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SimplyJenW drank Franken Breakfast Blend by Custom

985 tasting notes

Tea of the morning…..

I am onto a new Franken Breakfast Blend. The last batch got over smoked by some Lapsang Souchong (and that will permeate everything in the blend, so go very, very sparingly if you blend with smokey teas as they take over!) Right now it is 2 parts Mountain Rose Herbs Assam, 3 parts China Panyang Congou from Upton, and 3 parts Gen Ben Shi, a Yunnan from Upton. At one point, I was going to give this whole blending thing up, but today I am glad that I did not.

The resulting blend is very good. Smooth, malty, cocoa-noted, and cozy. Not a hint of bitterness or astringency. There is a slight difference in leaf size on these three teas, so I did my scooping from the bottom of the tin (the Gen Ben Shi is a huge tea!) It also reminds me that I probably need more of the Congou at some point as it is perfect for blending tea and smoothing everything together.

Usual teapot method.

Preparation

Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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RachanaC (Rachel)-iHeartTeas
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I used to watch the Musters all the time. How cool that someone made a blend inspired by the show. :)

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RachanaC (Rachel)-iHeartTeas
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I used to watch the Musters all the time. How cool that someone made a blend inspired by the show. :)

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Bio

My motto: Drink the good tea!

Tea enthusiast, trying to keep up my cardio for the zombie apocalypse. I have come to accept that I am a western brewing black tea drinker as that is where my ‘tea heart’ lies. I started on loose leaf as a way to have my dessert and not suffer the caloric issues. Once I tried it, I was hooked.

I drink what I like, which is mostly China blacks, a few traditionally scented blacks and Earl Greys, plus a flavored tea here and there. I don’t mind spending a bit on premium varieties on occasion, but an expensive tea has to deliver. My favorite places to order are Harney & Sons and Upton Tea Imports. TeaVivre is great for Chinese tea.

My ratings are pretty subjective. If it falls under 70, I may not take the time to post about it unless I had something specific to say. If it is 70-80 I like it, but I will probably not rebuy. Favorites are over 80 and up, but sometimes the less expensive or more easily obtainable version of a similar taste will win out for my cupboard space.

Usual teapot steeping method: 24 oz teapot, 3 perfect scoops of tea (4 1/2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual mug steeping method: 15 oz mug, 1.5 perfect scoops of tea (just over 2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual pan method: 1 1/2 cups water, 2 perfect tsp chai (3 actual tsp). Simmer for 3 minutes. Add 2/3 cup skim milk. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Strain and sweeten.

Usual pitcher method:
5 or 6 Perfect Spoons of tea (this means about 7-9 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, brewed essentially double-strong in my 24 oz teapot for 4 minutes. Fill my Fiestaware Disc pitcher (about 60 oz.) halfway with ice. Add brewed double-strong tea to the pitcher. Stir it a little and enjoy. No additions.

(*SRP is my Sample/Stash Reduction Plan starting on April 12, 2012. I got so far, but just decided it was too fussy to keep track.)