Morning Black tea gongfu session!
The leaf is a deep redish black, with mahogany highlights, & a dry aroma that is faintly tart.
The warmed leaf brings to mind Plums.
5G + 4oz (rinse) X 15sec = Congee rice
30 sec = A rich, almost Meaty broth
45sec = A richer broth, with Plums added. A nice tongue tingle!
1min = A satisfying sensation is present, both in the mouth & in the body. A slight bitterness, but in a good tart kind of way, just around the edges. The Chaqi is soothing, I feel very peaceful.
2min = an herbaceous quality, somewhat like eucalyptus, joins in.
3min+ = I accidentally forgot to set the timer, so who knows how long this steep really went? Anyway, this is reminding me, in some ways, of Master Han’s Wild picked Black, not so much in flavor, as in savory qualities & energy.
4min = The body of the tea is gone, leaving behind a vague sweet plum essence.
5min = One final cup. I can really feel the energy of this tea, swirling around my head. My eyes have quit watering, my ears are no longer itchy. I’d like to believe that teas such as this one are my cure for allergies, the elixir of life itself, but it’s probably just my imagination…
running away with me… ;)
This is You :-D
Profile
Bio
I’m so excited to have found this community! I’m a self-employed Harpist (acoustic & electric – Originals, Classical, Rock, Jazz, etc) & Singer/Songwriter. My days & nights revolve around teaching at home, playing gigs, gardening,& fixing awesome food to eat. My schedule is different everyday, but I just go with the flow, & I sip a lot of tea!
My love of Tea began with Herbals back in the 70’s. One of my favorites was a licorice blend from House of Hezekiah, an old tea shop in Kansas City. There was also a tea with mint, rose petals, chamomile, etc called Nuclear Casual Tea.
In the 80’s I gave up caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, (& a few illicit substances…), and brewed medicinal blends & tinctures to support 4 pregnancies (all children born at home). In the 90’s my love affair with green teas began when I discovered ‘The Republic of Tea’. Their beautiful teas & packaging inspired my original song, “TeaMind”, from my CD “Zen Breakfast”. If you’d like to hear the song for free, drop by my website.
In general, I drink my teas straight, but occasionally I add a pinch of Stevia & maybe some coconut or almond milk (I’m allergic to dairy, gluten, & various other things & avoid most sweets.)
I’ve explored a variety of teas:
Whites tend to be a little bland…sorry
Oolongs – wonderfully sensual
Roobios – I’m not a fan in general
Puehr – a fairly new direction for me
I’m not a huge fan of flavored teas, but I do make exceptions, & I’ll try just about anything once.
And Black Tea, Oh how I love thee!!
I am on a quest for the most wonderful breakfast cup! I will find you, my Love!
Location
St. Louis, MO
I feel like the teas I drink are so pedestrian compared to yours – you have so many interesting ones.
I’d be glad to drop some samples in the mail :)