Herbs & Kettles

Sipdown

A lovely tea for sure. I had two cups today since after the first there was very little leaf remaining. The first cup was western brewed and the second was gongfu’d in my 60ML gaiwan (3.2g).

- Western brewed was definitely stronger. I brewed the leaf with 205 F water and steeped 3 minutes. There were heavy jasmine and floral notes. A mild bitterness lingered, but it wasn’t off-putting.

- Gongfu’d was lighter, but more balanced. The jasmine/floral notes weren’t as heavy. I could really tell there were more layers – such as cucumber, earthy, and mineral notes – which made for a more pleasant experience.

Sipdown

I cannot find this one on Herbs & Kettles website. I really dislike liking a tea one can’t get anymore of. This is a calming, smooth, and nutty tea. Unlike an Assam black tea, it’s not extremely bold and in your face. I barely had enough for the 8oz cup today, which is unfortunate, since I’m pretty sure my past-self meant to hold onto the little bit, only to forget that there wasn’t enough to make a bigger cup.

Delicious brewed as an unsweetened cup or the traditional way.

Morning cuppa! Perhaps it’s the influence of another tea friend who made this comparison on IG, but as I sip this second flush darjeeling most of what I’m tasting is the dark molasses like sweetness of jaggery. Though it also has milder notes of muscatel grapes, honey, and freshly baked bread as well and the faintest bit of dates. It’s very smooth, and is making for a gentle start to the weekend without sacrificing on flavour!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjvYCv3uJK1/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTP87xC63eM

I have such a sweet spot for smoked teas, so this 2016 smoked aged bamboo wild tea was PERFECTLY up my alley and I knew it would be the moment I smelled the dry leaf. Potently smoky in a way that took me to a deeply nostalgic place as I thought of late Summer bonfires. Steeped, I found this tea smoother and more approachable than the average Lapsang Souchong without sacrificing on the robustness of the smoke and the rich body. Very, very clean finish with a natural sweet earthiness and petrichor note that channeled memories of midsummer thunderstorms and the drenched garden soil that follows them. Slightly camphorous, with a really pleasant mouthfeel. I joke often that I own enough smoked teas to last me a lifetime, but looks like I’ve found another that will NEED to be added to the mix!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CigBCn8OM7a/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfOaKP5FT08

Gongfu Sipdown (2351)!

Don’t let their delicate appearance fool you; these gorgeous golden tips are nothing short of rich, full bodied and delicious. The session was warm and cozy with a lot of notes I find quite typical of Assam Black teas; malt, dark honey, freshly baked bread, and brown sugar. However, there were also standout flavours like graham cracker and golden raisins that felt a little more particular to this tea. It was a pretty satisfying good-bye to what was a very interesting tea to explore!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw0jN4aOlG6/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUhbkWLGAbk

Gongfu!

Trying another of the tea samples that was kindly gifted to me! The dry leaf is so tippy and beautiful with a sweet aroma of warm baked goods coming off the fuzzy little golden buds. Steeped, I was pleasantly taken aback by how much the early infusions reminded me of home-baked gingerbread – definitely from the rich notes of molasses carried throughout the session, but also a presence of malt, raisin, brown sugar, and subtle spice notes as well. Very, very smooth liquor and really nice lingering dark sweetness that coats the back of the mouth and throat after each swallow!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiXuULxu_0j/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBA7FB9rJS4

Gongfu!

I love trying new tea companies, so I was super excited to receive some tea mail this week containing several gifted samples from Herbs & Kettles to review. Thank you!! I’m starting with the limited edition Meghalaya Silver Needle white tea because that seemed appropriate for a very early morning tea session before work, watching the sun come up. The dry leaf smells just lovely. It’s little bit brothy but in a creaky sort of way with subtle vegetal elements to it. Steeped up I found that the creaminess really carried into both the thick, lush mouthfeel as well as the taste. It was met with very gentle notes of cucumber pulp and mellow herbs, timothy hay and more of an umami nuttiness – cashew or macadamia, perhaps? The herbaceous quality slowly built over the steeps, though the creaminess of the taste waned.

Thanks again to Herbs & Kettles for sharing this tea! I’m even more excited now to taste through the remaining three samples!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiP6j58upQN/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIXoIIF9C8g