155 Tasting Notes
Round three of the MzPriss Mood Adjustment Project of the morning (after Special Dark and Jun Chiyabari). I brewed this cup from my “oldest” bit of Golden Orchid – which doesn’t last long around here. It’s interesting to see the way it changes over time. The vanilla becomes more pronounced and opening the beautiful little jar I have it stored in releases an aroma of vanilla fudge. It is so very smooth and silky and lovely. This tea makes me very happy. Maybe one more cup of this and some Golden Fleece and I’ll be ready to face the world with some grace today.
I’m all grumbly/grumpy and am attempting to adjust my mood with tea. Yesterday was a fairly craptacular day, including among other things: my debit card quit working (for some reason it decided it wasn’t “activated” anymore), I thought I left my wallet in my shopping cart, went running back through the parking lot to retrieve it and I broke my baby toe by hitting it on the concrete parking bump thingie. Right now my baby toe is the color of 7 minute steeped Special Dark (which I had a cup of as soon as I woke myself up by getting my broken toe caught in the covers and which hurt like howling HELL). And also? It’s Monday.
So today I get to look forward to: going in late to work because I have to go to my bank and straighten out my debit card and hobbling around on my hurty toe without vicodin because I can’t take vicodin and drive/work and a crappy meeting that I’ve been not looking forward to.
Soooooo that is a lot of grumpiness right there. I’m trying to adjust my attitude. I had my big cup of comforting Special Dark, have now started on a cup of this delicious Jun Chiyabari from our Unflavored TTB and have Golden Fleece and Golden Orchid waiting in the wings.
I really like this tea and need to do a real note on it. I have enough left for one small cup after this and will do an actual note on it then. But right now I’m enjoying the floral, muscaty, lychyeeness of this. I plan on ordering some because this is happy tea. It’s all sparkly and lovely and I’m happy drinking it. It’s different from anything I’ve tasted before and I’m enjoying it very much. Another happy thing is that my dahlias are starting to bloom and they make me smile. Maybe today will get better.
I’m sorry yesterday was so awful. Your list of mood adjusting teas is really awesome though! The Jun Chiyabari is fabulous. I think I said “yes!” out loud when I read your line about it being sparkly.
:) it is all sparkly. And I just finished an extra nice cuppa Golden Orchid – things are looking up
Ok, now i get it! I read your other note before this one, now I understand why you need some mood adjusting teas, poor thing! Really hope today is holding better things for you :-)
Already getting better – thank you :)
I’m glad to hear your day is already getting better. Broken toes are awful. There generally isn’t anything they can do about them, unless you really do a number on it, and feet just take forever to heal. Try to keep it elevated as much as you possibly can. Sending lots of positive and pain free vibes your way.
@Cheri – thank you so much. Toe still hurts but my mood is better :)
Broken anything sucks!
This is a more like it. After an unfortunate bout with the Z11 Keemun this morning, I chose this one next. This is kind of the opposite end of the spectrum from the Z11. There is a barely-detectable smoke note, way way back – a nice antidote to the intense smoke/creosote of the Z11. This is far more delicate and well mannered. There is a hint of cocoa, a slight whiff of malt and a little yeasty graininess. I like the little floral, winey waft in the aftertaste. This is nice enough, but not very distinguished.
Preparation
I am up far, far too early. I started off this morning (at 3 am) on a sweet cloud of Shang’s Golden Needle (thoughtfuly provided by TeaTiff) and then decided since I have all this morning time, I would dive into my Upton Keemun samples. I wish I had picked a different one to start with.
This is aggressively smokey- almost acrid. I don’t mind some smoke, but this is unpleasant to me – leaning toward tar/creosote. I might not finish this cup.
Flavors: Smoke, Tar
Preparation
I received this in a swap from TeaTiff. Thanks so much for introducing me to Shang! This is a really interesting tea. According to Shang this is made from a white tea bush, which likely explains the “difference” I taste in this. It’s a bit hard for me to describe that difference, but it is so very good. It brews up a reddish amber cup with with a bready, sugary aroma. The first sip is sweet. Brown sugar sweet with a pleasant malty note that becomes a bit more prominent as it cools. This is pretty tea. It tastes pretty and it is starting my stupidly early morning in a lovely way – letting me coast into full consciousness on a sweet note. Thanks so much TeaTiff. This goes on the shopping list.
Flavors: Bread, Brown Sugar, Malt
Preparation
I have been wanting to try this tea FOREVER. Thanks to the generosity of TeaTiff, I finally got to. This has a few things I love a lot: Laoshan Black (~sigh~), CHOCOLATE (cacao nibs), some Wuyi oolong and roasty-toasty brown rice. I am both happy and sad about that… I’m happy because this some righteous tea y’all. It’s smooth and warm and cuddlycomforty. I wish it was the depths of “Winter” or what passes for Winter in Central Texas because this is exactly what I would reach for to warm up and purr (I may also wish it was Winter because it’s already hot as hell here and I’m already tired of it, but still.) I’m sad, so sad because this has been out of stock at Verdant since I found Verdant. Thank you SO much TeaTiff!
This is a deep dark cup of sweet yum. More on this (and the song) on my blog at:
http://mizzprissy.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/laoshan-black-chocolate-genmaicha-verdant-tea/
Flavors: Chocolate, Grain, Toast, Toasted Rice
Preparation
Oh summers in Austin. By mid June I was ready to get out of the heat, when I lived there. I remember breaking down and crying one October when I called home and my sister was sitting wrapped in a blanket around a fire and I was hiding inside in the air conditioning b/c it was still 100 degrees out. Yeah I ended up moving back to a more north part of the world, but it is still HOT here in MO too. Just not as hot. I am thinking “winter” thoughts for you so you can curl up with this warm cup again! I am glad you enjoy this one.
Thanks for the winter thoughts. If you lived here you already know its only winter a few days at a time. But there are lots of good things too, so I should quit bitching. I really did love this tea and I’m sad I can’t get a stash of it now. I do thank you a lot for sending it. I will be having some Shang tomorrow :)
You’re going to wish you could still bump your rating up when the new batch arrives ;-)
I can’t wait :D
I think this one can fix any “mood disorder” :-)
Especially when followed up with Golden Fleece! :) I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the spring harvest of that stuff…can’t get here fast enough!
I’m having the Golden Fleece now. I’m waiting for my Verdant Spring shipment too. I have to say though – I have an absolutely PIGGISH amount of Golden Fleece – which suits me just fine.
@TeaFairy – yup – I’m happier already :)
This time last year I bought an ounce of it…sadly it pretty much went on un-touched for about 6 months because my palette wasn’t refined enough to do it justice :/
It’s actually crazy what your sense of taste can do in just one year when you spend every day refining it :)
So true, taste buds are like little puppies, they need proper training ;-)
I fell madly in love with it (much like the Golden Orchid and my beloved Special Dark) immediately and I hoarded it shamelessly. And yeah, I feel like I’m able to pick out more things now than I was when I started.
@TeaFairy – I WISH my puppies were as well trained as my tastebuds
Haha!
I bet puppy owners everywhere wish that! ;)
being a wallflower, enjoying eavesdropping…
I need a mood adjustment…
I need a bitchface mug… ;)
@Terri – isn’t that bitchface mug awesome???? I neeeeed it!
My attitude DID get better after all that awesome teaness yesterday.
I want a mug like that! :)
The ONLY reason I don’t already have it is that its for decorative use only. You can’t drink tea out of it :(
oh…in that case, never mind…lol