3010 Tasting Notes
Just catching things up…reviewed in full now at http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/1239/tea-review-golden-moon-sugar-caramel-oolong-2/.
It was goooood!
Fighting a mild cold, so I tossed in a couple teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves from my own plant hoping for a Vapo-Rub vibe. Didn’t quite work—I really have to hunt for the mint taste. Wonder if it’s due to leaf-drying error on my part (I just let them air-dry.) But it’s warm on a scratchy throat.
Wrote a more eloquent review for future posting to www.itsallabouttheleaf.com. Okay, maybe not eloquent, but at least more wordy and full of adjectives and verbs and things and even a lame attempt at quoting Shakespeare. But at any rate, here’s the first sip:
My first experience with lapsang souchong was pretty disastrous—-reminiscent of sucking pork rinds—-so when I first opened this tea packet and the first whiff that hit my nose was souchong-like “smoke,” I was very apprehensive.
But, intrepid tea taster that I am, I persevered and was pleasantly surprised. The big, black loose leaves brew up a luscious, clear red-gold color. At three minutes with boiling water (again, I erred on the side of caution thinking this was going to be really strong) the smoke taste does lead the caravan, but the other teas in the blend add a little sweetness and balance.
Preparation
Every time I’ve had this previously, I’ve complained about it being wimpy. Had about 1/3 of an Adagio-sized sample tin left and just dumped the whole mess in a tea-for-one to get rid of it. I should have done that sooner…finally, flavor! Still light, but finally found the “butter zone.” Was good for our first really chilly afternoon in months when I didn’t want heavy caffeine. Upping my rating just a scoosh.
I use a lot of leaf for my whites, ~1TB most times.
Yeah, that’s the lesson I’m learning with whites too. I have a tin of Rishi’s Snowbud that I didn’t like at all until I started using more leaf (like two grams in a 4oz pot), but then it was delicious. Buying a tiny scale and measuring my whites by weight has let me enjoy them a lot more :)
I agree teabird… I use it for other teas, but whites are the reason I bought my scale- craming the long, delicate leaves in a measuring spoon is a MAJOR P.I.T.B.
This is a sample from Doulton I’ve been waiting and waiting to try until weather made an evening cuppa welcome. And it was worth the wait. It steeps up almost milky in texture—I guess that’s the yogurt—but is sweet and caramelly and syrupy without really needing extra additives. I’m thinking it’ll be even better with a little milk.
