Golden Snail

Finished off this free sample from Savoy. They accidentally left out one of the teas in my order, and when they sent it out to me, they included two free samples. Thank you!

This is lovely. Thick, malty, but so smooth. Lovely sweet cocoa and honey notes, like a thick slice of homemade whole wheat bread drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cocoa powder. Some nice syrupy fruity notes as well, maybe dried apricot and a touch of golden raisin.

This is really making me want to go and order a bunch of hongcha from Teavivre, but I’m resisting. Maybe once I finish a few of the other plain black teas I currently have…

After two solid weeks of coughs and cruds, a couple sub-zero nights, one dead battery, cabin-crazy cats, and one leaking radiator, I am reminded of The Gospel According to Seuss:

…Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags!”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

Today, there’s a little joy in this rich, wheaty, cup of curls, in a warm house (in fact, the heater is stuck on “on” and won’t cycle off), brilliant sunshine on the snow, warm socks and peace from knowing these winter woes are momentary. Hope you’re surrounded by joy this weekend, too. Merry Christmas, y’all.