I started drinking this yesterday and it is still doing well. As I noted on the pu drinking thread in the discussions area, my first thought upon drinking the first cup was “Crikey, that’s smooth!” So, time to write it up properly before getting back to my revision. Only two days to go! Eek!! I’m not panicking much. Honest. Actually I am calmer that I might be but I put that down to the tea.
The beeng is loose. Not so much as to just fall apart but a far cry from the iron hard beengs and bricks I seem to get so often. This makes it easier to pick apart and means that the leaves remain whole, which is no bad thing. It smells of horses and hay, a sweet aroma that carries good memories.
The liquor is a yellowish amber in colour. It smells of hay and honey. Sniffing the empty cup, I am struck by how much it smells of honey and fresh flowers. I think it might be a magnolia aroma, but I cannot quite put my finger on it precisely.
The first sip, as noted above, was incredibly smooth. It was sweet with a creamy mouthfeel. There’s a walnut nuttiness to it and the astringency only starts to make itself felt as the liquor cools. The aftertaste is sweet, sparkles and lasts for ages.
After the first cup, the tea starts to make itself felt in my whole body, especially in my legs. I can feel it forcing me to relax and I almost immediately feel slightly tea drunk. This tea seems to have a fairly strong cha qi. It calms my mind and I almost feel like I am entering a meditative state while becoming more focused. It is quite remarkable and certainly helps with the work I am doing.
The tea seems to tail off after a dozen steepings, but I probably need to increase the duration of the next one to see where that goes. I also found that it did not respond as well with steeping at 90 degrees C, whereas 85 degrees C works beautifully. I’m off to do that now, then it’s back to work for me.
Flavors: Flowers, Honey, Nuts
Preparation
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I love when that special feeling kicks in with pu’erh. Hope it helps you with your studies, good thing that you’re not too nervous about that, keeps you focus…good luck with everything :-)
Thank you. I really like it when a tea gives you that feeling, and I found that once it started with this one, it really kicked in hard. I shall need both luck and a clear head to get through it all on Tuesday. A two hour oral exam is not really my idea of fun, and is now making me wonder why I started a PhD after all these years away from university! Perhaps I should take a portable tea station with me so that I can have this tea to help me. Does that count as using performance enhancing drugs? :)
Haha! Well assuming that the deciding committee never experienced a good cha qi, you might be able to get away with it!
Oh my, I don’t even want to think about what a two hour oral exam would do to me…
I’m assuming your PhD is related to your existing field of expertise, history?
Yes, it’s a PhD on Vikings. The oral exam takes on average two hours. I have heard of them taking up to nine hours before now, and if it is less than two hours I shall be rather worried because that probably means bad news. It could be worse though. In Scandinavia you have your viva on stage in front of an audience! That would completely freak me out.
I cannot even imagine how much knowledge on Vikings one must acquire to get PhD. This is fascinating. You must be one of very few with that title, I’m sure… Do you get hired when people write books or make movies for instance?
I think that there are rather more of us than you might believe in the world. I just hope that Tuesday’s viva sees me pass with flying colours so that I can be Dr Roughage and a fully acknowledged expert. :)
I do work with authors when they want guidance about Vikings, and I was the historical advisor for a little Viking cartoon that is on the BBC Hands on History website. I have also worked with various other projects that wanted Old Norse dialogue, including a bit for the Vikings exhibition that is on at the British Museum at the moment. It’s quite cool really and a lot of fun. I really should write more about this stuff on my website so to promote myself.
You make this tea sound like an absolute dream and I’m coveting it now. BEST of luck on Tuesday – you WILL be Dr. Roughage! Let us know how it goes.
Thank you, MzPriss. No doubt I shall be shouting it from the rooftops if the viva goes well. :)
Good luck for tomorrow Mr. very soon to be Dr. Roughage!
(I looked at your website yesterday, super fun! Tried the quiz but for some reason it didn’t load on the iPad, will try on the PC later…)
Have fun with the quiz. It can be quite hard if you get the wrong questions. I need to write more content for it but have been a bit distracted recently. Perhaps after tomorrow I can start adding more material. We shall see.
Thank you for the good wishes. I am busily practising answering possible questions and wondering how the heck I am going to survive. I should get a glass of port soon and go to bed so that I am well rested. :)
Good Luck!!!!! I know you will be fine and I will hear that “Roar” on my side! Vikings and drinking horns I have to agree with that. Nice info.
I got a pass with corrections, which is a decent result and the corrections are not onerous. My prof. tweeted that I am now the world expert on berserkers, so it must be true. Yay! :)
World Expert On Berserkers is a most excellent title to have. Congratulations!!!
Yahoo! I thought I heard thunder last night but now I realize the roar has come my way!
Ahhhh… Congrats, you must be so relieved!!!
Toutes mes félicitations Doctor :-) :-) :-)Thank you all. :)
Yay! Congratulations! Glad the corrections aren’t too much. :) Pretty much everyone has them, I think.
I love when that special feeling kicks in with pu’erh. Hope it helps you with your studies, good thing that you’re not too nervous about that, keeps you focus…good luck with everything :-)
Thank you. I really like it when a tea gives you that feeling, and I found that once it started with this one, it really kicked in hard. I shall need both luck and a clear head to get through it all on Tuesday. A two hour oral exam is not really my idea of fun, and is now making me wonder why I started a PhD after all these years away from university! Perhaps I should take a portable tea station with me so that I can have this tea to help me. Does that count as using performance enhancing drugs? :)
Haha! Well assuming that the deciding committee never experienced a good cha qi, you might be able to get away with it!
Oh my, I don’t even want to think about what a two hour oral exam would do to me…
I’m assuming your PhD is related to your existing field of expertise, history?
Yes, it’s a PhD on Vikings. The oral exam takes on average two hours. I have heard of them taking up to nine hours before now, and if it is less than two hours I shall be rather worried because that probably means bad news. It could be worse though. In Scandinavia you have your viva on stage in front of an audience! That would completely freak me out.
I cannot even imagine how much knowledge on Vikings one must acquire to get PhD. This is fascinating. You must be one of very few with that title, I’m sure… Do you get hired when people write books or make movies for instance?
I think that there are rather more of us than you might believe in the world. I just hope that Tuesday’s viva sees me pass with flying colours so that I can be Dr Roughage and a fully acknowledged expert. :)
I do work with authors when they want guidance about Vikings, and I was the historical advisor for a little Viking cartoon that is on the BBC Hands on History website. I have also worked with various other projects that wanted Old Norse dialogue, including a bit for the Vikings exhibition that is on at the British Museum at the moment. It’s quite cool really and a lot of fun. I really should write more about this stuff on my website so to promote myself.
You make this tea sound like an absolute dream and I’m coveting it now. BEST of luck on Tuesday – you WILL be Dr. Roughage! Let us know how it goes.
Thank you, MzPriss. No doubt I shall be shouting it from the rooftops if the viva goes well. :)
Good luck for tomorrow Mr. very soon to be Dr. Roughage!
(I looked at your website yesterday, super fun! Tried the quiz but for some reason it didn’t load on the iPad, will try on the PC later…)
Have fun with the quiz. It can be quite hard if you get the wrong questions. I need to write more content for it but have been a bit distracted recently. Perhaps after tomorrow I can start adding more material. We shall see.
Thank you for the good wishes. I am busily practising answering possible questions and wondering how the heck I am going to survive. I should get a glass of port soon and go to bed so that I am well rested. :)
Good Luck!!!!! I know you will be fine and I will hear that “Roar” on my side! Vikings and drinking horns I have to agree with that. Nice info.
I got a pass with corrections, which is a decent result and the corrections are not onerous. My prof. tweeted that I am now the world expert on berserkers, so it must be true. Yay! :)
World Expert On Berserkers is a most excellent title to have. Congratulations!!!
Yahoo! I thought I heard thunder last night but now I realize the roar has come my way!
Ahhhh… Congrats, you must be so relieved!!!
Toutes mes félicitations Doctor :-) :-) :-)Thank you all. :)
Yay! Congratulations! Glad the corrections aren’t too much. :) Pretty much everyone has them, I think.