557 Tasting Notes
Backlogging from Vacation #1:
I spent a week at my fiance’s father’s house with him. It was a nice vacation. I really like his father in some ways and not so much in others. I think it is like that for everybody. He is a fantastic cook though and I learned how to make a stuffed zucchini. That was yummy.
We went out to breakfast one day with his grandmother to Perkins. I got this and put honey and half & half in it. It stood up to the extra additions fairly well and warmed me up. I did taste it plain and it was fairly standard. I could see this being used like Lipton is used in our family. The standard tea that you grow up with. Not drop dead amazing but not half bad either.
Dad made a big pitcher of the 4x strength and iced it. Good old fashioned iced tea. Always a pleasure.
That isn’t really why I’m writing the note. I’m writing to talk about what I had to go with this good iced tea. I had an egg nest. It is basically whipped egg whites with cheese folded in and baked. Halfway through the baking process you put the egg yolk in the middle of your “nest” form. It is really good. The yolk tastes like silk and the egg whites taste like air with that hint of cheese. It is just a plus that it also tastes really good with iced tea.
Recipe Here: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/egg_nests/
The result from my third steep is in: it worked with the way I have been steeping it this time!
At first I was nervous because the liquor was a little lighter than the past two steeps and it didn’t smell as toasty/chocolatey as the previous two steeps. Then I sipped it and it was still pretty good. It did not taste watery like the third steeps did when I still had my first steep time at 4 minutes.
I have always wanted to try this tea with just a bit of milk and I always enjoyed it so much that I never did. I figured I would try it with this one just because. At first, the tea didn’t taste any different. Just a little creamier. Then the milk started to bring out this nice nutty taste. Creamy, nutty, and still roasty. Sadly, all the dark cocoa taste has worn off but I wasn’t expecting it to last through the last cup.
When I want it to I can make this tea last through three steepings. That makes me happy.
I almost dumped the rest of the sample into my press by accident. I shook the packet a little bit too hard and the tea just came out! As a result, I think I put a little bit more leaf than I usually do.
It came out dark and roasty. There was a hint of dark cocoa to it that I crave whenever I have this. I have been steeping at a shorter and shorter time and it comes out darker and darker. I must have used more leaf. The flat leaves don’t like fitting into my teaspoon so I have to eyeball this one.
It looks like I only have one more good sampling left of this one though. I normally get two big mugs worth of each steep, so it was a very generous sampling. I just love it so much. I will have to plan my next tea purchase and decide if I run to Teavivre right away or if I will play with 52teas.
I’m going to try a third steep again. Normally I stop with two steeps of this one, but I think the leaves might have enough punch left for a third steep. I’m on the second right now, so I will report my findings after dinner.
Try that again…entered this under the wrong oolong.
After my parents decided to do a date night of a movie and snacks after, my fiancee and I decided to go out and have a dinner and game date night. Then we got into the hot tub for a while. When I got back home I brewed another steep of this to wind down for the day.
This is the farthest I have pushed an oolong so far. Four steeps with the last at six minutes. The flavor is still nice, light, and stomach settling. The fruity taste has dwindled but I am still getting sweetness. Instead of the fruity sweetness it reminds me of a slightly saltier dew. Well, not so much saltier as more savory. More like a sweet grassy dew the morning after a rain storm. I wasn’t expecting it to morph like that. It is nice.
I have one more sample packet of this before I am out. I think I am still going to explore green oolongs. I feel like I have discovered a brand new tasty world!
Drank a cup of this iced out of the pitcher. I meant to drink more because it won’t be as good tomorrow. The second day of this is the best because you get more of the peach flavor instead of only the aroma. I think I might take any leftovers of this and use it in part of a smoothie tomorrow or monday.
I had my brother put the last of my tea bags in the pitcher and to make some cold brewed tea this morning. Six hours later (and lightly sugared)it is nice and delicate and peachy. There is half a pitcher left. I don’t think it will last any more than one more day.
My fiance and I went shopping with his mom at Giant today. We found this tea bottled and decided to try it. It wasn’t that bad. It was minty and earthy blended together.
The only thing I’m not sure of is this being an iced tea. I think I would like it better if we got it in the tea bags and had it warm. They also had some other bottled iced tea pu-erh flavor at Giant and I might try some of the other flavors.
It is intriguing and for some reason I keep coming back to pu-erh even though it isn’t my favorite yet. I must like it though.
