Evol Ving Ness Send Message

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drank Organic Vanilla Black by Janet's Special Teas
1403 tasting notes

I posted the other day about this addiction that I developed for Hong-Kong style milk tea at Crimson Teas in town.

Since I cracked open a tin of evaporated milk yesterday when I made the turmeric golden milk tea, I thought that I’d play around with HK style milk tea with the rest of it.

This packet of leaf is past its prime. First, age, but more importantly because the pouch unhinged at the bottom early on—-pretty but useless pouches—and the leaf has been exposed to air for, well, probably since I purchased it.

Regardless, I thought there might be potential here. Vanilla black leaf. Vanilla bean honey. You get me?

Now, milk tea is strong, that is to say, intensely brewed, almost to the point of mistake. So I heaped up almost 2 teaspoons of leaf and let it steep for ooooh maybe 4 minutes, which for me it long.

After I made the milk tea with a huge glug of evaporated milk and at least a teaspoon and a half of vanilla infused honey, I googled the recipe for milk tea. Ayup, that’s how I roll—enthusiasm and action first, research later.

It turns out that HK style milk tea is made with English Breakfast, strongly steeped, and then all the other things.

My experiment, however, is still darn good though. Though, true enough, the base could be a bit friskier.

Also, these neighbours of mine—-whereever I go, there they are, yakking all at once, kids, adults, making noise. I move to another room and there they are again. Ugh!
7 comments
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tea-sipper
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Oh gosh, I’m so sorry about your neighbors. headphones? music? for a break?

Evol Ving Ness
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Thanks, me too. This is just how they are. And since I’ve spoken with them more than once about this situation, especially when they are waking me when I am sleeping, it seems that they are making an effort—ie. for them, not what normal people do or how normal people live. Gah!

I blast my music when I can’t take it anymore, just so that I can have a break from them and not have to have them in my face every single minute of my day. But still, gah.

LuckyMe
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I can sympathize, I’ve lived in places with paper thin walls and it makes you feel like there’s no privacy. Wish they constructed homes with better sound proofing.

Evol Ving Ness
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Thanks. Seriously!

Kittenna
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Your experiment sounds tasty!

Evol Ving Ness
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It was, but stronger base would have made things much much better.

Kittenna
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I have a couple crazy strong CTCs. That would probably do the trick? Haha.

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tea-sipper
Delete

Oh gosh, I’m so sorry about your neighbors. headphones? music? for a break?

Evol Ving Ness
Delete

Thanks, me too. This is just how they are. And since I’ve spoken with them more than once about this situation, especially when they are waking me when I am sleeping, it seems that they are making an effort—ie. for them, not what normal people do or how normal people live. Gah!

I blast my music when I can’t take it anymore, just so that I can have a break from them and not have to have them in my face every single minute of my day. But still, gah.

LuckyMe
Delete

I can sympathize, I’ve lived in places with paper thin walls and it makes you feel like there’s no privacy. Wish they constructed homes with better sound proofing.

Evol Ving Ness
Delete

Thanks. Seriously!

Kittenna
Delete

Your experiment sounds tasty!

Evol Ving Ness
Delete

It was, but stronger base would have made things much much better.

Kittenna
Delete

I have a couple crazy strong CTCs. That would probably do the trick? Haha.

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A monk sips morning tea

A monk sips morning tea,
it’s quiet,
the chrysanthemum’s flowering.

- Basho

(1644-1694)

Note to self—-you do not actually need any more tea.

My real tea obsession began in February 2015.

Not, sadly, when I had been living and working in China, though I very much enjoyed sampling a variety of teas during my travels there as well. No, no, that would have been far too sensible.

I am a reformed coffee drinker. I still enjoy a long double espresso with a good quantity or milk or cream from time to time, but for now, tea is my thing. All day.

*note—this is way out of date, so if we are doing a swap and you are checking to see what I like and dislike, mostly never mind what you find below. One of these days, I will update this. In the meantime, check what I’ve been drinking and use your own judgement. I like all the teas. Well, I am open to trying all the teas.

I tend to drink black, green, or oolong tea in the morning to early afternoon. Rooibos or
Honeybush or herbal in the evening. And perhaps some sort of sleepy-type tea in the wee hours.

This year, I’ve been discovering flavoured teas, so it may look like that is all I drink although that would provide a false impression.

Not a big fan of chocolate or mint in teas, but I will try them and, from time to time, have been pleasantly surprised. Also, usually I dislike a prominent cinnamon flavour, if untempered with other things, in teas. Again, I say usually, because there are exceptions.

Also, please note that haven’t quite gotten into the habit of updating my tea cupboard on Steepster, and it is unlikely that I will do this on any kind of regular basis.

I drink my tea black and unsweetened. If there comes a rare moment that I add something to it, I will mention it.

Finally, while I thank large and successful tea companies for tantalizing and beckoning me to the world of tea, I prefer to support independent ventures with real people, real enthusiasm and commitment, and real dreams.

Currently, I am researching monthly tea subscriptions. Perhaps it will keep me out of tea shops.

And here is Shae’s rating scale— which I am using with permission, of course— which more or less describes the way I have been rating teas. I am going to make more of an effort to stay very close to these parameters now.

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-40: This tea is not good but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

41-60: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

61-75: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

76-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Location

Mostly, but not always, Toronto, Canada.

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