985 Tasting Notes
This one is pretty good, and definitley unique. Tastes like chocolate malt and honeybush together. I can also smell the chocolate, and the honeybush just makes a sweet and happy base. I sweetened mine and added a small amount of milk. This makes an great evening treat.
Preparation
Backlogging from yesterday-
I got home from my campout with my Girl Scouts to find a wonderful package from JacquelineM. The first tea on my list to try was this one, as I was planning a small Harney’s order. This tea is a great basic but classy black tea…..the tea equivalent of the little black dress. It goes with anything, and will be prefect on many different occasions. I splurged for a big tin! I think Harney is becoming my favorite tea vendor, but then I have many favorites.
Preparation
Yes, this is as good as they all say it is. I have ever so lightly sweetend mine and plan to resteep. The cup is slightly smokey and incredibly smooth. I do get the faint hint of cocoa. A huge thanks to my ‘dealer’ JacquelineM.
Since my palate is essentially newish to tea, this tea and a few of the other more expensive types make me wonder if premium teas are lost in translation for the newbies. In all honesty, this is very good, but do I really notice a huge difference in comparison to a less expensive variety? Is the difference actually worth the price difference to me? I know there are tea drinkers out there who can very much tell the difference, and the premium teas are definitely worth the expense to them. And we all know, life is too short to drink tea that is just so-so. Still, I may have to look into this a little more for my personal information, and I might even try to get a blog going about it…kind of outlining my deals, splurges, and great values of the tea world.
Preparation
That would make a great subject for a blog!
I have my favorites, and some are .10 a cup, and some are .50 a cup when I do the math. There have def been times that I tasted a very expensive tea and was not blown away. There are other times that I would have paid double for a certain tea! I do know that I’m a practical enough person that if I couldn’t tell the difference between two teas, I’d buy the less expensive one, but I am enough of a hedonist that if I could tell the difference, only the more expensive one would do. I would just drink it less often :)
I definitely see both sides….and will probably still indulge myself a little every now and then…and then….and then. ( Wait, how many thens? ) I am even thinking I am going to order some Emporer’s Red at some point (the Queen Catherine is already on order!) for research purposes, of course!
I have decided that the only bad tea purchase is one that you can’t drink yourself or pass along to a friend who will enjoy it…..
Yes – I think Queen Catherine is a great example of a very reasonably priced super yummy tea! :) When I fell in love with it, I bought a pound, reducing the cost even further. The other thing is that my local tea shop carries Emperor’s Red, so I don’t have shipping to pay, and the owner overstuffs my bag, gives me an ounce of something to try here and there, etc. so I always feel that even though the tea is expensive, I have other perks around it which add value.
Plus, it’s all an education :) The thing I love about all the trading we do on Steepster is that it helps with the high cost of education :) :) :) Paying back those tea student loans can be a bear! ;)
She should stuff your bag at Premium Steap. You are her dealer, afterall! Actually, she is lucky to have such a good customer who is so willing to spread the joy of her teas since samples are not available.
And you are right…it is an education. Luckily, my husband is into beer, so my budget is pretty good for tea!
I needed a cup of this for comparison to what I am trying later today. This one is smooth and sweet enough that I am able to bump the amount I sweeten it way down. (Someday, I am hoping I won’t need the sweet as much.) I have a sample of Emporer’s Red from the lovely JacquelineM. to compare…..and I am thinking she is the Emporer Red dealer in disguise….to get us all hooked and then…. I am sure there will not be a comparison, but it is the only similar region black I have in my cupboard for reference.
Psssst. Little girl! Wanna try some Emperor’s Red? ;)
What, who me? (Mental image of Ernie and the nameless Muppet dude in the trench coat.)
LOL! Too funny! It is an awesome day when tea and muppets are involved in the same mental picture!
Haven’t I seen Dr. Bunsen Honeydew with a teacup in his hand?
Backlogging from yesterday-
This was the main tea I drank on our camping overnight with my scouts. It was really roughing it, because I had to make my tea with well water. Luckily, the English Breakfast was strong and smokey enough that it fared well. The heat from the tea was very welcome, as was the ease of using paper teabags to steep in. It was cold! I would definitely drink this on the next campout…
My morning tea after shovelling wet snow. Luckily, I remembered the milk this time and it made a huge improvement. Lightly smokey, rich, and packs a good morning punch. Definitely needs milk and sweetener for my taste.
Watching the news about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. My heart goes out to those affected.
My evening cuppa listening to my Girl Scout Troop plan for a campout we are having this weekend. I am wondering if the 6-10 inches of snow in our forecast will slow us down any…. I did pack my tea for the weekend first!
Lightly sweet and I can definitely taste the apricot. Lovely and relaxing with a little sweetener. (I am seeing a pattern here….tea greatly adds to my relaxation. Awesome!)
Thank You
What a brave woman you are! What ages are your girls? (Fifth graders are about my favorite people on the planet.) Will GSA headquarters allow you to award badges for skill in tea preparation? :)
My girls are 7th graders (12 and 13), but I have had them in my troop since they were in K! We are managing the early teens pretty well. They are all good kids, just loud! We are at about 6 inches of snow with at least 4 more expected. At some point it will become a safety issue (not to mention the latrine is a bit of a walk from the cabin). We may have to plan differently.
LOL on the badges for tea prep, but then I wish I had known how to prepare tea properly much earlier than I did!
