So… uh… hi
Not gonna try and apologize for my absence other than to say the pandemic has just about killed me. Not in a COVID-way mind you, but my mental health has been so dang bad that it takes all my energy to make a K-Cup let alone have actual tea.
BUT! Today I decided to say “To heck with it” and gong fu. First time since 2019. And the tea I picked was from that lovely care package that’s been sitting in my drawer for a year now. I wanted to have something “Real” and when I dug through it, I found THIS!
First impression – Good golly this is drying. No really, it’s licking sawdust levels of dry, especially early in the session. As the session continues, the dryness eases up, but those first 6 or so pours, JEEBUS.
Second, with this called “Lumber Slut” I honestly expected it to be like eating a toothpick. However, I am happy to share it’s nothing like that. Oh, it’s woody, for certain. But the flavor is very complex. The first thing I thought was it tastes like copal incense smells, if that makes sense. It’s got a rich sweetness to it without being sugary. Then, as I explored, I noticed notes of leather and maple syrup (that got stronger as I progressed) with a strong tone of earthy and damp wood. Yes, there is wood here, not going to lie. There’s a LOT of wood in this. But like I said, it’s not “Chewing a toothpick” type of wood. The wood is tempered with a broad palate of other flavors that makes this absolutely delicious.
I will warn you, the hotter this is, the better. If you let it start to cool down it does taste like toothpicks. So I recommend having a relatively quick session. At least that’s what I found. I don’t have a proper kettle (just a glass Tea-Maker) and the water cools off fast. Also, from what I experienced, this isn’t the longest lasting tea you’ll find. About 16 or so pours and it was getting pretty weak, even with extended time.
But, for what I got from it, this was so dang good. For anyone out there who still has this particular version, I am extremely envious. I wish I could get more of this it was just so wonderful. So complex and rich.
Great stuff.
Flavors: Leather, Maple Syrup, Oak, Sweet, Wet Wood, Wood
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
Welcome back!
Interesting tea name and ‘chewing on a toothpick’ made me lol. Good for sticking with it, I’d probably give up after 6 steeps of dry mouth. The good thing about steepster is you can catch up if you want, or just pick up like you never left.
I rarely can continue with a gongfu session past six steeps regardless! I usually just get tired of drinking that same tea and am ready to move on by that point, and that is usually about the amount I get through on one boiled kettle’s worth without having to boil more water (lazy).
Hah, same here Mastress Alita: I do one thermos of tea and rarely brew another kettle of water. Lazy as well…
Shanie O – So glad you were able to enjoy it despite the tea being drying. I do have more if you’re interested.
Martin – Thanks for the WB. Hope to stick around this time. It looks like the offputting issues with the site are fixed now, so I should be good.
Derk – Oh, geez, I should be good for the moment. I just made a W2T order for some of the 2020. I’ll give an update when it gets here. Hope it’s at least comperable.
Mastress – I feel you. I’m never one for long gongfu sessions but after a rough day I needed to force myself to sit down and breathe, so having a nice long session was perfect for the occasion. And for the record, I had only boiled a third of a pot because my kettle is, again, glass and it cools really fast. If I’m going to be having a session, I only make part of a pot and then make more so that I’m not wasting water. And guess what? I did make more!
Welcome back!
Interesting tea name and ‘chewing on a toothpick’ made me lol. Good for sticking with it, I’d probably give up after 6 steeps of dry mouth. The good thing about steepster is you can catch up if you want, or just pick up like you never left.
I rarely can continue with a gongfu session past six steeps regardless! I usually just get tired of drinking that same tea and am ready to move on by that point, and that is usually about the amount I get through on one boiled kettle’s worth without having to boil more water (lazy).
Hah, same here Mastress Alita: I do one thermos of tea and rarely brew another kettle of water. Lazy as well…
Shanie O – So glad you were able to enjoy it despite the tea being drying. I do have more if you’re interested.
Martin – Thanks for the WB. Hope to stick around this time. It looks like the offputting issues with the site are fixed now, so I should be good.
Derk – Oh, geez, I should be good for the moment. I just made a W2T order for some of the 2020. I’ll give an update when it gets here. Hope it’s at least comperable.
Mastress – I feel you. I’m never one for long gongfu sessions but after a rough day I needed to force myself to sit down and breathe, so having a nice long session was perfect for the occasion. And for the record, I had only boiled a third of a pot because my kettle is, again, glass and it cools really fast. If I’m going to be having a session, I only make part of a pot and then make more so that I’m not wasting water. And guess what? I did make more!