216 Tasting Notes
Given that my city just got two feet of snow dumped on it this weekend and another foot is expected tonight, I had resigned myself to my Tea Table subscription not getting here for another week at least. However, I give respect to the US Postal Service after all, because there it was this morning!
This one sounded delicious and smelled very peaches-and-cream-y, both in the leaves and while steeping. And there is an absolutely lovely peaches and cream taste to it, but there’s also an immense bitterness as a taste and as an aftertaste. I dropped two lumps of sugar in, and it’s drinkable. I think perhaps if I were having this with dessert I would enjoy this level of bitterness for the flavor, but if this is a typical steep then it’s definitely not a morning tea —
— Wait, hang on a sec. I just had a brilliant idea: milk.
— Oh yes, that does it! A tiny splash of milk cut right through the bitterness. It really brings out the flavor, too. Oh, this is good! Definitely heavy on the cream with a hint of fruit; I wouldn’t necessarily pin “peaches” on it if I didn’t already know, but it’s not not peaches. I think I need to make myself another cup of this and add milk right away this time.
Preparation
Augh, augh, what did I do to be punished like this? This tea smelled so good when I opened the packet with the tea bag, and it smells almost as good brewed, so I keep sipping it, thinking, Surely I must have been imagining how sour this is!
…It has a sweet if slightly medicinal aftertaste, at least? Once my mouth unpuckers, I mean.
I think I will try steeping this drastically less. Perhaps I will pour hot water near the tea bag.
Preparation
I’d forgotten I had some of this left! It got lost in the back of my “samples” section.
I think I made this a little too strong, but it’s quite bracing! It goes down bitter, but there’s a lingering aftertaste that isn’t sweet but feels like it ought to be, if that makes sense. And it’s a lovely dark brown that looks strong; I do like when teas look like they taste.