Pamela Dean Send Message

Resteep. Not as strong as 1st pass, but good flavor and not bitter. Milk and sweetener.

Steeped 8 min, 205 F water, added half packet sweetener. There’s a little bitterness which may be caused by the stevia. I wonder, does milk work in mate tea? Not brave enuf to try it today.

Dry leaf is blackish and curly, with golden tips. 1 tsp tea, 12 oz water, 205 F, 4 min. Bright clear rosy amber liquor, mature, brisk, malty flavor. Inexpensive tea but quite good. After tasting, drank with milk and agave nectar. The leaves expanded a lot while steeping; they may stand a 2nd go.

Very nice jasmine aroma to the dry leaf, which is dark green leaves, somewhat broken, with a few visible jasmine petals. 1 tsp dry leaf, 10 oz water at 180 F, 2 min. Clear light green liquor, not too astringent, vegetal (but not sweet) flavor, clean finish. Inexpensive tea, okay but nothing to rave about. I think it has been stored a long time.

This leaf is so fluffy that 2.5 gm is a heaping Tbsp. Dry leaf aroma fresh, green, hint of spice. Yes, Virginia, this tea IS mostly buds! 12 oz water, 200 F, 2 min yields clear gold liquor with mild floral scents. Astringency almost imperceptable, good flavor but hard to describe. If I were blind tasting, I would waver from green to oolong to white. Most enjoyable, especially since the buds winked at me from the infuser, evoking a smile at 5 am.

Opening the envelope, taking out the bag, is like removing the lid of a box of chocolates. Hmmm…. haven’t tried this with milk before…. “More calcium!” I think, as I splash soymilk into my steaming cup. It turns out to be just as good, maybe even better, than without.

1 tsp tea, 8 oz boiling water, 8 min steep. Already liked this plain. Tonight trying it with milk in lieu of dessert. Added some agave nectar, too. Surprising, how much I like the milk, anise, and sweet bush combined! Yummy!

Excitement! A new oolong to taste. 3 gm tea, 2 min initial steep, 12 oz water 90 C. Dry leaf is dark green, tight half-snail, blue cornflower accents, nose green and spicy. Gave leaf a quick hot rinse before steep. After steep, leaf is not fully unfurled. Liquor greenish-yellow, pale and clear. Aroma like summer on the riverbank. Flavor starts lightly astringent, goes on to spicy, with palate-cleansing finish. Thumbs reserved ’til 2nd resteep.

This iced tea tastes better after it has been refrigerated overnight. It seems to mellow out. Then I have several glasses of fast, easy refreshment on hand. I brew and store in glass for best result.

This tea is becoming a standard for me. Milk and sweetener work well with the ginger, but it still makes its presence known through piquant flavor and lasting warmth.