1629 Tasting Notes
I received this from Ottawa Tea during one of the holiday swaps. I didn’t have too much information about this company, but I am guessing it is a local shop. This tea drove me crazy in a very good way when I took a nice whiff. The leaves look like black tea leaves. The smell was fantastic. It smelled warm, a tad smokey (but not in a keemun or lapsang kind of way), and very nutty. The liquor was a medium honey brown color. During the end of a sip, there was some astringency to it, but it wasn’t off putting for me at all. Very delicious. I love oolongs! wow! I steeped this tea 4 times with my gaiwan.
Preparation
Wow. I finished this tin! It took me a long time to do it, but I did! I took some to work with me today. Yum! It doesn’t need any additives. So good!
EDIT:
I don’t think I’ll be making any new purchases of teas until I’ve drank half of my tea stash! Who knows though since I love trying new teas! Anyhow, I will miss this tea! This tea holds so many memories for me. Its so interesting how certain smells and tastes are associated with memories. Birthday Tea reminds me of one of my trips to Tanzania where I went with my 2 good friends. I brought this tea along with Blueberry Rooibos with us to share. Every morning we would have Birthday Tea, chai bora during breaks and for lunch, Blueberry Rooibos before bed. :)
My palate has become spoiled by all the good teas I’ve tried, but birthday tea will still be one of my favorites! I love the sprinkles! I wonder if they have gotten rid of them in the newer batches?
I bought the 10 bags from Culinary Teas several years ago, and I just opened up a 55 bag one! It smells so good! SO amazing. My mouth actually watered. This is exactly what I used to drink at my husband’s home. I had it with a little brown sugar and some milk. Delicious. I was happy today!
Took this to work today in my Libre mug. I’ve been taking food to work with me everyday. I ran out of meal stubs. :) This particular Earl Grey is so light and delicious. It goes down very smooth. The flavors aren’t in your face as other Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried.
Good tea!
I was super excited to break open this tin! The artwork is fascinating and beautiful. I love the grungier colors. Definitely a plus! When I saw all the dried, murky green curled up balls of oolong, I got even more excited! woo! It smelled SO good. It was floral and sweet.
Steeped, the color of the liquor was a nice orange-yellow color. Again, the smell was delightful. I’m not sure what kind of tea this is exactly. It is a scented oolong tea. The taste is so floral, but the first thing I thought of after my first sip was “BERRIES!” There is definitely a light, fluffy berry or fruity taste to it. It is barely noticeable but it adds such a nice touch to this tea. I have to give this tea 100. My favorite right now!
I was able to steep this 3 times via gaiwan but I wanted to write all about it so I stopped steeping! I bet this can go on for more steeps. It is absolutely SO good! It got even better the more I steeped it.
