Green Tea

As far as green tea goes this is higher on the oxidation chart. Many of the leaves have oxidized to the point of looking like black tea. American-grown tea has always been a bit dull to me compared with other countries. Not to say that this tea is lifeless but I would say it is better for blending. The flavor reminds me of fall leaves, a bit of compost, green wood, and a bit grassy.

Fairhope Tea Plantation Part Two: After the educational sit down with a cup of his favorite blend Donnie will take you around his tea farm. It didn’t occur to me till later that we didn’t get to see the stuff he processes his tea with. I was too enamored with the tea bushes. His green tea reminds me more of Chinese green. As it is yellower in color. Which makes sense as he learned much of what he did from Chinese farmers. He’ll get on his golf cart and invite you on too. Telling you each time before he presses the gas pedal so that you don’t go flying off the back. To be honest, the golf cart isn’t needed. It’s all within walking distance. But it was amusing. Donnie keeps his height near his waist. It makes it easier for him to grab the leaves. The way he showed us how he plucks reminds me of an elephant grabbing leaves. Again, I won’t spoil much but the one thing I did find interesting was his wild leaves. They were clearly darker than the others because of the forest that surrounded them. I wanted so badly to tell him to make matcha out of them but that in it’s self is a process that is hard.

A Panda Express has just opened near us and we have never eaten there, so we took advantage of the BOGO coupon and gave it a try tonight. I made a huge pot of this tea to go with it.

This was a gift from derk. Many thanks, derk!

Dry leaf smelled much like the black version, and steeped tea aroma also revealed the close relationship between the two. The green version is super grassy, and that is Ashman’s exact description. I thought I detected mineral notes here but he did not.

It was great with food. We really downed that huge pot easily. It is one of those teas that you drink fast somehow, and I found myself asking Ashman to top me up constantly. Not astringent or sour, light body and very “wet”.

I didn’t tell Ashman until we finished it that it was grown in Alabama. He was impressed!

Thank you, derk!

I am in a bad state to write a tasting note. I have a cough, cold and I feel I lost sense of smell (stuck nose doesn’t help). I am drinking recently mostly homemade herbal blend, but for family I was asked to make a tea. Green, if possible. “Finally, they have been a bit specific.” So, it is family pot tea. Well accepted by all!

Thank you derk, for local tea. Very local.

And now some of my impressions. It tastes a bit herbal to me, but overall it is smoth and mouth-coating. It is even a bit grassy for me, but imagine a summer grass and not freshly cut. Rather, still growing one, rather meadow for you across the pond.

Can’t wait for better time for this tea. The tea quality is high and the tea is nicely fluffy.

This was in a little packet from derk and I’m overdue giving it a go. But green tea always makes me feel like spring and the thaw has begun—it’s a play-in-the-snow-in-your-shirtsleeves afternoon with full-on sunshine. I can feel the solar battery in the back of my neck recharging.

Ok, enough fluff. How’s the tea?

Delicious! The leaves were big and fat and had a “fresh from the farm” look to them; too long for my spoon, so I measured in pinches instead. Two of those in a large-ish mug and a three minute steep yielded a tawny gold, almost sugary cup with a personality more like citrus rind and pith than green beans or spinach.

High marks for this one—and from a bog-standard black tea barbarian, that’s saying something.

(Incidentally, they don’t normally sell online, but it looks like they may be making a temporary exception: https://fairhopeteaplantation.com/special-offer/)