Random Steepings

So my day started off kind of shitty. I woke up and had to tidy the apartment since someone said they wanted to come see it. They were supposed to arrive at 3 and at 4:30, when they still hadn’t showed, I messaged them to find out they forgot. So now they are coming tomorrow…provided they remember. It just sucks because I stayed in all day waiting for them.

Anyways, after realizing they were not coming, my roommate and I decided to go out. Our plan was to go eat dinner and then see Captain America. After grabbing our tickets, we headed over to a bubble tea place for dinner. It was nice because it was the first time in a long time where the two of us just hung out, as opposed to us staying shut in our rooms 24/7. Plus, I got to have some delicious tea:

First, I had a Fresh Taro Milk Tea with bubbles, which was delicious. Yummy latte, fresh taro, and bubbles…can’t ask for anything more :). Then, since we had time to kill before the movie, we went to a Korean supermarket and bought both Barley tea and Buckwheat tea to see how they compare to my beloved Soba Cha. And then, we hit up DAVIDs to redeem my free cup of tea for signing up with their frequent steeper club. I got Gold Rush because I figured that is expensive so it was a good tea to get for free :P. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as it normally is since it seemed weak but it was free so I wasn’t too upset. Also, once I was at DAVIDs, I ended up buying a couple of samples and 100g of Birthday Cake because I have a problem.

Anyways, right now I am sipping away at the Barley tea we bought and though I think I prefer Soba Cha, this is a close comparison for those who can’t easily get a hold of Harney and Son teas. I would say the only difference is this is more like wheat/grains while Soba is reminiscent of a hot cereal. Both are good though :)

Oh and Captain America was quite great in case anyone was wondering.

Harney & Sons – Soba Tea, Roasted Buckwheat
https://www.harney.com/soba-tea-roasted-buckwheat.html
vs
Yunnan Sourcing – Himalayan Black Tartary Buckwheat Roasted Tea
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/flower-and-herbal-teas/2508-himalayan-black-tartary-buckwheat-roasted-tea.html

I adore H&S Soba Buckwheat tea. H&S is a bit expensive to ship to Canada. Was looking for another example of this tea. I’ve looked for roasted buckwheat at local health food store but haven’t been able to find any. So, when I saw something that looked similar at YS I was quite excited.
I’ve made a cup of each using the same steep parameters. 1 tsp/8oz 100C 5 min
I used Davids steeping baskets in my Noble cups, so each tea was steeped in the same vessel and I’m drinking it out of the same cup.

Dry – the H&S nuggets are a little smaller and a little darker in color than the YS version.
Dry smell – really they both don’t smell like anything.
Steeped – Again the H&S is slightly darker in color.
Smell – the H&S smells more toasted, the YS is similar but not as strong.

H&S is for sure more toasty/roasted. The YS is sweeter and more grainy. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to articulate how I feel about this. I like them both – if I weren’t drinking them side by side, I’m not sure I would think there is much difference. But I am drinking them side by side. H&S is more flavorful – I think it’s more fun, like a kids cereal. YS is more subtle and more natural – it’s more adult.
I think the YS version would benefit from a longer steep time – I think the bigger nuggets need a bit longer steep time.
All and all I am really happy with my YS purchase, I am going to be perfectly happy drinking this, and considering how cheap it is – that’s just a bonus. Do I like H&S better? yes I do, but only marginally better. I’m not sure what I rated H&S – but right now I’m thinking H&S 95 – YS 92.

Both these teas make me happy.

Sipdown, 146. Here’s a true mystery tea… a gold-foil packet of black tea from China from Sil. At least I know approximately what it is! It looks and smells fairly similar to the Tan Yang I brought back from China myself, though with a few less golden tips.

Interestingly, this one smells more chocolatey than I would have imagined, close to Laoshan Black. Definite toasted grain notes, but no honey or caramel. It’s a little more charcoaly than I would prefer, but overall pretty good. I think I steeped it a little strong, which may be contributing to that sensation. Still, an enjoyable cup for the afternoon.

i had a bit of ‘little litchee raspberry’ from yyz and an assam from MissB, no time and deadlines everywhere i look. chucked them together and wunderbar! back to the grind.

bye!

Gunpowder & Mate by Teapots & Treasures

Not the best morning. Bit stressed out, all the little things. Woke up from a creepy-ass nightmare a bit before 6 AM and never went back to sleep. Need the good stuff.

This green taste is cleansing and refreshing this morning. Already starting to feel a bit better. I never thought this would be a staple, but apparently it’s about to be.

Great Canadian Travelling Tea Box

I’m being lazy and not creating a new tea page for The TeaCupany Green Mandarin Orange. I brewed just over 1tsp in a 12oz mug, 175 degrees for 3 minutes which is pretty close to the instructions.

It’s not bad. Green tea is one of the few types that I can easily drink unsweetened (prepared correctly that is), but with that being said, none of the flavors really pop when I do that. I faintly taste lemon and maybe a little orange, but it’s an afterthought, not the main event. I bet I would taste more fruit if I sweetened it, but given that this is one of the few types of teas I can do without, I’ll sip the rest of the cup as is.

I had my morning cup of Irish Cream Breakfast, but I didn’t write a note for it. I didn’t bring tea with me today, so now I’ve arrived home and I’m making a resteep of Japon with 1/2 tsp. of Cacao.

A family member called to invite me to Jamaica! I was so excited, then it hit me I am scheduled to present my conservation poster and I have a psychology presentation. I plan on speaking with both profs tomorrow to see if I can’t present a day or two early.

So my tea of the morning was an interesting blend from ashleyef. It is part Butiki strawberry oolong, part David’s banana oolong, and part David’s vanilla orchid. I love oolongs. I was originally interested in a different oolong from her and have been dying to try vanilla orchid so she suggest this blend she combined. I have to say…it smells lovely. And the leaves are beautiful. I loved watching this steep. As it cools it gets better. The different oolong bases are amazing. Indescribable. You can taste the after notes of banana and the creaminess of the vanilla. There are slight floral notes from the orchid. The tart yet sweetness you usually find in a strawberry come at the very end. I have to say… BRAVO ashleyef good blend. I would have never guessed to put them all together. And thank you for sending me an exceptionally large amount of it:) I hope to share it with stephanie and others soon!

I still cannot post a review to Yunnan Black by Little Red Cup Tea Co.. After today I guess it doesn’t matter as I finished it off. Well, actually this is leaf I first used Saturday. I left it in my press. That kind of stuff scares some people. I assure you it was fine. In fact it was just as tasty as it was two days ago. Fact is I enjoyed it even more today. Rich molassesy goodness. Consumed on a sunny 75 F porch with a bowl of rice. A wonderful escape from the sadness of the news.

Drinking an iced jasmine tea that my roommate made :)
First time drinking jasmine iced and I actually really like it!

Dude. So I dont love my roommates, as much as my previous ones, but like my two of my roommates now DRINK LOOSE LEAF. THEY REFUSE TO DRINK BAGGED TEA AND IT’S GREAT. I obviously trump them on like… the tea craziness scale, but I’m just happy that I live with people who appreciate loose leaf :)