An Ode to Tea challenge – N
From a looonnng ago teabox! Sipdown next time. I think I’ve had this blend from another tea shop before. I can’t remember which. A bit of searching and it’s Tealyra/Tealux’s ‘Sencha Berry Fig’. It looks like Dethlefsen & Balk sells it, but I don’t think I have had any of their teas before (directly under their name anyway). I do love the idea of the fig with the kiwi? It doesn’t seem like it would work but this blend does. However, this sample didn’t have any of those big luscious fruit pieces like the photo indicates should be here. Also rose and berries – none! The blend looks like plain sencha. Plenty flavor though. But maybe that just proves some tea relies more on added flavoring than actual fruit flavor. Funnily enough, first steep was mostly fig, second steep mostly kiwi, all on a buttery lovely sencha base. I wouldn’t mind having this stocked up, especially if the big fruit pieces are actually present in more than just a sample (but this was an official sample from American Tea Room that hadn’t been opened yet, so it really should have been more than just sencha.) It’s a decent fruit tea and the flavor lasts for years anyway. The Tealux blend got a 94. This now will get 89.
Steep #1 // 1 1/3 teaspoons for full mug // 34 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 33 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Dethlefsen & Balk are a big wholesaler, they only sell to other teashops, not direct-to-consumer.
Ah, well that’s why I haven’t had any of their teas under their own name then.