Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2024 Tea #1 – An unflavored black tea
additional notes: Some years later, this might have the lowest rating for one of Teavivre’s teas. I might have given it the highest rating of anyone, yet a 79 is probably the lowest I have ever rated a tea from Teavivre! I REALLY overleafed to finish this one, an entire sample packet (7grams). The flavor is fine. Just fine. But there isn’t really anything negative about it to justify such low ratings. Maybe the leaf is SO big that the flavors are diminished because of it? Now I’m tasting tangy lychee with a bit of malt. It’s really not bad, but I’d choose practically every other black tea from Teavivre over this one. Maybe the trick with this one is to use a TON of leaves, like the 7 grams I used this time around. BUT THEN I think I have discovered when this tea is at its best though: next morning leftover cold tea. YUM. Cold. Cold is the way to drink this. I think I might steep this at night to intentionally leave out to drink cold in the morning. And I DID steep it and leave it for the next morning, and yes, it wasn’t a fluke — it was delicious and perfect the second morning. Of course, now that it is gone from my cupboard (and from Teavivre’s site), I will miss it. Does this happen EVERY TIME, even for teas I’m trying to finish because I don’t love them?
Steep #1 // entire sample for big mug // 21 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min
2024 sipdowns: 15
Flavors: Lychee, Malt, Tangy
