3011 Tasting Notes
Kind of a Twilight Zone tea day … without looking, I grabbed an open packet of one of my Upton samples. Not sure which one. Did a sloppy, untimed 5 minute-ish steep, and it was phenomenally good, cocoa-y, but completely unlike either of the two samples I know are open and in my kitchen. One of them evidently has a pleasantly Jekyll-and-Hyde personality, but I couldn’t tell you which if my life depended on it.
Surely this has never happened to you.
At least this one I can identify by box and bag. Most of my descriptions of this one have leaned to “wheaty” and “toasty,” but today I’m adding “raisiny.”
Funny what the addition or omission of a degree or two or a leaf or two can do, huh?
Confusedly yours,
Me
From Michelle with my appreciation. A sweet, dark, oaky tea. Sort of like an old cedarwood deck in the Ozarks smells like on a rainy day. Enjoying it straight. I’ve had mixed luck with St. Dalfour varieties, but this one is tasty and perfect for fall.
Yesterday’s Paris Morning leaves freshened up with a spoonful of (rather aged) Adagio Caramel. Not exactly stellar, but a good way to stretch my supply of both. Reminds me of this litte tidbit from my Laura Ingalls Wilder reading days:
Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Or do without.
Yours Royally,
The Dutchess of Make It Do
I have a silly question – how do you store your leaves from the previous day? Do you just leave them in the container that you brewed them in and start brewing again the following morning? I usually just pitch mine out in the morning and start again. I guess I fear that maybe during the night they might have gone “off” from sitting out all night and from being wet.
There’s a whole discussion thread on the best way to do this, which is probably not how I do it. I use a brew basket, drain it as thoroughly as I can, and leave it in open air (usually propped in an empty cup). Overnight is my longest comfort zone level; haven’t had issues with icky moldies.
Can depend on where you live. I’ve read that mold develops in as little as 3 hours. Where I live is VERY DRY. If you spread leaves on paper it will dry them. Mine dry in 20 minutes. Then I can cover them and use the next day. My favorite method now is to use them as my cold brew leaves. Shove those wet leaves into my containers in the frig with water and the next day all is good. (this method is only if the leaves are still pretty potent)
I live in Nova Scotia (damp and humid!) but leave mine out overnight quite frequently. I’ve left them two days before, but I prefer to use them in one. I have seen leaves go moldy, but it actually took almost a week before they had a smell an visible mold. (I didn’t know that the beau left leaves in an opaque pot!)
I don’t generally crave green teas. (Need that club-you-on-the-head Assam/breakfast stuff.) So I guess it’s a something to say that this is becoming a particular favorite of mine. Not too vegetal, not too light, pleasantly cereally, enough personality that you know you’ve drunk something, instead of wrinkling up your forehead and wondering what just happened.
Not much of a second steeper. Still smells great, but after 10-12 minutes the first time around, we’ve squoze about all the juice we can get out of those Granny Smiths.
This was specifically the reason for my return visit to Savoy Tea Company. (Oh, who am I kidding? It’s a decent tea shop less than two hours from my front door. Of course I’m going to stop there every time it’s possible.)
Must be one of their more popular blends, because when I placed my bulk order, the lady asked if I’d read on Facebook that it had just come back in.
What grabbed me on the first sample pack was the luscious creamy caramel texture and flavor with a little bergamot thrown in. First cup out of this batch, I noticed more bergamot and it was a little pushy. (Stand back, you, and let the caramel through!)
I’ll check time and temp more closely next time around and see if I can whip it back into submission. Otherwise, I may just have to go to the Ozarks again. Darn.
Ironically enough, this was MY reason for a second visit to the shop as well—I ran out of my first package of this and HAD to have some more. Good stuff.
So… caramel and bergamot. Is this like Paris from H&S?
I’m looking at the Savoy Tea Co’s website…hello chocolate truffle…, mmm apricot ceylon…
Ginger honey peach….Paris morning…
It’s really similar to Indian Nimbu by Harney & Sons, if you’ve ever tried it.
Love Nimbu. I’ll really have to get by Savoy Tea Co
Savoy Tea Company is a cozy little shop on the Promenade in Rogers, Arkansas. Bulk and custom-packaged teas, cupcakes, tea goodies and accessories, just a storehouse of things near and dear to our hearts.
As I was browsing, husband was a couple of paces behind me, he checked out the “sniffer” jar of this one, and when my back was turned, I discovered a sample pack in the shopping basket :)
This smells so good, sweet apples and toffee, it took a good deal of willpower not to chew it and swallow it whole. It took even more to wait the full…10…minutes recommended for a full-strength steep.
The steeped stuff is the color of a clementine orange rind. The texture is light, but the flavor is (paused to think about it, but my sweetie pegged it for me) Apple Jacks! (I knew I’ve kept him around for 27 years…today…for a reason!)
I’m thinking that with a little half-and-half I would have me a lovely little cup of cereal milk. And decaf at that.
This combination sounds yummy.
27 years! Wow! :)
Yeah, we’re seriously old and crusty.
Happy Anniversary!!! :) What a nice way to spend the day!
Aw, nice! We are coming up on 26 years next month!
Ah, a fellow spirit! And from my old stomping ground, no less. Before moving to Rogers, AR, I lived in Springfield and Wasola MO.
Happy Anniversary!!!
Mrs. W … we just rediscovered Rogers/Bentonville area; hadn’t been down there for years. The top floor of War Eagle Mill watching ducks on the river and eating pecan cobbler is one of my new “happy place moments.”
Congrats on 27 wonderful years!
I darn near ate some of that pecan cobbler last time I went there…Am not missing the opportunity next time.
One of those lovely close-to-perfect days where you want to push “pause” and leave it there. Slow, steady rain all day; temps in upper 60’s. Took a travel mug of this with me on a trek to North Arkansas (Google “Crystal Bridges Museum” … it was great!).
If you put this, Marco Polo, and H&S Tower of London Blend in front of me without telling which was which, I would be hard put to tell the difference. This is berry-creamy sweet, has a great quality tea base, didn’t need a bit of sweetener. Thanks to ashmanra for the treat!
Ooooo… I have been wanting to go to that museum. We always end up in Eureka & Hot Springs when we go to Arkansas, though. I’d love to take a little detour to the museum.
We have a running joke about “next time, we’re going to Eureka Springs.” We’ve been trying for decades and it never happens. Just take a Dramamine (the road is curvy!) and head west from Eureka on Highway 12. And stop at War Eagle Mill—old working grist mill with a craft shop and a little cafe that serves tea and pecan cobbler.
We have been to the mill. Perhaps Mom & I can stop by the museum and Savoy Tea Co. on the way home. We are doing Hot Springs and then Eureka so heading west on the way home is quite do-able.
gotta love those mystery flavors.