985 Tasting Notes
ChOTD…..Thanks to ashmanra for the opportunity to try this one!
I prepared this the way Harney recommends (2 cups milk, 1 cup water, 3 tsp tea, 6 Demerara sugar cubes, simmer for 4 minutes and strain), but subbed regular sugar for the Demerara sugar cubes, 1 tsp per cube. As far as volume goes, it makes a little more than my usual method, so I had to use a bigger pan (and that made a bigger mess from pouring). I think I will try this by my usual pan method next time.
Onto the tea…this is really good. It is like (and I hate to put it this way) Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte really good….and it is tea! It is probably a little rich and sweet for my palate, but those things can be adjusted. It is also just a little light on the spice for me. It does taste like pumkin pie in a cup. It is definitely up for consideration!
Preparation
ChOTD…also known as ‘chai of the day’. I am really on a chai kick, lately. For some reason, it is very filling and it just feels like you have had dessert when really only just a little milk (I sweeten it with Splenda…I know not traditional, but I am making it work for me!) I use it as my treat after getting some exercise.
I have found another winner in my book. I don’t think I could choose between Upton’s Hearthside which leans a little cocoa-ey and this one which leans a little coconutty. YUM! Now, I just have to pare down some of the chais I have on hand so I can buy these! (And some wonderful person sent me another chai to try today! Thank you. It will be tomorrow’s ChOTD!)
Preparation
Tea of second breakfast……
I am so excited for the cooler weather of Fall, and this tea fits the bill. I do get the cheesecake and spices along with a hint of pumpkin. In the pumpkin cheesecakes I have made in my day, the pumpkin was never the feature flavor as you could still tell it was cheesecake, so this reminds me of the real thing. More pumpkin flavor would have pushed it into the realm of tasting more like pumpkin pie. This one is definitely less pumpkiny than 52teas Pumpkin Pie. For those of you who have David’s Pumpkin Chai, this one is actually just a little spicier and of course creamier tasting. It is definitely a good one.
Steeped by the usual parameters.
Preparation
Tea of the morning…..
I added one scoop of organic Keemun to this and it was very good! It made it taste a little more like coffee.
24 oz teapot, 4 1/2 actual tsp Chocolate Rocket, 1 tsp organic Keemun (mine is from the local Asian market), freshly boiled water, 5 minutes. Lightly sweetened.
Preparation
Tea of the late afternoon…..
Turns out we have strep at our house. Or at least my son does. He went to school Wed., Thurs. and today because the quick strep test came back negative on Tues. after missing the first two days of school this week. He is actually feeling pretty well today and was planning his weekend when the docs office called that he has strep according to the more accurate long test. I guess we will be in for at least a day. All of that could explain my slight sore throat and lethargy. Let’s hope I don’t actually get it too, and these are just sympathy symptoms.
Anyway, this tea helps whatever is ailing me. I feel a little better already. Now for a nap….
Preparation
I think I have found it! The chai I want to marry…….well, at least one of which I could buy a whole bunch and not regret it.
This one is really good…..Others I have had were a little on the spicy side for me and some of the spices seemed disconnected. The flavors in this one are all blended up into a warmth that is perfect. Nothing seems out of place. It is like freshly baked cinnamon rolls. For those of you wanting the more traditional, super spicy and peppery chai, you could probaby skip this one. For me though, it is the one! (I still have one more to sample, though!)
1 1/2 cup water and 3 tsp tea simmered for 3 minutes. I am out of milk, so I added about 1/4 cup half & half plus another 1/4 cup water and simmered for 2 minutes. Sweetened.
Preparation
My tea of the morning…. Happy Friday! :D
Edit to add: Wow! This is my 400th tasting note! (I wish I could show such dedication to other things in my life. Ha!)
This is a good cinnamon tea. I am not sure I would classify it as a chai, but it fits the flavor profile without the ginger and cardamom. I guess I am missing the bits…..or the spices that you can see in a chai mix. If I think of it as a cinnamon tea, it works better. This is not red hots in a cup, so for those of you who prefer a more subtle cinnamon tea, this is for you. I think if you wanted to blend this up into a traditional chai by adding some whole cloves, cardamom pods, and ginger, it would be fabulous.
Steeped by the usual parameters.
Preparation
Congratulations on 400! I had mine the other day but only noticed afterward. It’s a lot of cups of tea : )
Congrats on your 400th!
Thank you!
And congrats to you, too, Uniquity! So much tea, and still so many wonderful samples in my cupboard! How about you?
Oy. I’ve so much tea that I’ve realized I need to be more generous with the amount I use. For the longest time I’ve used the bare minimum amount of tea to make each kind last longer but it’s no longer feasible. It’s a whole new world! : )
Congrats! I’m approaching 300 myself… it’s amazing how fast it goes!
Tea of the afternoon….sort of. I brewed up a pot of this and it was rich, complex, but it had this sharp end note that was kind of on the bitter side. I thought I would be clever and dumped it out to resteep. The resteep is not anywhere as flavorful as the initial pot, but it is still good. I think I will have to try a shorter steep with less leaves next time. Now if I can just remember that…..
