Gong Fu Tea Shop
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Okay, maybe i just don’t like chamomile at all.
I discovered several months ago that chamomile seems to help with my heartburn, though, and so i’ve been searching high and low for an infusion that i enjoy drinking. I started with Tazo’s Calm, moved on to Mighty Leaf’s Chamomile Citrus, tried Lipton’s Chamomile Pineapple blend, Celestial Seasoning’s Honey Vanilla Chamomile, and finally Bigelow’s Cozy Chamomile. Each tea was worse than the last. I thought perhaps that a full-“leaf” chamomile would be the ticket, but this still just tastes like a handful of prairie in a cup to me.
The one infusion i tried recently that i really enjoyed was Traditional Medicinal’s Chamomile with Lavender. So perhaps i’ll toss a handful of lavender in with the rest of my Cleopatra’s Cuppa and hope that it’s a little more tolerable that way. The worst part is the smell, so i think some lavender would definitely help out in that department.
I’m so disappointed, mostly with myself. I really wanted to like this!
Sipdown!
Just poured the rest of my leaves into the strainer and steeped for a little under 4 minutes. a-HA! THIS is the renowned Assam flavor! Bold, sweet, honey-esque, a translucent flavor. Kind of a classic “black tea” taste with little to no astringency.
This is really good. I don’t know how often I’ll drink Assams, but I’m glad I now have more than one reference for the flavor. I recommend this to anyone who’s an Assam fan, or even just a black tea fan.
Preparation
Backlog from this morning.
One of the samples from Nicole again. Was more careful about proper leafage this time, as well as only steeping it for 3 minutes. It was better. More honey-esque Assam-y flavor as well as more body. I dunno, I read things about Assams and I haven’t found one that matches up to my mental image of what I get when I read those things. I keep picturing a REALLY boldly malty and rich cup, and all the ones I’ve tried are not as bold or as malty as what I imagine. Then again, I haven’t tried all the Assam samplers I have yet… :D
I know what you meana bout not finding one that has matched up with your idea of what it ought to taste like given reviews and such. I’ve found I enjoy my assam a lot more when I steep it for like, ten minutes (I had butiki’s PTA this morning and did just that, and it worked wonders).
Yeah, you might give Butiki’s Assams a try. 10 minutes on this one would probably be enough to pucker wood. :) Hattiali Golden Lion Assam from Butiki is pretty fab.
Might also look for tippy Assams. I sometimes find those to be maltier.
Uh oh. Methinks I may have underleafed this?
I steeped it just under boiling for 5 minutes. The first sip made me go, WHOO ASSAM – and then all the subsequent sips have been a lot more mild. I’ve heard Assams are supposed to be bold, and while I’m certainly getting an Assam quality, it’s muted. I’m afraid to try brewing it more because I let it steep for 5 minutes.
No numbers for now. Next time I’m going to try more leaves. Oh well, still a pleasant morning cup.
EDIT: Forgot to credit Nicole for the sample! Also, it got more Assam-y as it cooled. Tea is so weird. Science.
“Uh oh. Methinks I may have underleafed this?”
A digital scale such as http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/37731-my-weigh-durascale-d2-660-digital-scale is very handy for a more consistent cup of tea.
More leaves and be wary of that 5 minutes. :)
I got this to go with me when I left Gong Fu Tea on Friday. I was tempted to buy some leaf to take with me, but again, 2 full ounces for a new to me tea is a bit much. Plus, it smelled a whole lot like another tea I already have. :)
Again, I think the staff is mistaken in steeping this for 5 minutes. The honey notes were slightly burned tasting and the base was pretty in your face. Other than that, it was a very good tea.
Preparation
Will they not steep shorter if you ask?
They probably would, I’m sure. But it being my first time there (and having already confused them by asking for a Golden Yunnan which they had never heard of), I thought I’d let them do their thing. And since it is 3 hours away I’m not likely to get back especially soon. :) But I will certainly ask them on my next visit to steep for about 3 instead of 5.
Okay, so I’ve been saying that I don’t normally add milk or sugar to teas. I may have to change that assertion. For the past two weeks more nights than not I have been having a 4 cup pot of an Assam or a Ceylon with cream instead of dinner. It’s just what has sounded good. I’ve gone from “using up leftover cream” to buying half-and-half and cream specifically to have with tea. I still don’t like flavored teas with cream (or sugar usually) but this one is definitely yummy with either or both. :)
The downside to having 32 ounces of tea for dinner is that I have to get it over with before about 7:00 or I’ll be up all night making bathroom trips. :)
It’s rainy; it’s been dark and rainy all day (though not really cold, just slightly chilled). This was my post dinner tea. Trying to use it up and still have something I like for the evening. :)
In an unusual choice for me I added a sugar cube and a drizzle of cream to two of the cups. Then one I had plain, one with just sugar and one with just cream. I don’t often have tea with milk of any kind but I do love the way the cream looks as it spirals through the cup. An entire pot of tea will probably make me get up 3 or 4 times tonight but it was tasty and worth it. :) And the sugar kept me out of the Halloween candy!
So… I came back from the mini-vacation with either enraged allergies or a cold. I can’t taste much so I’m sticking with something that has enough flavor to break through my stuffy head, nothing that is new to me so I don’t miss something and also nothing that I really, truly love so I don’t waste it. :)
This is a nice, strong cup. I taste the tea, none of the bitter and it’s nice and hot. :)
I had a pot of this on Friday while in Gong Fu Tea. It was good but I think the staff steeped it a bit too long – 5 minutes. It was strong and not harsh but the maltiness was missing. It has a heavy malty smell when dry.
I got some to take home just the same (wishing that they would offer smaller amounts than 2 ounces) and tried steeping for what I would consider a normal time.
Yes. This time I get maltiness, though not as much as some others and a deeper flavor profile. I wouldn’t keep this in the cupboard over other favorites, but it is quite nice.
Preparation
All you really need to do is find friends who like black tea who will swap .5 ounce of tea with you for onto nether random tea you haven’t tried. Haha Terri and I do that occasionally – she buys x dollars worth and then I buy the same, plot them in half and then mail them to each other :) twice the tea for the same price and no one"s stuck with 1-2ounces all to themselves :)
