bird in the hand than 2 flying?