Honey Black Pomelo Tea Balls

Warmed leaf smells like Grand Marnier. So many alcohol references from me lately.

I wanted a nice full session of this, so I put the whole damn 10g in my pot that normally takes 7g. I figure half is pomelo peel, so… caution to the wind!

Aroma is orange liqueur almost exclusively… which has its own set of implications, of course: overripe and fermented fruit, vaporous and funky. Marmalade. Triaminic orange cough syrup, for a non-boozy reference… god, I loved that stuff as a kid. Liquid is quite transparent and progresses from straw- to caramel-colored.

Taste is the delicate, filmy version of all this — a “marnier and water,” if that were a thing. The real kick is in the smells here, but the scent is not separated and floating above the flavor (as so often happens with flavored teas) — they are well-integrated and become a singular experience. The black tea base doesn’t really announce itself, which lets the pomelo shine. There is some bitterness from the pith that shows up, but it’s not distracting and balances the almost-cloying sweetness. Provides some tongue tingling in later steeps. Eventually the bitter keeps on steeping, the nice things fade… and here we take our leave.

For the record, 10g was not too much material at all. Long steeps didn’t become astringent or too pungent. Seems like this would be great iced in summer.

First time had, it was so pithy bitter. Second time had, so sweet! Too sweet? How did I brew it the first time? I don’t remember. Second time was western with a strainer in a mug. Equal parts pomelo rind both times. So why so sweet this time? Roasted honey sweetness and a hint of raisin from the black tea balanced well by dark, citrusy-medicinal taste of the pomelo peel along with mild pithy bitterness and the vibrant sweet-n-sour pomelo note from the pulp mixed in with tea during processing. Minglemingle. The sweet and sour interplay is dynamic. Would make a great wintertime boiler on the stove.

Gongfu Sipdown (1428)!

Feeling summery so I broke out this Honey Black Pomelo sample to have a sipdown session with this afternoon!! I’m a big fan of chenpi, but I have to say that the intensity of this quirky pomelo infused black tea does give it a run for its money!! Steeps start out dark and sweet with notes of smoky burnt sugar, leather, buckwheat honey & woody undertones. From there they take a quick left turn into this super bright and lively citrus burst – sweet and sour like a good Lemonade but balanced by a gentle pithy bitterness from the pomelo rind! This feels like it could very easily become an addictive summer tea stash staple!

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRMoN2HBA9u/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28BLVxOifwQ