I measured out a sample of this for my tea-drinking friend a few months ago. I’ve since run out of this blend, but while I was at her house today she offered me some.
She didn’t spoon out the leaves, she just dumped them into a cup and poured medium-warm water over them. (My internal dialogue: Did I measure several servings or just one? I wonder if she’s—oh, okay…I guess it’ll be a little strong.) Neither of us set a timer. I think it steeped for about five, six minutes, but the water temp was low enough to prevent it from getting bitter.
So. I liked this a lot more than I remembered liking it. I think I brewed through my entire ounce using Brenden’s parameters instead of tinkering. So my memories of this tea use descriptors like “bland, weak, too floral, unbalanced”. Kind of harsh, but I wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t my thing.
The long steep made the green tea base REALLY REALLY buttery, velvety and delicious. There was only a hint of jasmine in the background. It added more to the texture of the tea than the taste, in my opinion. Smoothed it over…made it a little creamier and sweeter. Just a little floral. The pine was barely present. In fact, I don’t remember if I could taste it or not. I wish I had taken notes while sipping. Oops! Anyway, the thick buttery sweet taste/texture is what got me. It was warm and comforting, like a soft blanket on a chilly night. It’s the kind of tea I’d love to have right before bed. Winding down, at the end of the day…
Not very outdoorsy, that cup. Not at all. That’s fine…it was an experiment of taste! Now I wish I had more of this to play around with. Next time!! shakes fist at sky
Flavors: Butter, Cream, Floral, Smooth
