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I had intended to try some of the marvelous tea sent by Missy and Dulan, but hubby and I went to a Chinese buffet for supper and I knew I would be happier with myself if I drank some puerh to tame all that fat in the crab rangoon and spring rolls, and maybe white sauce and lomein and…you get the idea.

I had two tuocha left and so far I have steeped them three times. I did a 30 second rinse first and then each steep has been four minutes because I am making this in a 22 ounce pot. Normally I would use three tuocha but alas I was down to just two.

This is very good even though lighter than usual, and doing the job! Tummy is rumbling away happily as it should. Sharing this pot with hubby, son, and son’s girlfriend.

I revisited this tea today because Azzrian liked it so much! I made it in my JoeMo to take to work with me. The aroma really makes this tea for me. I love the taste, it is very good, but I really love smelling this. It is lightly fruity, just right, and the peach smells so natural. So excellent, I am going to have to make sure my daughter’s BF brings some more from Ireland when he comes.

Ah, Black Ruby! How do I love thee? Yet alas! I cannot have thee! Thy distributor is no more.

I have hoarded the remains of the sample from Paul M. Tracy but I knew I really should go ahead and drink it. This was the final tea of tea time today, following two teas that had strawberry flavor. This is an amazing tea and is a bit hard to describe. I told my guest that it was unflavored and she looked a little puzzled, as it really had all the charms of the teas we had already tried.

This particular Taiwan Ruby tea is a little darker than the one I buy at A Southern Season and it has more body. The raisin notes are darker and richer. Both teas are excellent, both resteep fantastically, and both are worthy of “Fine Tea” status. They are rather different from each other, though, even though they are supposed to be the same tea from the same cultivar from the same island…and I have purchased more than one batch from SS so it isn’t due to year of harvest, but perhaps terroir in general, and perhaps different processing at a different tea plantation.

I must say, today was a banner tea day!

I finally made this properly! The aroma is intoxicating and oh so strawberry. The taste of the tea is a much more subdued strawberry with a great black tea base. My guest loved the aroma of this and thought it was a great tea, but I could tell she was a little disappointed that the strawberry flavor didn’t match the intensity of the aroma. Lupicia hasn’t disappointed me yet! Very good tea.

Yes, second day in a row drinking this one. It is tea party day! I had enough to make a pot for tea time and it was the first one we served. My guest was thrilled with the aroma and just kept sniffing it and sniffing it! When she finally tasted it, she was just as pleased. “This is really good!”….I think I heard that four or five times throughout that first cup.

Many thanks to Azzrian for introducing me to this lovely surprise!

I came home for lunch today to find a wonderful box of goodies from Azzrian waiting for me! Everything looked so wonderful! I sniffed this pouch and said, “This has to be first!” I brewed it in my JoeMo to take back to work with me after lunch.

The leaves had a beautiful aroma. The wet leaves were bigger than I expected, and the brewed tea smelled just heavenly. I had a coworker sniff the tea when I went back, and I swear her eyes rolled back a little. “Berries!” was her exclamation.

This was seriously delicious tea and I can’t believe the review that said it is about $14 a pound. I think some of this may need to come live at my house! Though touted as a British tea, there is something a little French in its lineage to me, the way the French excel at the art of perfuming. This is perhaps a little lighter on flavorings than some French tea. I would call it a Dammann Freres Light!
This is well worth keeping on hand. Guests will feel truly pampered when you serve it.

Delicious with no additions! The berry flavors will make this a wonderful summer tea, too.

This is another tea that I took to my neighbor to introduce him to a good “starter” collection of teas. It is very smooth and sweet, has no bitterness or astringency, and is mild yet flavorful. The green tea base is well balanced with the fresh pineapple flavor, which is very refreshing.

My neighbor liked it very much, but was really taken by the puerh we drank. He actually had a friend pick up the puerh from the Vitamin Shop as a thank you gift to us for helping him while he is recovering.

I had no idea that the Vitamin Shop carried so much tea! He used to be the manager there and started naming a lot of teas that they carry – teas I have been buying out of town because I had no idea there was a local source! I need to go over there and check out the selection for myself.

I have been taking tea to my neighbor and he is really loving the loose leaf greens! He seems pretty brave with food, so today I took a resteep of this tea to him along with Tropical Green by Harney and Sons.

He liked it. No, I think he loved it! He pretty much finished the pot by himself, in addition to drinking the green tea. I think we have a pretty hardcore tea convert here!

This is a very good, very earthy puerh. I felt that it had more dimension than the Rishi loose leaf puerh, was more flavorful and had more body. There was no fishiness at all, just the aroma of rich, dark, freshly plowed soil. My neighbor agreed with this assessment of the tea, and wants some of his own! :)

I was surprised to find out from my neighbor that our Vitamin Shop carries Numi and Rishi tea. I thought I had to drive an hour and a half to get it! He gave me a box of this tea today.

The tasting conditions were not perfect. I was absolutely starving and my friend had come over to do yoga. She loves puerh, so I made a pot. So there was talking and starving going on. I used three teabags for a 22 ounce Beehouse pot and man was it ever dark! It was also very good. This was rich and leathery. I resteeped and made a second pot and it was a little milder, almost as dark, but every bit as good, maybe better.

My neighbor has never tried puerh. I am really interested in seeing his reaction since he has liked the greens I have taken him.

Hmmmm. So yesterday I said this was a sip down, and in a way it was because I threw away the packaging for this tea. There is no way I am tossing these leaves, though, until every last bit of goodie is wrung out of them.

It started raining last night and has rained all morning so far, and will probably continue. I am having some quiet time alone today as hubby and kids go to church and I stay home with the puppy.

What else can you do on a quiet, rainy morning but make tea? :)

This is the second steep of these leaves and this is one of those teas where subsequent steeps are best. I suppose I could do a quick rinse of the leaves, but the first steep is enjoyable as well and I don’t want to waste. This second steep, though, is really excellent. When the timer went off for me to pull out the basket, I walked into the kitchen and was hit by this marvelous aroma.

Today’s steep has none of the astringency of the first steep and is lighter and more delicate. It is slightly floral but also has a mild walnut flavor. I am glad I used the huge tetsubin because I will definitely want lots of this, and I anticipate making yet another pot since hubby and my bestie will be joining me for tea later.