Panyang Golden Tips

I figured now is as good a time as any to revisit this one in comparison to the Teavivre Tan Yang I just tried. I have enough of this pouch left for one more cup after this, so I will be able to revisit again before I’m out. I suppose I also need to dig out my Tan Yang from China, see how it compares, and see if either this one or the Teavivre one come close to replacing it.

I’ve also wanted to re-try this one because immediately after drinking it last time I started having some kind of weird, sweet aftertaste for a few days, and then I was unsure of whether the sweet notes in this tea were really real or not.

Turns out they were sorta real. This tea has a ton of molasses notes to it, and that strong raisin is back especially in the aftertaste. I do think it is less sweet than the last time I drank it, curse my wonky tastebuds. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. It is really an excellent tan yang. And now I am even more antsy to try Teavivre’s again, because I am hoping that brewed properly with good water it is similar, because it’s less than half the price!

This is a sample sip down! YAY! I am not going to criticize this tea because when Harney sold this batch, they advised that the weather conditions had resulted in tea that was not as sweet as prior harvests. Also, this sample is about two years old. With all that in mind, I am enjoying it well enough with my English muffin and Irish cheese, but it doesn’t make my knees quiver with delight.

I was just reflecting on how Steepster has changed my life. I have lots of people whom I consider friends that I have never met. I have tried new foods, and I have learned to experience my food and beverages in a new way, paying close attention. I use spices more than ever.

Right now my teapot is sitting on a coaster from Happy Lucky’s Tea House in Colorado, sent to me by Bonnie. The last time I picked up Asian buffet, there was a car with a vanity plate that read THLLADY. I wondered, could it be possible that TerriHarpLady is traveling and is right here in our town? But I looked at Steepster and she didn’t mention being in North Carolina.

I am so glad to be part of the Steepster community!

Tea of the afternoon….. (SRP #19)

I don’t know why I have been waiting to try this one. I knew it was a special purchase for myself last holiday season, but I decided today was the day. The beauty of a fabulous tea is that it can turn any average day into a special day. I washed up my ceramic mug prior to this steep and made sure to dump out the once boiled water in the bottom of my kettle to start fresh. I don’t have enough of it to make a steeping mistake. My thanks to Harney for making this available as a sample. I love to try teas that I might possibly never be able to buy except in sample form.

Right off the bat, I am thinking I should have added more leaf. I do smell kind of a slight Yunnan type maltiness, but I can’t actually taste it. I definitely get honey. This is incredibly smooth. I also get something that is hard to describe. It is kind of like an energy surge. Really, I think it is just that I love this. It has a heavier mouthfeel than most black teas of this sort that I drink. Since I have a chemical backgound, I kind of feel like it is what heavy water would feel like. Liquid with substance. I am excited for the follow up cup with a bit more leaf.

I think there will be enough for a few cups in this sample, but I just had to try it. It is one of the more expensive samples at $4, but the tea itself sells for $50 for a 2 ounce tin, or $360 for a pound. I am guessing the price on this one went up for this year’s harvest since ashmanra noted that this and Golden Monkey were similarly priced. That is not really the case at this point in time (April 26, 2012). Golden Monkey is currently $96 a pound.

I can’t even imagine trying to keep up with similar quality from year to year with weather variations. Tea is organic (different from organically grown). Environment plays such a huge role in the end product. I know how strange the weather has been over the last few years where I live, and I can’t imagine what those variations must do to products that are so heavily reliant on growing conditions. I appreciate the Harney stance that if this year’s version of a tea is not up to standards, they wait until they can get some that is, even if it means a long period of time where a product is not available. Unfortunately, for us die hard tea fans, that means buying it when you can (mostly for teas with a long shelf life), because it may not be available at a later time. (Oh how I wish there was some Black Jasmine on site, but current offerings have not met with Michael Harney’s standards. I think Golden Snail suffers a similar fate.) Then, my next bit of advice…savor that tea when you have it, but still drink it in a reasonable amount of time! Tea is meant to be enjoyed.

Usual mug method. There are resteeps in the plans, probably with an increase in the leaf. Stay tuned.

This tea is lovely. Definitely pick up a sample if you like sweet honey teas.

I came home from work early due to sore from my fall, and was napping until my BFF popped in and woke up the cat… and me. :) I made us this tea to have. We did a couple steeps.

It’s really nice, and it resteeps well. I don’t think I’d ever justify a tin ($$$), but it’s definitely worth picking up a sample if the tea is in stock. I had some plain, and some with honey and almond milk. I’m sort of going for comforting today.

We also went through one of my bookshelves and I found all my old D&D characters! So awesome! I have a gnome swashbuckler, who spent so much time posturing and hitting on anything that moves, that his initiative was always negative. Pretty fun. And mixed in with all of it was printed email exchanges I had with my friend who was our DM. He passed away 7 months ago now, so it’s bittersweet to see his awesome. I might be joining a game my friend is part of, if I’m feeling up to it. :) Should be entertaining, at least!

Wow. This is really good. First taste was dusty and reminded me hay but as it cooled it reminded me more and more of Butiki’s Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black. It’s different, but very close I think. I did get a lot of nutty taste and a light honey sweetness.

Having steeped my entire sample over the course of today, and resteeped each cup once as well, I can say that it will get somewhat bitter if oversteeped, but it didn’t get to the point of being undrinkable or unpleasant.

When completely cool, I got really strong cinnamon notes – not sure where that came from!

I would love to keep this in my cupboard. I’m glad I got this sample.

My tea-drinking was kind of boring this week. I just kept drinking Laoshan Black at work and a little Butiki Violet Rose Callendula. I have\n’t been very adventurous I guess. I got out of work early today, so I decided to treat myself with a trip to Harney & Sons Soho.

This tea was lovely! The first thing that hit me were notes of clove and cinnamon. Then malt and apricot/peach notes. It is a very bright taste and my tastebuds really tasted the difference between this and all the Laoshan black I’ve been drinking. As it cools, it gets maltier, loses some of the spice tones, and actually becomes a little nuttier. I really enjoyed my pot of this tea.!

It also went really well with the cheddar and chive scone I got, which I loved so much I got the vanilla scone too. I did say this was a treat, right?

Very nice. Mild. Better than the Yunnan Golden Tips.

A very mild and light black tea, reminiscent of an Oolong, even. Its subtle flavors incorporate the mildest apricot, but don’t think it’s a fruity one! A very nice black tea, golden orange in color, and easy on the palette. No milk or sugar needed.