84

The first impression of the brewed tea is a strong sense that I am wearing spinach perfume. I’m not put off. There’s a company that makes odd perfumes: Demeter Fragrances: http://www.demeterfragrance.com/
They are novelty odors and don’t have much staying power. I consult their web site to see if they have spinach perfume. No, but if you are interested in wafting of celery, dregs, earthworm, tarnish, vinyl, or waffles, that’s the perfume company for you.

The tea is still hot and tastes like really rich spinach water. As it cools, however, more flavors are starting to emerge. It’s as if someone unleashed some fruit and flowers into the spinach brew. And yes, it’s like butter.

Does anyone remember “Coffee Talk with Linda Richman” on SNL? She thought that Barbra Streisand was just like “buttah” and so is this tea. It’s a deep golden brew of buttery spinach with a touch of flower and little slice on honeydew on the side.

I’m liking this and looking forward to the second steep. I hope that nobody is put off by my description of “spinach” tea because I really do think that the taste has got something of ineffable sublimity to it and I have not found the words to describe it adequately.

SECOND STEEPING: What a difference! I steeped this for 2 mins and 30 seconds and should have left it at 2 minutes. It’s slightly oversteeped. The spinach aroma and taste have disappeared almost entirely—just fleeting little returns are present. Aside from the slight overbrewing (a lesson to learn: green teas are more sensitive than the ever vigilant infant who suspects his or her parents have fallen asleep and hence must shout inconsolably) this is a very light floral experience. Orchid? I cannot quite pin it down. I don’t recognize it from any of my perfumes. It’s subtle but excellent.

THIRD STEEPING: The cost of this tea has become eminently reasonable when I consider that I can get three very good cups from it. The third steeping was less rich and deep and tasted more like a generic vegetal green tea that was somehow buttered. I also added a tiny bit of brown sugar and that was nice—the natural sweetness of the tea does not require any additions, but I wanted to experiment. It still felt like a full brew but less distinctively unique. Third cup remains most certainly satisfying and rich; did not have any hint of being “water down” in any way.

Preparation
1 min, 30 sec
JacquelineM

I love Linda Richman! I confess that one of my tasting notes said a tea was like buttah – with no irony!! :) :) :) I also seem to channel Molly Shannon’s character Helen Madden, the “Joyologist”, who goes on talk shows and says “I love it, I love it!” (whilst kicking her leg out! I swear I don’t do that part)

Doulton

You must perfect the insouciant art of kicking out your legs! Pretend to be Nora Charles or a 1920’s vamp. It would suit you.
How enshrined in the Pantheon of my memories is that fabulous day when Madonna was on Linda Richman and Barbra actually appeared!

Unfortunately of all the SNL characters, my default seems to be the hapless Garth. I sing “Pain Cave” to myself with regularity and I’m a natural side-kick character—a J. Alfred Prufrock.

takgoti

I’m getting verklempt!

Let me give you all a topic!

Ralph Fiennes is neither spelled Raeph, nor Fines. Discuss!

[One of my favorite parts from that bit that I still love to pull out every once in a while.]

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JacquelineM

I love Linda Richman! I confess that one of my tasting notes said a tea was like buttah – with no irony!! :) :) :) I also seem to channel Molly Shannon’s character Helen Madden, the “Joyologist”, who goes on talk shows and says “I love it, I love it!” (whilst kicking her leg out! I swear I don’t do that part)

Doulton

You must perfect the insouciant art of kicking out your legs! Pretend to be Nora Charles or a 1920’s vamp. It would suit you.
How enshrined in the Pantheon of my memories is that fabulous day when Madonna was on Linda Richman and Barbra actually appeared!

Unfortunately of all the SNL characters, my default seems to be the hapless Garth. I sing “Pain Cave” to myself with regularity and I’m a natural side-kick character—a J. Alfred Prufrock.

takgoti

I’m getting verklempt!

Let me give you all a topic!

Ralph Fiennes is neither spelled Raeph, nor Fines. Discuss!

[One of my favorite parts from that bit that I still love to pull out every once in a while.]

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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I really love big, bold, brash teas. Smokiness enthralls me. I don’t seem to do subtle.
I don’t do rooibos.

My rating system:
0-30:
Never again in a hundred million years

31-55: This tea probably has some redeeming qualities but I won’t would not seek it out again.

56-70:
Shows some promise but also has a fundamental flaw. I probably owe these a second taste but am unmotivated.

71-80:
Good with at least one strong quality; I probably would not buy it but would drink it cheerfully.

81-90: Worthy contenders; they might be ranked 100 on somebody’s else’s scale. I like them a lot but have not fallen in love. Will probably buy and use.

91-95: These are the true loves, the chosen ones, the ones I dream about and crave. Unless they are in a limited edition—la! how you tease me!—I will always keep in my cupboard.

96-100: I cannot be separated from these teas and would develop a panic attack if I were to run out.
-

“She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain.”

Elderly dowager. Quintessential cat lady.

Tea which must be in stock always:

Black Dragon LS by Upton Teas: My choice every morning.

Florence & Lapsang Souchong by Harney & Sons

a good Gen Maicha

Samovar: Russian Blend, Maiden’s Ecstasy, Ryokucha

Mariage Frères: Confucious, Vivaldi, Eros, Aida, Marco Polo

American Tea Room: Brioche

Leland Teas: Bogart

Life in Teacup:
An Xi Tie Guan Yin Grade II modern green style & also Charcoal Style

Location

In the midst of the middle of the heart of nowhere in particular.

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