I was drinking this one a couple days ago in the hopes we get a monsoon in this drought. Only a bit of rain for a while! The scent of the dry leaves is VERY unique — first, a hint of mint, then something like very dry drought hay, then spices like you might find in a pizza… basil! The dry leaves are huge and dusty looking. The aroma of the steeped basket of leaves is very much like tomato soup. Taking the first sips, it is almost like the flavor of Premium Taiwanese Assam, like sweet caramelized strawberries (now that I think of it, the leaves have a similar appearance as well). BUT then mysteriously, the tea completely changes and it tastes very much like basil. I would have guessed there was actual basil, but there is nothing in this medium bodied plain black tea. This is like the everlasting gobstopper of teas, but with the dessert first. Sadly, I probably overdid it on the second steep and it tasted more like a traditional astringent black tea. Boiling is not the way to go with this one. I wouldn’t steep the second steep like that again, but I REALLY enjoyed that first steep.
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for full mug // 29 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 2 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
2020 Sipdowns: 50 English Tea Store – Lime Gelato ( Love hitting 50 sipdowns almost in the middle of the year, when my goal is 100 for the year!)
This is You :-D
Profile
Bio
Hi! I love tea and trying new ones – it adds a bit of variety to my day! Books, music, TV & movies are my thing… and tea, of course.
Some of my favorite tea shops (still operating):
birdandblendtea.com
teavivre.com
52teas.com
svtea.com
whisperingpinestea.com
justea.com
harney.com
Dammann Freres
fusionteas.com
shop.Javateaco.com
Lupicia
Octaviatea.com
Davidstea.com
eco-cha.com
what-cha.com
singleoriginteas.com
teasenz.com
tealyra.com
Mandalatea.com
verdanttea.com
Favorite tea shops (RIP):
butikiteas.com
steapshoppe.com
steepcityteas.com
aquartertotea.com
dellaterrateas.com
zentealife.com
angrytearoom.com
theteamerchant.net
joysteaspoon.com
tealiciousllc.com
Rivertea
Specialteas
My icon photo is Richard Mayhew from the graphic novel ‘Neverwhere’ by Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey & Glenn Fabry.
Most of the teas listed in my cupboard are actually sample sizes. I don’t really have 2,000 ounces of tea around here! Many of my teas have only one teaspoon left… maybe two. But I like keeping them in my cupboard list for reference to what I could be sipping. Usually, I write tasting notes once for each tea. I’m still drinking them, just not writing tasting notes each time!
I’m always in search of: Hattialli, Qu Hao black, Jin Jun Mei, teas using marshmallow root.
My dislikes: hibiscus, ginger (unless in chai), turmeric, bee pollen, charcoal type flavors
My ratings:
95-100 – Super awesome deliciousness favorites – cupboard essential
80-95 – Also pretty delicious
65-80 – Pretty good
50-65 – Okay
1-50 – Probably won’t want to sip it again
I’m planning on being a Steepsterer as long as there IS a Steepster, so if you’re not hearing from me, that means something happened to my health… if you know what I mean. (Or as evidenced by the great computer hiatus of 2019, something happened to my computer… I have a dumb phone so can’t access internet on that. As of 12/20/21 my wifi might start getting unreliable.)
Happy sipping!
Location
USA
