TB51: East Frisian BOP

Backlog from Sunday.

Had this with some peach pie for breakfast (I’m on a pie making kick lately because I’ve decided not being able to make a decent crust is unacceptable – this means a lot of pies are in my future and that is okay with me. Also – tell me your favorite pies, if you have them! I don’t want to be repetitive with my fillings.)

Anyway, the tea was beautiful, as always. Creamy and caramelly and kick in the pants strong. We’d almost run out so I’d been hoarding it, but our stash is replenished so I imagine I’ll be drinking this plenty for my breakfast beverage. :)

It’s cloudy and gloomy this morning and I went through another bout of insomnia the past few days. I wanted something to wake me up so I thought this would do the trick. A nice fog lifter! I like this the best with soymilk added. Wake up, Amy OH!

Listening to “Reptile” by Church on the radio, reminds me of my younger and gothier days. ;)

I had almost forgot that this caffeine-filled beauty was still in my cupboard. This doesn’t disappoint! Very malty with a hint of caramel – I think I prefer it with a hint of honey and a splash of milk rather than plain. I’m desperately hoping this tea gives me the kick I need to not only get my house in order but to get some homework done before my long weekend comes to an end.

I really like this tea. Its robust, brisk, malty, and chewy. Its a blend of assam teas and it really hits the spot in the morning.

sometimes I regret my favorite hockey team being my favorite hockey team. I had an AWESOOOOOME time w/some people originally from Montreal last night (I’ve been told I can just tell people I am from there too so I don’t have to answer why I’m a fan of them ever again ahahaha) but it was kind of overshadowed by a terrible hit that pretty much busted the face of one of my favorite players b/c of a bad pass by another of my favorite players and all I see everywhere is the blame on the guy who passed and IT’S MAKING ME SO MAD.

But I have gotten two people’s phone numbers in a week! FRIENDS.

I figured I’d come home last night and drink tea, I have no idea why I didn’t have any earlier in the day…but anyway coming home last night turned into 1:30 in the morning. And poor Sebastian was so sleepy I did not want to keep him up.

So finally this morning I could have my tea! Especially because it’s suddenly really windy and cold (ok it’s 62 but that’s way cooler than it’s been). I got this from JoonSusanna awhile back and I really wanted to try it as close to how Frisian tea is made as I could. I didn’t have the right kind of sugar but I used demerara sugar and then coconut milk creamer.

I am pretty sure I did not make the tea strong enough, I probably should have checked on that because that would have helped. Just maybe a teaspoon max more would have helped. Still. I didn’t completely overpower the tea.

It is good, still could get malty notes, I think that sugar made it really kind of caramel-y. Definitely a hearty tea that’s a good choice for waking up. Actually I still don’t want to be awake.

Tea of the morning……

Thank you to Amy Oh for this one! I had really been wanting to try this one in my recent quest for a new breakfast tea!

Well, I cannot seem to drink this one without milk! Hello, robust tea! It has a very strong malty flavor, and this one is a bit too strong and brisk for my tastes (I seem to be kind of a wimp when it comes to hearty teas…who knew?) Since I like adding milk to my tea only on occasion, I am pretty sure this is not the breakfast tea for me. However, for those of you who enjoy a good hearty, malty, brisk tea that stands up very well to milk, this is a good one for you to try. I do have some more left and might try a light on leaf cuppa to see how it goes.

Wow-this is strong tea!

I consumed this straight as I usually do with most teas.

The kickback on my first sip was so strong, I though I might not finish the cup. However, it was tempered a bit as the tea cooled just a couple of degrees and continued as the cup cooled further. It’s bold, malty, brisk and full-bodied as you would expect. The taste is actually pretty enjoyable after it cools down just a bit. With reflux issues, this is not an everyday tea for me. However, for occasions when I need a flavorful kick to get me going, this will do just fine.

This is a great way to start the day if you need something extra strong. Between the robust flavor and caffeine content there lies a very good tea. In all honesty I do not think I can handle another cup. This has me flying. I enjoyed this more than the East Frisian TGFOP. More than the River Shannon and the Scottish Breakfast. It’s raining here yet this tea has made me feel like it’s a sunny day. This is a perfect morning brew for those who can handle it….

I let this, my first cup of East Frisian, brew about 30 seconds too long so I might need to revise my review. I have not had this kind of tea before, but have read much about it. Getting it right is an art (or a science?) according to many people. Although I’ve overbrewed it, I can taste the delicious maltiness and can detect the aroma of good solid earth. I think that this tea is stolid and robust and quite strong, which makes it an excellent candidate for early morning and any other time in which more caffeine is essential. It’s not delicate, but it is tasty and it’s doing the trick. I’m sitting up straighter and feeling more alert right now.

I’ll be trying this again and will probably invest in a larger size. Thank you to Upton for providing so many sampler sizes and for speedy shipping.

SECOND STEEP: I can certainly understand why many people are so devoted to this blend. It’s strong and earthy and a great substitute for coffee, providing plenty of caffeine and plenty of flavor. I really like the addition of a bit of sugar and some milk to this tea.

Trying to expand my tea horizons, I ordered 5 samples of “breakfast” blend type teas from Upton to try and compare. From reading the descriptions and ingredients, this seems like the least “complicated” one out of the group, so starting here. I’m going to test with my usual T. of honey, because I’m just not brave enough not to : )

First impression: this has a bit of bitterness to it (not much, but noticing). I think malty would apply here. Thinking this isn’t something I’d wake up and crave (goal). Could be that the pot of Earl Grey Creme with CM Vanilla Creme has already spoiled my tastebuds this morning, because I am yearning to get up and add some (vanilla cream that is) to this. Hmmm, should I?

Yea, it needed it… just a little (much better now). Not going to give this a number yet. Overall, this may not be the “one” for me (breakfast blend that is). But we shall see.