New Tasting Notes
My every morning, right as rain, ain’t morning without a cuppa tea is Twinings UK packed English Breakfast, with a splash of milk. (Just like my standard generic cup of tea in the afternoon/evening is PG Tips with a touch of sugar). Moring isn’t about adventure, it is about routine, and normalness. Tea blends are made to predictable, and while most geeks focus on the varietals, the “regular bloke’s blend” is very satisfying.
But every now and then, you want something different. I usually go for a pure Keenum, or a high end packers “English/Irish/U.K. Brekkie”, or even a black current black. Usually for a morning or two, then back to my beloved Twinings UK packed. (Most tea blenders adjust their blends for different markets to meet local taste – they are all recognizable as the “name” profile, just different emphisis on the ratio of the component teas, or a different leaf cut (size of the tea leaves affects flavor).
The Tea spot has a reputation of putting out excellent quality, and at times very non traditional, full leaf blends. I usually have a tin or two of their teas in my rotation.
I recently picked up their Bolder Breakfast. It is a ridiculous blend of black tea (Assam and Ceylon, i think), Pu-erh, and a slight touch of dark cocca powder. It is fantastic, a very bold tea: robust black nose, with a hint of chocolate, dark as night in the cup, and a very rounded malty sweet taste leaving the impression ok the complexity of dark chocolate with a thin feel. Boiling @ 5 min, reg sized pot, with a touch of milk (and would consider a touch of sugar, depending on my mood). Again, not for every morning, but a excellent change of pace.
I think there will be LOTS to say about this one! Before steeping it’s almost like a fruity pina colada smell to it. I’m not really into Pina Colada usually but the first sniff offers a little something extra and makes you wonder what it will taste like! So…I continued on with the steeping process! While Steeping it has more of an earthy aroma kind of like a leafy or sweet grassy scent. Very different. Maybe even a sweet basil smell or something. After steeping it’s a slight tropical beach drink smell…the coloring is a typical white tea color. I wasn’t sure if I would like it much but it’s very different than I thought…I can certainly taste the Pina Colada Flavor/idea going on with this one…but there is a little something that is trying to push thru…a bit fruity but just enough to keep you guessing. Right toward the end you can taste the coconuts and pineapple…maybe more so at first the coconut and towards the end more so the pineapple. I think I like it!
Today I had the Golden Chai. I steeped it for 4 minutes (recommended 3-5). This is not a strong chai by any means. I like my chai to be very strong, so that when milk is added, it becomes a creamy spicy tea. This was not like that at all. Nice flavor, but too weak for my tastes.
Upon opening the tin it smells like Vanilla Ice Cream as described. As you steep it’s more of a wood or bark type aroma. After Steeping equal parts (or should I say sniffs) vanilla/equal Oolong on the verge of earthy scent. The coloring is nice. A little darker than I thought it would be. The taste is Earthy yet pleasant and slight creamy vanilla undertones. This one is fairly good in my book!
